Terry Francona, saying Boston 'wears on you,' out as Red Sox manager

Terry Francona said it was time for the Red Sox to find a "different voice" to lead the team.

And so, on Friday, Francona, the manager who helped end Boston's 86-year championship drought, and the Red Sox parted ways.

Francona, whose team went 7-20 in September and finished out of the playoff hunt on the final night of the season, met with Red Sox ownership and upper management Friday morning.

In a 7 p.m. news conference, Francona said he left that meeting not certain that he had the complete support of ownership which had not extended his contract prior to the season.

"To be honest, I'm not sure how much support there was from ownership," he said. "You've got to be all in in this job and I voiced that today."

Francona said he didn't feel like a "lame duck." He did, however, admit that that eight years in the meat grinder that is the Fenway Park manager's office took a toll.

"The job certainly aged me," said Francona, who felt he was unable to reach his players as effectively as necessary during the stretch run. "I came here and I thought I was kind of weathered. When I look back, I was like a teenager. (Boston) is a wonderful place, but it's a difficult place to be the manager and it does wear on you -- and when it wears on you to the point that it affects you, time to move on."

In his initial statement, released by the Red Sox, Francona said:

"We met this morning to look back on the 2011 season and to consider the future of the Boston Red Sox, including my involvement with the club. I passed along my frustrations at my inability to effectively reach the players. After many conversations and much consideration, I ultimately felt that, out of respect to this team, it was time for me to move on. I've always maintained that it is not only the right, but the obligation, of ownership to have the right person doing this job. I told them that out of my enormous respect for this organization and the people in it, they may need to find a different voice to lead the team."

Friday's meeting included general manager Theo Epstain, principal owner John Henry, partners Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino and team executive Ben Cherington.

Said Henry: "During the meeting, Tito (Francona), Theo and Ben agreed that the Red Sox would benefit from an improved clubhouse culture and higher standards in several areas. Tito said that after eight years here he was frustrated by his difficulty making an impact with the players, that a different voice was needed, and that it was time for him to move on. After taking time to reflect on Tito's sentiments, we agreed that it was best for the Red Sox not to exercise the option years on his contract."

Epstein, who indicated during a Thursday press conference that there was no guarantee he'd be back in 2012, said he and Francona developed "a great working relationship … also a personal friendship that will also be important to us."

Said Epstein in a statement:

"Nobody at the Red Sox blames Tito for what happened at the end of this season; we own that as an organization. This year was certainly a difficult and draining one for him and for us. Ultimately, he decided that there were certain things that needed to be done that he couldn't do after eight years here, and that this team would benefit from hearing a new voice. While this may be true, his next team will benefit more than it knows from hearing Tito's voice."

Where Francona, 52, lands is anyone's guess, but Chicago is a possibility. The White Sox are shopping for a new manager, and Francona, who previously managed in their organization, has a good relationship with owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

As for Francona's successor with the Red Sox, the situation is equally in doubt. Names of veteran managers Bobby Valentine and Lou Piniella have circulated as have those of several active bench coaches, including former Boston catcher and KC manager Tony Pena (now with the Yankees) and Davey Martinez (currently with Tampa Bay).

Among very few people Francona mentioned by name in his 7 p.m. press session were his former bench coach Brad Mills (now Houston Astros manager) and former pitching coach John Farrell (Tornoto Blue Jays manager). He also mentioned current Red Sox coach DeMarlo Hale.

"DeMarlo -- I hope he gets serious consideration, if not here then somewhere else," Francona said. "I think he's a tremendous manager-in-waiting. He'll manage somewhere and be very good."

Francona's successor might be as concerned with discipline as his everyday lineup. Francona said he was seeing things he didn't like at times even when his team was winning and even called a meeting after a 14-0 victory against Toronto in September. Thursday, the Boston Herald cited pitchers drinking in the clubhouse on their off days as a sign of discipline lacking.

Francona refused to single out player or events but did say he spent considerable time talking to Epstein -- "more than people realize" -- as the team struggled through September. "Whent things go bad, your true colors show and I was bothered by what was showing," Francona said.

Epstein said Thursday that the current nucleus of players was good enough to win for years to come but said it was also important for him to "look in the mirror" when it came recent "big-ticket" free agents that didn't pan out.

In the end, it was non-performance by players such as veterans John Lackey, Carl Crawford, Mike Cameron, Dan Wheeler and Bobby Jenks who tied Francona's hands at various points during the season.

Arguably the most successful manager in Red Sox franchise history, Francona's Sox won 90 or more games in six of his eight seasons. But despite the additions of key free agents Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, this year's team improved only one game from 2010, finishing 90-72, in third place and out of the postseason for a second consecutive year.

Francona's teams went 744-552. His highest win total came in 2004, his first season, when the Sox went 98-64 and ultimately captured their first World Series since 1918. His 2007 team was the only one to win a division title.

Terry Francona, Red Sox split

Terry Francona said it's going to hurt to leave his job as manager of the Red Sox, but it was the right time to walk away.

So after eight years and two World Series titles, Francona's tenure is officially over.

