Bleacher Report

200px
URL	BleacherReport.com
Launched	2008
Alexa rank	638; 199 (June 2012[update])[1]

Bleacher Report, widely known as B/R, is an American digital sports media network serving a global audience of readers and several hundred niche communities of fans.

B/R's paid and unpaid contributors publish upwards of 1,000 original daily content items.^[2] The network specializes in coverage of timely news stories, with an emphasis on providing opinion-oriented analysis via varied content formats and extensive multimedia programming.^[3] By integrating a sports-and-social-media experience across a range of mobile applications and devices,^[4][5] B/R pursues a stated goal of "revolutionizing the way sports fans learn, think, and talk about their favorite teams and topics."^[6]

CEO Brian Grey has headed Bleacher Report since July 2010.^[7] In addition to its headquarters at 153 Kearny Street in San Francisco,^[8] the company also maintains a satellite office in New York City.^[9]

History[link]

Founding[link]

Bleacher Report was founded in 2006 by David Finocchio, Alexander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and David Nemetz—four lifelong friends and sports fans who had been high school classmates at Menlo School in Atherton, California.^{[10] [11]}

Finocchio, Goldberg, and Nemetz remain at B/R as, respectively, Senior VP of Content and Product, VP of Revenue Strategy and Operations, and VP of Video and Business Development.^[12] Freund is no longer with the company.^[13]

Funding[link]

B/R announced the completion of a round of Series A funding on the occasion of its public launch in February 2008.^[14] The undisclosed sum came from Hillsven Capital, Transcoast Capital, and Vimeo founder Jakob Lodwick.

Eight months later, in October 2008, B/R secured $3.5 million in Series B funding from Hillsven, Gordon Crawford, and SoftTech VC.^[15] A Series C round in December 2010—this one led by Crosslink Capital—netted an additional $10.5 million.^[16][17]

In August 2011, the company announced a $22 million growth round led by Oak Investment Partners, with participation from Crosslink and Hillsven.^[18] At the time, Oak general partner Fred Harman—a board member at both the Huffington Post and Demand Media—characterized the investment as a bet on B/R's ability to keep pace with real-time fan interest in an age of agile social media:

"Sports is a big opportunity and no one has gotten it right yet. People are clearly as passionate and opinionated as they are in politics, and they are less inhibited to express their opinions. Bleacher Report has done a far better job of embracing the capabilities of the online medium than the big sports name brands have." ^[19]

Executive Hires[link]

The company hired Brian Grey as its Chief Executive Officer in 2010.^[20] Grey came to Bleacher Report from leadership roles at Fox Sports Interactive and Yahoo! Sports, and was tasked with overseeing the organization's "strategic direction and day-to-day operation."^[21]

In the first year of Grey's tenure, B/R filled two more executive-level positions, adding Rich Calacci as Chief Revenue Officer and Drew Atherton as Chief Financial Officer. Calacci joined the company in May 2011; Atherton followed a month later in June. ^[22][23]

Calacci had previously served as CBS Interactive's Senior VP of Sales. Atherton's most recent experience had been at Demand Media, where he was COO and CFO of the company's registrar services division.^[24]

Public Relations[link]

Criticism[link]

In Bleacher Report's early years, the network was sometimes criticized for its commitment to an open-source publishing model. Most detractors focused on the fact that all registered B/R users were permitted to publish articles on the site, arguing that such a policy…

• Diluted the quality of B/R content, which made it difficult for the network's readers to find insightful coverage of their favorite teams and sports^[25]

• Diminished the credibility of the B/R brand, which made it difficult for the network's more talented writers to build loyal audiences^[26]

• Undermined the traditional hierarchy of journalism schools and old-media news publications, which compromised the esteem and exclusivity of the sportswriting profession^[27]

The general thrust of this criticism was succinctly summarized in a March 2010 post on thejetsblog.com:

"The biggest cause of internal conflict for me with B/R is that there are great writers on B/R…but I worry that good writers there just get lumped in with the bad ones…and it’s hard as a casual reader to really tell the difference."^[28]

Response[link]

