Friday, May 24, 2013

Fenway Fans Treat Tito The Way He Deserves

AP Photo/Charles Krupa
The Red Sox ownership may have kicked Terry Francona to the curb, but the real embodiment of the Red Sox franchise—its fans—gave Tito a sustained standing ovation at the end of last night's first inning. Before the game, Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino did stop by to say hello to Francona—which is more than can be said for owners John Henry or Tom Werner. After the video board displayed a reel of his managerial highlights in Boston, Francona waved to the crowd and tapped his heart. That's all he had to do, we understood. We will always understand. Of the tribute, he said, "These are some of the best fans in the world. If you like baseball, this is a good place to be and I got to be a part of that. I feel very fortunate." Amen.