This is Fenway Park's 101st season, and the Red Sox are celebrating Fenway Park's 100th anniversary.*
* math nerds, unite!
To that end, the Sox have invited every living Red Sox player and ex-manager to a big event on the 20th of this month. Including Terry Francona, their most recent ex-manager.
As you might recall, in the aftermath of Francona's departure last fall, someone within the organization apparently told a newspaper reporter some unflattering (and perhaps untrue) things about Francona. Which, as you might imagine, didn't go over so well.
According to Francona, Red Sox owner John Henry called last month to invite Francona to the anniversary celebration. Francona demurred.
Next, Larry Lucchino gave it a shot. That didn't go so well, either. Via Dan Shaughnessy:
"Larry called me yesterday,’’ Francona said Tuesday. "I was in a phone store in Arizona. I had three people standing around me. I was at a little bit of a disadvantage. He got a little perturbed at me, telling me I was being unfair to them. I called him back last night and left him a message. He called me back and we ended up getting into an argument. I just feel like someone in the organization went out of their way to hurt me and the more we talked I realized we’re just not on the same wavelength. They’re probably better off going forth and leaving me out of it.’’
I'm confident that Terry Francona will eventually return to the fold, at last emotionally. But this might take some time. Especially with Lucchino in the organization, as he doesn't seem to be one of Francona's very favorite people in the world.