Although the network still announces the goal of providing an "empowering opportunity for every contributor hoping to establish his or her voice" in the sports blogosphere, ^[29] Bleacher Report addressed the concerns of its critics by making substantive reforms to its editorial and personnel policies in 2010. These reforms were aimed chiefly at the mechanics of B/R's Writer Program, with an emphasis on enhancing quality and credibility by…

• Initiating a formal application process for all prospective writers, wherein only the top 20 percent of candidates earn the right to publish on the site^[30][31]

• Introducing comprehensive educational resources for new and veteran writers, including the "B/R U" new-media training program^[32]

• Establishing a paid team of high-profile Lead Writers to headline the network's sport-specific writer communities^[33]

These reforms, along with the continued growth of B/R's audience, prompted Forbes.com to single out Bleacher Report as a company "doing it right" in August 2011.^[34] B/R was also named one of Time magazine's "50 Best Websites of 2011,"^[35] and was picked by Adweek readers as 2011's "Best Sports Media Brand."^[36]

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (April 2012)

Kate Upton
Upton at the Jets VIP draft party in 2011
Born	Katherine Upton[1] (1992-06-10) June 10, 1992 (age 20)[2] St. Joseph, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Model, actress
Years active	2008–present
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3]
Hair color	Blonde[3]
Eye color	Blue/green[3]
Measurements	33-25-36 (US) 84-63-92 (EU)[3]
Manager	IMG Models[3]
Website
www.kateupton.com

Katherine "Kate" Upton^[1] (born June 10, 1992)^[2] is an American model and actress known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue,^[4] first in 2011, when she was named Rookie of the Year,^[5] and again in 2012, when she was announced as the cover model.

Early life[link]

Upton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan^[6] and raised in Melbourne, Florida.^[7] She attended Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy.^[8] Her uncle is U.S. Representative Fred Upton, Republican of Michigan's 6th congressional district.^[9]

As a young equestrian, Upton showed at the American Paint Horse Association and competed on a national level.^[10] With her horse Roanie Pony, she won three APHA Reserve World Championships – 13 and Under Western Riding, 13 and Under Horsemanship, and 14–18 Western Riding. She was named the 13 and Under Reserve All-Around Champion, giving her a total of four reserve championships (2nd place). In addition, Upton ended up third overall on the APHA youth Top Twenty. With a second horse, Zipped, she won 14–18 Western Riding and was included in the top 5 in 14–18 Horsemanship and 14–18 Western Pleasure in 2009.^[11]

Career[link]

External media
Images
	Upton's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover from February 19, 2012
Videos
	Kate Upton's 6 million view video of the Dougie posted on April 3, 2011
	Kate Upton's 6 million view video of the Cat Daddy posted on May 1, 2012

Upton attended a casting call in Miami for Elite Model Management in 2008^[6] and was signed by them the same day. She eventually moved to New York City, where she then signed with IMG Models.^[6]

Upton first modeled for Garage,^[6] then Dooney & Bourke. She is the 2010–11 face of Guess.^[12] In 2011, Upton appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was featured in the body paint section and named Rookie of the Year for the issue.^[6] She has since modeled for Beach Bunny swimwear and Victoria's Secret,^[3] and has appeared in Complex^[13][14] and Esquire as "The Woman of the Summer".^[15]

In April 2011 an internet video of her doing the "Dougie" at a Los Angeles Clippers game went viral and served to increase her popularity.^[10][16][17] On April 30, 2012, a bikini-clad Upton performing the "Cat Daddy" in a video directed by Terry Richardson also went viral, amassing almost 750,000 views in the 24 hours before it was temporarily removed from YouTube for violating the site's rules on sexual content.^[18][19]

Upton made an appearance in a June 2011 episode of Tosh.0, participating in a segment called "Knife or Banana", emulating a Japanese game show in which she is stabbed with a banana.^[20]

Upton played in the 2011 Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, in July 2011.^[21]

Upton's acting debut was in the film, Tower Heist, as Mr. Hightower’s Mistress.^[22] She followed up with an appearance in The Three Stooges as Sister Bernice.^[23]

Upton appeared on the cover of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, unveiled on February 13, 2012, on the Late Show with David Letterman.^[24]

Upton appeared on Saturday Night Live on February 18, 2012 in the sketch What Up with That as the middle guest.^[25] Again in 2012, she has appeared on more covers, in magazines such as Esquire and Muse and a television commercial for Carl's Jr., a U.S.-based fast food chain.

