Simply put, Francona is already a legend among Boston sports fans

Like every Red Sox manager, Terry Francona has received a considerable amount of criticism in the four years that he's been at the helm in Boston's dugout. The complaints directed at Francona haven't been as venomous as those spewed at most of his Red Sox predecessors and certainly aren't as harsh as the pointed barbs he was subjected to on a daily basis during his unsuccessful tenure as Philadelphia's manager, but each of his decisions is subjected to intense scrutiny.

"I'm originally from western Pennsylvania, which in noted for producing football players," said Francona during the World Series. "In Boston, they produce managers. There are at least 30,000 people in Boston who think they can manage the Red Sox."