Russ Smith reviews Terry Francona’s new book:

So, on the surface, you’d think that an expose of the ugly side of the celebrated Red Sox ownership—led by the reclusive and fabulously wealthy John Henry—would draw a large number of readers. (And, to be fair, as Francona has pointed out after excerpts of the book were published, the book also covers much of his buoyant experiences with the Sox.) However, the circumstances of Francona’s dismissal, as well as his mostly successful years in Boston, were so exhaustively covered in the fall of 2011, that the scorned manager has virtually nothing new to say. Obsessive Sox fans, of which I’m one, already know 90 percent of what’s contained in Francona, and for the millions of other baseball enthusiasts, let alone casual readers, there’s virtually no incentive to read this book. Does a Minnesota Twins season-ticket holder, for example, really care about Francona’s vendetta against Henry and co-owners Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner? It’s doubtful. Had the book been rushed into print a year ago, when the wounds were still fresh, it might be different: however, Francona has moved on, first as an ESPN analyst and now as the new Cleveland Indians manager, and Red Sox fans who suffered through the team’s 93-loss 2012 season have more pressing worries.