Upton appeared in a Major League Baseball 2K12 commercial with Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher C.J. Wilson, and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kate Upton

• Official website
• Kate Upton at the Internet Movie Database
• Kate Upton at Sports Illustrated online

Andrew McCutchen
Pittsburgh Pirates – No. 22
Center fielder
Born: (1986-10-10) October 10, 1986 (age 25) Fort Meade, Florida
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 4, 2009 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Career statistics (through May 27, 2012)
Batting average	.282
Hits	490
Home runs	59
Runs batted in	224
Stolen bases	88
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (2009-present)
Career highlights and awards
1× All-Star (2011) Baseball America Rookie of the Year: 2009 Topps Rookie All Star Outfielder: 2009

Andrew Stefan McCutchen (born October 10, 1986) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.

Early years[link]

During McCutchen's senior year at Fort Meade High School in Fort Meade, Florida in 2004 he batted .474 with 8 Home runs, 40 RBI, 45 stolen bases, and only 5 strikeouts. He also played football and ran track.

Professional career[link]

Minor Leagues[link]

McCutchen, who had signed with the University of Florida, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates 11th overall in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft and signed with the Pirates instead of going to Florida. He started for the South Atlantic League's All-Star team in 2006, his first full season as a professional.^[1] At the end of that year, the Pirates named him the organization's Minor League Player of the Year.^[2] McCutchen was consistently considered a top prospect, being ranked a top 50 prospect in all four of his minor league seasons by Baseball America, peaking at number 13 before the 2007 season.

Major Leagues[link]

2009[link]

On June 3, 2009, after the Pirates traded starting center fielder Nate McLouth to the Atlanta Braves, McCutchen was called up to the majors for the first time. He made his debut the next day, playing the now vacant center field spot and batting leadoff against the New York Mets. He singled in his first career at-bat, off starter Mike Pelfrey. He ended the day with two singles, an RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in four at bats.^[3] He recorded his first career four-hit game five days later, against McLouth and the Braves, in a 7-6 Pirates loss. Two of his hits were triples, making him the first Pirate with two triples in a game since Tike Redman accomplished the feat in 2003.^[4]

On June 17, 2009, McCutchen hit his first career home run off of Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins, a two-run shot in the 3rd inning. He recorded a second hit as well, marking a hit in 11 of his first 13 major league games, with six of those games featuring multiple hits. On June 25, 2009, he had his first career walk-off hit, off Cleveland Indians closer Matt Herges. Teammates Jack Wilson and Eric Hinske both singled prior to McCutchen, who then hit a bloop single to left to score Wilson for the winning run. "He's an impressive looking young player. He really is." said then Indians manager Eric Wedge.^[5]

On August 1, 2009, against the Washington Nationals he went 4-for-5 with three home runs and six RBI. He hit a solo home run in the 1st inning to lead off the game against Nationals starter Craig Stammen, a two-run shot in the 4th inning off reliever Tyler Clippard and then a three-run homer in the 6th off Logan Kensing. He fell a grand slam short of a home run cycle. He became the 10th Pirates player ever to hit three home runs in a single game, and the first one to do it during his rookie year.^[6] "It was just one of those days," said McCutchen. "It was one of those days where everything worked, everything went your way. You got your pitches, and I was able to hit them, I was able to get them out. It's just a day that I know I won't forget." ^[7]

He flashed a different side to his game 10 days later against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, stealing a career-high three bases in a game. While stealing off three different Rockies pitchers, he swiped third base twice, drew three walks and scored three times in a 7-3 Pirates victory. "I had more opportunities to run tonight," he said. "You have that chance when you are on base a lot. I was on base and got good jumps." ^[8]

He hit his first walk-off home run on August 25, 2009, off Brad Lidge of the Philadelphia Phillies.

He finished his rookie season with a .286 batting average, 12 home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases in 108 games.

