As ridiculous question-themed title prompts go, this one might take the cake. It’s not without reference, however, as just last summer ESPN’s Jeff Passan referenced the legendary pixie dust of Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona as a means for the Reds to surge forward in the standings, something Tito did while up north in Cleveland for the better part of a decade.
While the science behind said pixie dust is questionable, at best, the reality is that the Reds do have one of baseball’s greatest ever managers in their dugout right now, and he’s entering the second year at the helm. He knows the dugout at this point, and the lack of turnover suggests he’s on-board with how it’s been put together. At this juncture, there’s a familiarity that, in theory, should breed a heightened sense of togetherness in the locker room, something Francona has helped foster at just about every stop in his career.
That career is on the cusp of some even more significance, too.
Tito currently has 2033 career wins as a manager under his belt, good enough for 12th most in Major League Baseball history right now. Of the 11 managers ahead of him on the list, 9 are already Hall of Famers and the other two – Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker – will undoubtedly be in there in short order. Joe McCarthy currently sits 10th on the all-time wins list at 2125, meaning a 93 win season from this Reds club would vault Francona into the Top 10 in all-time wins.
Francona has also guided teams to the playoffs on 12 different occasions. That’s a number that’s good for fifth most all-time, and making it back to the postseason with this Reds club would give him 13 times in the playoffs – a number that would tie Baker for fourth most all-time.
Only 11 managers in MLB history have won more than a pair of World Series titles, with Tito currently sitting on the two that he won in his days with the Boston Red Sox. Should the Reds go all the way this year and claim a title, he’d be tied with Tony La Russa, Dave Roberts, John McGraw, Sparky Anderson, and Miller Huggins with a trio. Only six managers in MLB history have won more than 3 World Series titles.
It’s a testament to his character, the longevity to reach these potential milestones. It’s a testament to his talent and feel for the position, too. Now, it’s up to this young Reds club to begin to truly embrace what it means to be a Francona-led ball club and take the next step up from simply being slightly better than average, and if they do, the future Hall of Famer in the dugout next to them will find himself in even more rarified air all-time.
It’s all up to the pixie dust.
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