Congratulations, Terry Francona - 500 wins!

When Terry Francona was hired in 2004, I defended him against criticism of his record in Philadelphia. I think that managers can't win without good players, and he didn't have enough of them, whether he used it well or not. I didn't know whether he was the right guy, but I liked what I heard from him, thought he'd probably learned something from his Philadelphia story, and I was willing to give him a chance.

In the last five years, I think he's been one of the very best managers in baseball. I don't agree with every move a manager makes - indeed, I don't think that's possible. Even if I were the manager, I'd probably disagree with 20% of what I came up with. ;-) But I think he's demonstrated an understanding of baseball strategy, an understanding of baseball tactics, and, most importantly, an understanding of when strategic concerns override tactical concerns and vice versa.

So I want to make sure to note, and offer my congratulations on, the 500th win for Terry Francona in a Red Sox uniform, last night in Detroit. He's done a great job, and I expect him to continue doing a great job for years to come.