Terry Francona changes his mind, will attend Fenway Park 100th anniversary

On second thought, maybe I will attend one of the most historical days in the history of the franchise that I won two championships with. That is the decision that Terry Francona has reportedly made, as he now plans to attend Fenway Park’s 100th anniversary celebration when the Red Sox host the Yankees Friday night.

Last week, Francona was adamant about the fact that he would not feel comfortable returning to Fenway Park after the way in which ownership smeared his name at the end of the 2011 season.

“Somebody went out of their way to make me look pretty bad,” Francona told the Boston Globe last Tuesday. “It’s a shame. I’m sure they’ll have a great event and I was part of a lot of that stuff there, but I just can’t go back there and start hugging people and stuff without feeling a little bit hypocritical.”

Now, he has informed ESPNBoston.com that he feels he owes it to the fans to attend. I’m guessing he just either felt the need to air out some things that were bothering him last week and has said what he had to say, or he had a chat with Larry Lucchino and John Henry to patch things up. Whatever the case, as a Red Sox fan I’m glad Francona changed his mind. I’d be shocked if he receives anything less than a roaring ovation from the fans on Friday night, and every bit of it will be deserved.