Former Red Sox manager and one-time FOX analyst Terry Francona has joined ESPN.
ESPN announced Monday that Francona has joined the network as a Major League Baseball game and studio analyst. Francona will replace Bobby Valentine as the third member of the Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team, contribute to Baseball Tonight, and analyze the Little League World Series.
Francona made his ESPN debut on SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight Monday night.
This is the fourth straight year Sunday Night Baseball has added a new broadcaster to the booth. Steve Phillips lasted one year in 2009, Orel Hershiser joined in 2010, and Dan Shulman and Valentine were added to the mix in 2011.
Francona became a darling of sports media critics after briefly replacing ailing FOX analyst Tim McCarver during the 2011 American League Championship Series. In addition to ESPN, Fox Sports and MLB Network were interested in his services.
(Monday’s news from espnmediazone3.com, with additional information from CSNNE.com)
