Indians and Francona a good match

October, 1, 2012

10/01/12

12:15

PM ET

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

Like so many former managers, Terry Francona’s preference is to be back in the dugout.

He spent this season in front of the TV camera, and there’s little doubt in my mind that if Francona chose to remain as a broadcaster he would be just as successful as he was as the manager of the Boston Red Sox. However, based on my conversations with him this year, I got the firm impression that if he had the right opportunity, he would return to managing.

That team would need to have two prerequisites:
1. A team with which he felt he could win in the near future
2. A front office with which he felt he could have a good working relationship

I think both elements exist with the Cleveland Indians.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ESPN The Magazine subscribers

Activate your Insider account »
Need more information?

View Insider Benefits »

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.