McCutchen was named the Baseball America Rookie of the Year for 2009 on October 16, 2009.^[9] He finished fourth in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.^[10]

2010[link]

McCutchen began the 2010 season as the Pirates' every day center fielder as a major hope for the team going forward, with praise coming from all over the league. "He's an All-Star. This year, probably," said Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox. "Hitting. Running. Defense. Throwing. He's got it all. He catches the ball like Andruw Jones did when he was 19. You can't hit a ball [past him] out there. He's got lightning in that bat too."^[11]

He posted a career day against the Chicago Cubs on May 14, 2010, going 5-for-5 with five runs scored in a 10-7 Pirates win. Teammate Garrett Jones also recorded five hits, making McCutchen and Jones the first Pirate duo since Hall of Fame inductee Willie Stargell and Bob Robertson accomplished the feat in 1970. "I guess we were just kind of competing against each other," McCutchen said, laughing. "I don't know. I'd get a hit, he'd get a hit. He'd hit a homer, I'd hit a homer."^[12] McCutchen finished the month of May with career-best numbers, hitting .327 with a .901 OPS, which drew comparisons with Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Carl Crawford. Due to his speed and ability to rack up extra-base hits, McCutchen's wins above the average of +4.5 place him in elite company as one of the best center-fielders in baseball.^[13]

McCutchen was, however, not named to the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Team. Instead, pitcher Evan Meek was awarded the honor of being the Pirates representative, although Meek himself stated that McCutchen was "very deserving" and should have gone as well.^[14]

After hitting .226 in August, McCutchen batted .326 with 22 runs and 17 RBIs in September. He also recorded 12 multi-hit games from September 3-October 3. McCutchen, an "on-base machine" for the Pirates, said about the changes from August to September, "Honestly, I don't think I'm doing anything any different right now. You swing, and the ball finds a hole. That's it. That's the game of baseball."^[15] He finished his second professional season hitting .286 once more while adding 94 runs, 16 home runs, 56 RBIs and 33 stolen bases.

2011[link]

During the Saturday night game on July 9, 2011, it was announced that McCutchen would take the place of injured Ryan Braun as a member of the National League All-Star team at the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Phoenix. The announcement was shown on the PNC Park scoreboard, and McCutchen left the dugout to tip his hat to the cheering fans.^[16] On August 30, 2011, McCutchen hit a ninth inning homer against the Houston Astros to become the eighth Pirates player to record at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in one season. He was the first Pirate to accomplish the feat since former Pirates center fielder Nate McLouth in 2008. ."^[17] After a disappointing month of September, McCutchen finished the season with a .259 batting average and team highs of 23 homeruns, 23 stolen bases, 89 RBIs, and 87 runs. He was nominated as the Pirates' representative for the Hank Aaron Award.^[18]

2012[link]

On March 5, 2012, McCutchen signed a 6 year, $51.5 million contract, extension with the Pirates ^[19]. The club has an $14.75 million option for 2018.

References[link]

External links[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Terry Francona
First baseman / Outfielder / Manager
Born: (1959-04-22) April 22, 1959 (age 53) Aberdeen, South Dakota
Batted: Left	Threw: Left
MLB debut
August 19, 1981 for the Montreal Expos
Last MLB appearance
April 19, 1990 for the Milwaukee Brewers
Career statistics
Batting average	.274
Hits	474
Runs batted in	143
Games managed	1,944
Win–Loss record	1029–915
Winning %	.529
Teams
As player Montreal Expos (1981–1985) Chicago Cubs (1986) Cincinnati Reds (1987) Cleveland Indians (1988) Milwaukee Brewers (1989–1990) As coach Detroit Tigers (third base coach) (1996) Texas Rangers (bench coach) (2002) Oakland Athletics (bench coach) (2003) As manager Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000) Boston Red Sox (2004–2011)
Career highlights and awards
2× World Series champion (2004, 2007)

Medal record
Baseball
Competitor for the  United States
Amateur World Series
Silver	1978 Italy	Team

Terry Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), nicknamed "Tito," is a former Major League Baseball manager and a former player. He was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for four seasons. In 2004, Francona was hired to manage the Boston Red Sox, and that year he led the team to its first World Series championship since 1918. He won another World Series with Boston in 2007 and continued to manage the team until the end of the 2011 season. He is currently employed by ESPN as a Sunday Night Baseball analyst.

