OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The only time Mark Kotsay ever faced being demoted or released as a player, Terry Francona delivered the tough news.
And he did so with such grace and care, Kotsay remembers to this day how that thoughtful tone made it a little easier to accept in the moment. Those are lessons he now uses himself as manager of the Oakland Athletics.
“Terry Francona, his communication skills are off the charts,” said Tampa Bay skipper Kevin Cash, who played for Francona in Boston and served as a coach on his staff in Cleveland. “I think that’s why he’s been in the game and been successful for so long.”
