Boston sports fans know our Red Sox [team stats] rock on the field. But what rocks the Sox? In a feature that will appear every Wednesday throughout the 2008 baseball season, Herald writer Tom Kielty talks with members of the team about their favorite music. And who better to kick things off than Red Sox manager Terry Francona?
Terry Francona calls the shots when the Sox are on the field, but his classic-rock roots are not something he shows in the clubhouse.
“I would probably pick something quiet,” said Francona, who’s not going to hit anyone with the blaring mix favored by slugger David Ortiz [stats]. “I’m getting old, and my taste is probably vastly different than the players.”
His first musical purchase?
“A 45,” Francona said. “ ‘Brandy’ by Looking Glass.”
He says his daughter helps him stock his iPod with “A lot of one-hit wonders to a lot of hard rock - AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Deep Purple. And some softer stuff, depending on the mood I’m in.”
His first concert experience?
“Manfred Mann in Pittsburgh, PA, I was probably 17.”
And he knows who he wants to see next: Aerosmith.
“I’ve met Steven Tyler and I want to see him bad,” Francona said. “He knows it. He’s been here a couple of times, and I love the guy.”
The skipper recalled that he first heard Aerosmith “in high school with ‘Toys in the Attic.’ I’ve been a fan since. (Tyler) cracks me up. I think he’s awesome. That will be my next concert.”
