'We Are Going to Kill Ourselves Trying to Get There' - Terry Francona Bullish on Young Reds' Roster

Francona is entering his first season as Reds manager.

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona looks to Rece Hinds during a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The excitement has been palpable since the night of Thursday, October 3. That was the night the Cincinnati Reds made a splash by hiring Terry Francona to be their manager.

Francona's presence has created a lot of excitment and optimism going into the 2025 Season, and the two-time World Series champion manager feels just as enthusiastic about this team's chances this season.

"I'm excited to see how good we can get, because I don't know, but we are going to kill ourselves trying to get there," Francona recently said in an interview on MLB Network Radio.

Francona has a history of turning franchises around.

In Boston, where Francona managed for eight seasons, he helped the Red Sox break the Curse of the Bambino and win the franchise's first World Series in 86 years back in 2004. That was his first season as the Red Sox manager, and Francona would lead the Red Sox to another World Series title in 2007 along with three other playoff appearances.

Then in Cleveland for 11 seasons, Francona had the Guardians in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Cleveland hadn't won the World Series in 68 years at the time, and they came that close to winning it in 2016. Francona led the Guardians to five American League Central Division titles and another postseason appearance in 2013, his first season in Cleveland.

The Reds haven't won a postseason series since 1995. But given what Francona has done in his previous two managerial positions, fans are excited and for good reason.

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