This story originally appeared in the Globe’s Sunday Baseball Notes. Read the rest here.
Terry Francona has no love for Red Sox management after the way his time in Boston ended in 2011. But his face lights up when you mention Alex Cora.
“He’s an easy one to like,” Francona said. “I feel fortunate to have been around so many good people because they’ve helped me get better.”
Cora is one of six current major league managers who played or coached under Francona. When Cora managed the American League All-Star team in 2019, he invited Francona to be one of his coaches.
“For a lot of us, [Francona] is the one we learned from,” Cora said. “Playing for him, you watched everything he did.”
Mike Napoli might be the next branch on Francona’s managing tree. The former Red Sox first baseman (2013-15) is Cincinnati’s assistant bench coach. He’s in his second season on the staff after coaching with the Cubs from 2020-24.
Napoli played for Francona in 2016 when Cleveland went to the World Series.
“I’d like to manage someday. This is the best place for me to learn,” Napoli said. “Being around Tito is a great experience.”
Another former Red Sox player, Bill Haselman, is in his first season as Cincinnati’s catching coach. He was on the Sox staff under Francona from 2004-06.
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Since the end of the World Series, Roman Anthony has the ninth-best-selling jersey according to Major League Baseball.
Shohei Ohtani, the Joe DiMaggio of jersey sales, has led for three consecutive seasons and has sold the most since 2023.
No other Red Sox were in the top 20. Somehow Kiké Hernández was 12th and Paul Skenes only 18th. Mookie Betts was fourth.
▪ Garrett Crochet is the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1901) to start on Opening Day in his first three seasons as a starter.
▪ Triple-A Worcester’s Opening Day lineup Friday included Kristian Campbell in center field batting second.
He’s signed through 2032, so it’s not really an issue now. But if the 23-year-old Campbell is an outfielder moving forward it’s hard to see where he fits in a lineup that already has 21-year-old Anthony, 25-year-old Ceddanne Rafaela, and 26-year-old Wilyer Abreu.
▪ Former Red Sox who are still free agents: Lucas Giolito, Jose Iglesias, and Justin Turner. Justin Wilson remains unsigned but has apparently decided to retire at 38.
▪ Righthander Tanner Houck, who is recovering from elbow surgery, will do his rehabilitation work during the season in Boston and be around the team. Tristan Casas will remain in Fort Myers as he returns from surgery on his left knee. The first baseman has been taking at-bats but has not yet been cleared to play in games.
▪ Red Sox principal owner [and Globe owner] John Henry ended a 1,745-day absence on social media last week when he replied “Historic” to a post by Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy apologizing for an erroneous comment he made about NESN.
Appearing on the “Fenway Rundown” podcast, team president and ownership spokesman Sam Kennedy said he “had to smile” at Henry taking a poke at Shaughnessy.
Fair enough. But Kennedy followed up by saying that the owner’s decision not to engage the media, which goes back to 2020, has “served John well.”
How so? The owners of the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, and Yankees and other large-market teams take questions on at least an annual basis.
Many Sox fans have become disenchanted with the drop in payroll and other decisions by ownership. They deserve to hear directly from Henry.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.