CINCINNATI – Terry Francona wanted to miss it: the office visits from opposing broadcasters, the late-night planning for the next day, the late-inning tightropes that turned his stomach. All the elements that made being a big league manager so exciting. All elements that have made the job of major league manager a burden in recent years.

He said he needed to take a step back, regroup and figure out what was next.

But he’s a baseball fan who hasn’t separated from the sport since 1991, when reruns of Gilligan’s Island and real estate textbooks no longer appealed to him. That summer, Buddy Bell got him off the couch and into the coaching ranks of the Chicago White Sox as a minor league hitting instructor. Francona never looked back, crafting a managerial resume that eventually landed him real estate in Cooperstown.

After a long-awaited year in the shadows, it’s obviously back to management. The 65-year-old Francona will take over the management of the Cincinnati Reds, replacing none other than Buddy’s son David Bell.

Due to the team’s youth, the Reds focused on an experienced manager.

“We’re looking for someone who can run this clubhouse,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said after Bell’s firing. “We are looking for someone who can develop the young players in this clubhouse as we continue to build through scouting and player development.”

Asked specifically about the prospect of coaxing Francona out of retirement, Krall replied: “He’s done a great job as a manager. Again, I don’t have a list at the moment.”

The process moved quickly. The Reds reached out to Francona earlier this week, meeting with him at his home in Tucson, Arizona, and completing their manager search within two weeks of firing Bell. The Reds also had interest in former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, people with knowledge of the club’s considerations said The athleteeven though they had not yet reached the stage of interviewing him before hiring Francona.

Only 12 managers in league history have racked up more wins than Francona’s 1,950. Ten of them are already in the Hall of Fame, with Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy expected to join them in the near future.

He recorded a franchise-record 921 of those wins in his 11 seasons in Cleveland before deciding to retire last fall. Francona struggled with heart, foot and gastrointestinal illnesses in the latter stages of his tenure, leading to extended absences in 2020 and 2021 and daily challenges in subsequent years. During his year away from baseball, Francona has lost about 25 pounds and is in good health. He received a shoulder replacement and had two hernias repaired.

Francona, who played for the Reds in 1987 under coach Pete Rose, will inherit a young and talented roster led by shortstop Elly De La Cruz.

With postseason ambitions in 2024, the Reds underperformed with several of their breakout rookies of the year before regressing, although De La Cruz emerged as one of the top players in baseball.

The Reds rewarded Bell with a three-year extension last season, but the team stumbled along the way, missed the playoffs and underperformed last season. Cincinatti fired Bell with five games left in the season and finished the year 77-85, with Bell going 76-81. In six seasons, Bell led the team to one playoff appearance and posted an overall record of 409-456.

In Francona, the Reds will have one of the game’s most accomplished managers, as he led the Boston Red Sox to a championship twice and earned AL Manager of the Year honors three times in Cleveland. His teams earned playoff berths in five of his eight seasons in Boston and six of his 11 seasons in Cleveland.

In late September 2023, the Reds saw Francona’s final games in Cleveland as the Guardians sputtered to the finish line. Francona’s club finished 76-86, the worst showing of any Francona-led team since his four forgettable years as manager of the Phillies in the late ’90s, when, as he likes to detail, the fans slashed his tires and ran him out of town booed.

The Guardians appointed him special advisor to the baseball operations department, and he assisted them in finding his replacement. He served as a sounding board for final candidate Stephen Vogt, although Francona emphasized his desire to maintain distance and allow the new manager to establish his own culture.

Vogt led the Guardians to an AL Central title in his first year, and the club secured a first-round bye last week with a win against the Reds in Cincinnati’s first game since Bell was fired.

After leaving Cleveland, Francona said he “didn’t expect to do it again.” He insisted he needed time away from the game to decide his future and whether a leadership or other role would be part of it.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Francona said in an interview room at Progressive Field in Cleveland. “No one does. If I can do it, I’ll be happy to do it here. But I don’t want to just turn away from the game either. I don’t feel that way either.”

Exactly one year after those words, Francona’s retirement is over and his usual spot in the big league dugout awaits him.

(Top photo of Guardians manager Terry Francona: Seth Wenig / Associated Press)