As a player[link]

Youth[link]

Francona grew up in suburban Pittsburgh, and got his start in baseball at New Brighton, Pennsylvania High School. His father is John (Tito) Francona, who played in the majors from 1956 to 1970.^[1]

Early career[link]

Terry was the winner of the 1980 Golden Spikes Award. He was drafted out of the University of Arizona in the first round of the 1980 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos, using the 22nd overall selection. That season, his team won the College World Series^[2] and Francona was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.^[3] The left-hander wasted no time rising through the minor leagues, first appearing in a Montreal uniform August 19, 1981, a week after the end of that summer's player strike. He appeared mainly as an outfielder that first year, and he went 4-for-12 in the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, an extra playoff round utilized that year because the season was conducted in two halves as the result of the strike. The Expos won that series, three games to two.

First base[link]

As the seasons went on, Francona shifted to first base, where he ultimately played one hundred games more than he had in the outfield. He also developed a reputation as a contact hitter, with very few home runs, walks, or strikeouts.

Journeyman years[link]

The Expos released Francona after the 1985 season, during which his batting average had slipped to .267 after posting a .346 average in limited action in 1984. He went on to sign one-year contracts with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers re-signed Francona for 1990, but he only played in three games for the Brewers that year, the last on April 19. In ten seasons and 708 games, he posted a .274 career average, with 16 homers and 143 RBI. He also made an appearance as a pitcher with Milwaukee on May 15, 1989, throwing 12 pitches and striking out one batter (Stan Javier) on three pitches.^[4]

As a coach and manager[link]

Minor League coaching career[link]

After retiring as a player, Francona began coaching, spending several years in the Chicago White Sox organization. In 1991, he managed the rookie league Sarasota White Sox of the Gulf Coast League. In 1992, he ran the South Bend White Sox of the mid-level Class A Midwest League. As manager of the AA franchise Birmingham Barons from 1993–1995, he posted a 223-203 record and won two distinctions: Southern League Manager of the Year in 1993, Baseball America's Minor League Manager of the Year in 1993, and top managerial candidate by Baseball America in 1994, the same year Michael Jordan played for Birmingham. Birmingham won the Southern League championship in 1993.

He managed in the Dominican Winter League with the Águilas Cibaeñas, and he also won the championship and the Serie del Caribe en 1994-95. That team included Miguel Tejada, Manny Ramirez, and Tony Batista.

Major League coaching career[link]

Francona became third-base coach for the Detroit Tigers in 1996, working under their new skipper, Buddy Bell, a former teammate of Francona on the Reds. After the season ended, he was hired as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, who had won the NL pennant in 1993 but then experienced three consecutive losing seasons. In Francona's four seasons (1997 through 2000) as the Phils' skipper, the club never rose above third place in the National League East. His best finish with the Phillies was 77–85 in 1999. In 1998 and 1999, the Phillies finished in third place, behind the Atlanta Braves and their division-rival New York Mets.

He was fired following the 2000 campaign, and spent the following season as a special assistant to the general manager with the Cleveland Indians (2001), which was followed by two one-year terms as a bench coach for the Texas Rangers (2002) and Oakland Athletics (2003).

Red Sox manager[link]

The Red Sox hired Francona to manage their club in 2004, after Grady Little's contract was not renewed following the Red Sox loss in the 2003 American League Championship Series.

Francona led the Red Sox to a 98–64 record in 2004, the second-best record in the American League behind their biggest nemesis, the New York Yankees. The club jelled in the second half and was the hottest team in baseball after the All-Star break.

As the American League wild card, the Red Sox dispatched the AL West champion Anaheim Angels, three games to none, in the Division Series. In the 2004 American League Championship Series, the Red Sox fell behind the Yankees, three games to none, including a 19–8 loss in Game 3 at home in Fenway Park. However, the club regained its composure and won the last four games of the series, the first time in Major League Baseball history that a team rallied from an 0–3 deficit to win a playoff series (only the third team to even make it as far as Game 6, and the only team to even force a game 7 after trailing a series three games to zero). The Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-0, in the 2004 World Series, ending the so-called Curse of the Bambino.