Francona met with owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, team president Larry Lucchino, general manager Theo Epstein and assistant GM Ben Cherington on Friday at Fenway Park. He left and then returned.

"I think it's time for a new voice here," Francona said. "I was frustrated with some of my inabilities to get some things done here and after talking to ownership and Theo -- at length, multiple times -- I think it's the right thing to do for the organization and myself."

Epstein initially put out a statement saying all sides wanted to think about the first meeting and no announcement was forthcoming, but then a statement came out in the evening in which Francona indicated it was his decision to move on.

In a news conference Friday evening, Francona reiterated that it was his decision to leave, but added that ownership never told him they wanted him back. Instead they asked him for his thoughts, and his thought was to leave. He does want to stay in the game in some capacity but hasn't decided what he would like to do.

He did say he felt like the organization wasn't fully on board with what was happening this season.

"To be honest with you, I didn't know, or I'm not sure, how much support there was from ownership," he said. "I don't know if I felt real comfortable. You have to be all-in with this job and I voiced that today. There were some things that maybe -- going through things here and to make it work -- it has to be everybody together and I was questioning some of that a little bit."

The team portion of the news release said that Red Sox brass agreed with Francona.

"During the meeting, Tito, Theo and Ben agreed that the Red Sox would benefit from an improved clubhouse culture and higher standards in several areas," the statement said. "Tito said that after eight years here he was frustrated by his difficulty making an impact with the players, that a different voice was needed, and that it was time for him to move on. After taking time to reflect on Tito's sentiments, we agreed that it was best for the Red Sox not to exercise the option years on his contract."

Francona had told staff members on Thursday that he would not be returning as manager, a club source told ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes on Friday.

Several other media outlets reported Friday that Francona would not return for a ninth season. He led the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 -- their first since 1918 -- and 2007.

The Red Sox suffered a historic collapse in the final month of the season as the Tampa Bay Rays made up a nine-game deficit and seized the wild card on Wednesday, but there were issues Francona had been dealing with all season.

"When things go bad your true colors show and I was bothered by what was showing," he said. "It's my responsibility to fix it."

But he doesn't have many regrets and is proud of the job he was able to do in this market, in this region, for these fans.

"What we accomplished was incredible and some of the tougher moments are really tough," he said. "I wouldn't change it and I feel like I'm a better person because I was here. I met some unbelievable friends and I have a lot of respect for that. But it is a tough place to be a manager."

Francona time and again over the last few days has talked about his inability to reach the players when the season was slipping away from the team. He takes responsibility for it, but the blame isn't solely on him.

The chemistry in the clubhouse was not the same this season, especially in the last month, as it had been in previous seasons.

"Don't forget, a month ago this team was on pace to win 100 games," Francona said. "When things started to go I wanted desperately for our guys to care about each other on the field. I wasn't seeing that as much as I wanted to. I tried to help make that better, the coaches also, it just wasn't ever comfortable. You've heard me talk all the time about going in one direction and getting through challenges and meeting them together, but I just didn't think we were doing that. That's my responsibility to get them to do that and it wasn't happening to my satisfaction."

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said earlier Friday he was "fine with Tito" but he did hint that the clubhouse had issues.

"I worry about playing baseball more than anything else," Ortiz said. "I know we have some players that (the organization thought were) worried about some other s--- and sometimes there were certain things that no one in the clubhouse can control. I was trying and I have no issues. My only problem was when I started being benched (in 2010) and that was my only issue with Tito. Other than that we're cool."

Ortiz wasn't expecting Francona to leave. "I am surprised," he said. "I'm surprised because I'm hearing things right now (in the news) that I didn't know were going on."

On Thursday, Francona said that this Red Sox team had issues that he thought affected its play. He spoke Thursday about a team meeting he called in Toronto in the aftermath of a 14-0 win on Sept. 6.

"I'm not sure if anybody knew, because there were some things I was worried about," he said. "I think we were spending too much energy on things that weren't putting our best foot forward toward winning. We spent a few minutes in the clubhouse that day, talking about that. There were some things that did concern me."

The Boston Herald reported one divisive issue, citing sources as saying that pitchers were allowed to drink beer in the clubhouse on their off days. A Red Sox source not only confirmed to ESPNBoston.com that was the case, but also said that it "has been going on for two years."

Ortiz is a free agent and was asked if the manager leaving would affect him re-signing with Boston.

"Not at all," he said. "That's one thing I can't really control, who the manager's going to be. That's not on me."

Meanwhile, Epstein expressed gratitude for Francona's service and friendship through the years. Saying he had a "personal friendship" with Francona and praising him for being "an unflappable leader," Epstein granted that the Red Sox might need a new voice. But he said that Francona's "next team will benefit more than it knows from hearing Tito's voice. I will miss seeing Tito every day in the manager's office, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best in their next chapter."

It didn't take long for Francona to suggest who should replace him. He would love to see bench coach DeMarlo Hale get an opportunity.

"Yes," Francona said. "I hope he gets serious consideration, if not here then somewhere else. I think he is a tremendous manager-in-waiting. He's a tremendous friend. He'll manage somewhere and he'll be very good."