Cincinnati Reds skipper Terry “Tito” Francona has reached yet another milestone in his decorated managerial career in MLB.
By virtue of the Reds’ 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies in Cincinnati on Sunday (the Reds’ 50th in 2025), “Tito” earned his 2,000th career victory as a manager. He’s the 13th skipper in MLB history to reach this distinction.
For further context, 10 of the managers ahead of Francona have reached the Hall of Fame, with the two outliers (Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy) on their way to Cooperstown in due time. That means Francona’s 2,000th win will likely cement his own Hall of Fame case down the road.
Francona’s storied tenure as a big league manager spans 24 seasons, dating back to 1997, when he took his first job leading the Philadelphia Phillies until he was fired after four straight losing campaigns.
The 66-year-old is, of course, best known for his major success with the Boston Red Sox, helping to break the “Curse of the Bambino” with his 2004 squad and then winning the World Series again in 2007. He would stay on as Red Sox manager until 2011 before taking the 2012 season off and resuming his career with Cleveland in 2013.
Francona led Cleveland to an AL pennant in 2016. In total, he spent 10 seasons in Cleveland, with six playoff appearances during his tenure there.
The veteran skipper stepped down after the 2023 season due to health concerns, but deemed himself ready to manage once again in 2025, this time taking the reins of the Cincinnati Reds, who are hanging around in the NL wild-card race at the All-Star break.
Suffice it to say, Francona has had quite the career as a big league manager. And he doesn’t seem to be slowing down, at least as long as the Reds will have him in their dugout.
There isn’t much left for Francona to accomplish in MLB. That said, 2,000 wins is a significant feat and when the sun eventually sets on his managerial career, the legendary skipper will have much to be proud of, including his shiny Hall of Fame plaque soon enough.
