As Long As It Helps The Book Sales

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona, co-author of this book with Our Man Shank, wins the 2013 American League Manager of the Year.

After the epic worst-to-first season, after the knee-jerk pronouncement that the magical 2013 Red Sox championship run was greater than the 2004 title that relieved 86 years of frustration, Terry Francona somehow gets the final word on the 2013 baseball season.

Francona Tuesday was named American League Manager of the Year for 2013.

It was a shocker in Boston. And it was not a party-starter for the bosses who fired Francona after the 2011 train-wreck finish.

First, know this. Voting for 2013 AL Manager of the Year was conducted before the postseason. The Sox’ 11-5 playoff run and ride down Boylston Street was not a factor in this election. This vote was based strictly on the 2013 regular season.

Shank also gives his readers a first time print disclosure on his conflicts of interest, inadvertently making some of the article about himself:

In the interest of disclosure, this is where I need to remind you that I work for a paper owned by the Red Sox owner, John Henry. And I wrote a book with Terry Francona. It would be impossible to have more conflicts of interest. But the book is long gone, and the Red Sox have emerged from the post-Francona rubble in spectacular fashion. Farrell and the Red Sox won the 2013 World Series. Compared with that, this is nothing.

All that said, the award to Francona is loaded with irony and symbolism. Think of it this way: the Red Sox won three World Series in this century and the only time Francona was named Manager of the Year was the year in which he was not managing the Red Sox. What’s up with that?

Given that the award goes out, in my observation, to the manager that does the most with the least, this year's outcome is unsurprising, and just.

The Book Tour Continues - III

It looks like Shank lit the room up a few days ago on another leg of his book tour.

Melrose, Mass. — Author and journalist Dan Shaughnessy paid a visit to the Melrose Public Library Tuesday night to talk about his latest book, “Francona: The Red Sox Years.”

The event was part of the Author’s Corner, an ongoing program that brings adult and children’s authors to the Melrose library for book readings. (Click here to view the full photo gallery.)

Shaughnessy, a Boston Globe sports columnist, shared stories from the nonfiction piece he co-wrote with former Boston Red Sox manager Terry “Tito” Francona.

I'll just go with the interesting bits (my emphasis in italics):

Shaughnessy, who approached the podium at 7:30 p.m., full of energy and wit, spent the first part of the evening sitting in the audience, talking with guests.
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Shaughnessy said he emailed Francona the day he was fired from the Red Sox about the possibility of a book deal.
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“There’s one we like about Manny Ramirez,” said Shaughnessy. “We all know Manny was just an interesting guy. There’s one where they’re in the World Series in game four against the Cardinals. Manny’s at the plate and an argument ensues…Terry pulls Manny aside and says ‘what’s going on’ and Manny said, ‘he says I’m stealing his signs.’ Terry said, ‘Manny doesn’t even know our signs!’”
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Around 8 p.m., Shaughnessy took a half hour to answer questions from the audience.

One guest wondered if Francona would ever return to manage the Red Sox.

“No, they’re mad at him,” Shaughnessy said, adding that Red Sox owner John Henry would not answer one of Francona’s emails when they were writing the book.

Shaughnessy, who used to be close with Henry, couldn’t offer an explanation for the team owner’s behavior, stating Henry doesn’t respond to his emails anymore either.
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Another fan asked if Shaughnessy regrets anything he wrote about Francona prior to his current relationship with the man.

“I was never harsh towards him,” Shaughnessy said. “He would get mad but there was nothing we couldn’t get past. I really liked him and I love him now.”

The Book Tour Continues

I'm thinking prime heckling opportunities:

Sports writer Dan Shaughnessy heads to The Music Hall's Writers in the Loft series with his “bombshell” of a book, “Francona: The Red Sox Years,” on Wednesday, April 10. The 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. events both include an author presentation and moderated Q+A plus book signing meet-and-greet and will be held at the Music Hall Loft at 131 Congress St., Portsmouth.

New England's award-winning Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy visits the Loft to talk about his latest, a New York Times bestseller co-authored with former Red Sox Manager Terry Francona. Experience the triumph and heartbreak felt by generations of fans with this all-access pass that takes readers from Fenway's locker room to the owners' suite.

The Book Tour Continues

If you thought it was way too early for the unassisted triple play this baseball season, Shank pulled it off:

Dan Shaughnessy moved a few more copies of his best-selling book, “Francona: The Red Sox Years,” at a UNICEF event at Legal Sea Foods Harborside this week. (The Globe sports columnist is on the UNICEF board.) The crowd included fellow board member and Big Papi bride Tiffany Ortiz, Bill and Alli Achtmeyer, Comcast SportsNet New England’s Bill Bridgen, Jeannette Hsu-McSweeney, former Globe sportswriter Jackie MacMullan, and Legal Sea Foods boss Roger Berkowitz.

Hawk a few books, score a comped meal from Legal Seafoods and help out a charity? Livin' large...