Francona woke up at 2 a.m. Thursday with a tooth issue. At 6 a.m., he called a trainer, who set him up with an early dentist appointment. Around 8 a.m., he got the issue fixed.
“Now I’m ready to go,” Francona said at 11:30 a.m. at a press conference outside the clubhouse at Great American Ball Park.
The 149th home Opening Day in Reds history started a new era. Francona is the first manager with a World Series championship on his resume the Reds have hired since Davey Johnson, who won the World Series with the Mets in 1986 and got the Reds job in 1993.
Francona won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. He also came close to delivering the first World Series championship to Cleveland in 68 years, but the Indians, now the Guardians, lost to the Chicago Cubs in Game 7 in 2016.
Francona took a one-year break after stepping down as Guardians manager after the 2023 season. He was asked Thursday if that would make this Opening Day any more special.
“I think every day is special,” Francona said. “It could be June 30. I like coming to the ball park. I was glad I didn’t last year, because I needed to get away. When you know you need to get away, you’re probably late doing it, but it helped me a lot.”
Francona visited Great American Ball Park many times over the years as an opposing manager with the Philadelphia Phillies, Red Sox and Guardians. Now he will experience the 22-year-old stadium 81 times in one season.
“I don’t think there’s a Major League ballpark I don’t like playing in,” Francona said. “I mean every single one has its own unusual characteristics. But you come quickly to love your home ballpark, and I will too, here.”
The Reds announced their Opening Day roster on Thursday, hours before the first game of the season against the San Francisco Giants. Here’s what fans should know about the Opening Day roster:
Oldest player: Brent Suter, 35, is the only player on the Opening Day roster who was born in the 1980s. His birthday is Aug. 29, 1989. Twenty four of the players on the roster were born in the 1990s.
Suter was the second-oldest Red last year behind reliever Justin Wilson, who turned 37 in August.
Joey Votto filled this spot for many years. He turned 40 during his last season with the Reds.
Youngest player: Shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who turned 23 in January, is the youngest Red for the second straight season.
Longest-tenured position player: This title would belong to catcher Tyler Stephenson, who made his Reds debut in 2020, but he will start the season on the injured list. Instead, the honor belongs to TJ Friedl, who has been with the Reds since 2021.
Longest-tenured pitcher: Alexis Diaz, who will start the season on the injured list, would be the answer here. He made his Reds debut on April 8, 2022.
Instead, it’s Opening Day starter Hunter Greene, who made his debut on April 10, 2022. That was five days before Nick Lodolo, who will start the second game of the season on Saturday, made his debut. Another starting pitcher, Graham Ashcraft, also made his debut in 2022.
First-time Reds: Two new Reds were in the Opening Day starting lineup.
• Gavin Lux hit fourth and played left field. The Reds acquired him in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in January.
• Jose Trevino, who the Reds acquired in a trade in December, started at catcher and batted ninth.
The other players who will make their Reds debuts when they play in a game are: relievers Scott Barlow and Taylor Rogers; and starting pitcher Brady Singer.
Opening Day streaks: Spencer Steer and Jake Fraley each made their third straight Opening Day start.
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