During the 2005 season, Francona was hospitalized after complaining of severe chest pains. Tests revealed significantly clogged arteries, but it was concluded that Francona had not suffered a heart attack. This incident, as well as a life-threatening pulmonary embolism suffered in 2002, ongoing treatment for blood clots, and painful knees, have led to circulation issues which necessitate wearing extra clothes, including two pairs of tights. This is also why his regular uniform top is usually hidden by a pullover.^[5][6]

Two years later, the Sox won the American League East Division, finishing two games ahead of the New York Yankees. Under Francona's leadership, the Sox swept the Angels in the Division Series before dropping three of the first four games to the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS. The Sox, facing elimination, went on to win their next three games, defeating Cleveland to advance to the 2007 World Series, where they swept the Colorado Rockies in four games. Terry Francona is the only manager in Major League history to win his first eight consecutive World Series games and just the second manager to guide two Red Sox clubs to World Series titles, the other being Bill "Rough" Carrigan who led Boston to back-to-back championships in 1915 and 1916.

As of October 1, 2008, Francona's career regular-season managerial record was 755–703 (.518), while his post-season record was 22–9 (.710). Among managers who have managed at least 20 post-season games, he has the highest winning percentage. Francona is the first manager in MLB history to win his first 8 games in the World Series.^{[citation needed]} Francona was 7–0 in playoff elimination games until Game 5 of the 2005 ALDS, against the Chicago White Sox, when he became 6–1 and 9–0 in ALCS elimination games until Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS, against the Tampa Bay Rays, when he became 9–1.

On February 24, 2008, the Red Sox announced that they had extended Francona's contract. Instead of expiring at the end of the 2008 season, it would expire after the 2011 season. The team also holds club options for 2012 and 2013.^[7] Francona was guaranteed a total of $12 million over the first three years of the contract between his salary and the $750,000 buyout he will receive if his 2012 and 2013 options are not exercised. The package, if the options are exercised, is worth about $20 million.^[8]

On June 2, 2009, Francona recorded his 500th win as manager of the Red Sox, making him the third manager in club history to have 500 wins. The only other two to win at least 500 games as manager of the Red Sox are Joe Cronin (1,071), and Mike Higgins (560). Francona has since passed Higgins and now trails only Cronin in total wins as Red Sox manager.^[9] On May 6, 2010, Francona became the fourth person to manage 1,000 games for the Red Sox.

On July 23, 2011, Francona got his 1000th win as a manager. He became only the second manager in Red Sox history (after Joe Cronin) to accomplish this feat. Later that season, he presided over one of the worst collapses in the history of Major League Baseball when the Red Sox went 7-20 for the month of September and squandered a 9 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League Wild Card spot in the postseason. Following the season, the Red Sox declined to exercise Francona's 2012 option.^[10][11]

Broadcasting[link]

Following his departure from the Red Sox in 2011, Francona was employed by the Fox network as a substitute color analyst for the first two games of the American League Championship Series. Francona, who teamed with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, filled in for regular Fox analyst Tim McCarver, who was recuperating from minor heart surgery.^[12] On December 5 2011, Francona signed with ESPN joining their Sunday Night Baseball telecast, replacing Bobby Valentine, who himself replaced Francona as manager of the Red Sox. He will serve as a commentator for Sunday Night Baseball, contribute to ESPN.com, and contribute to ESPN's Little League World Series coverage.^[13]

Personal[link]

Francona married Jacque Lang on January 9, 1982,^[14] and they have four children: son Nicholas, and daughters Alyssa, Leah, and Jamie. They now live in Brookline, Massachusetts. Nick played collegiate baseball for the University of Pennsylvania^[15] and for a time in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He is now a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.^[16] Alyssa and Leah played on the University of North Carolina softball team.^[17][18] In 2009, Alyssa was a senior and Leah was a freshman on the team. Jamie also plays club volleyball at SMASH Volleyball.

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• List of second generation MLB players

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Terry Francona managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com