2025 Wild Card: Reds manager Terry Francona congratulates ‘first class’ Dodgers organization

[Music] Trent to your right. Tito Tito, just kind of as you look at what you’ve done this season, what do you what do you take away from what this team was able to do to get here and then once they were here? Well, before I answer that, I think I need to congratulate the Dodgers, Davey and Andrew Brandon. I mean, they’re they’re certainly very deserving of moving on and they’re they’re a handful, but they’re also pretty first class. So, just wanted to say that. Um, you know what? It’s hard to know what to take away right now cuz it’s so fresh and raw. Um, you know, everybody’s hurting. Only one team can go home at the end on their own terms and it’s not us this year. Um, you know, the season doesn’t just wind down. It just comes to a crashing halt and that’s kind of hard sometimes to to, you know, make your peace with. Um, I thought our group from day one was a special group. We did not accomplish what we set out to do. That takes away nothing from what me and the coaches feel about those guys. Other questions? Uh, we’ll go to Barry right here. Tito, on the on the Dodgers, to your point, how do you how far do you see them going? I mean, do you see them back the Dodgers? Do you see them? Oh, I I don’t know. I I don’t know. I I’m not good at prognosticating. I had us moving on. So, not very good at that. But, uh, as far as their talent and you know what they can accomplish, again, I’m not any team can win. When you get in, get hot. I mean, these guys, they’re they’re very good. Don’t get me wrong. I just just not I don’t not prepared to prognosticate on them right now. Wasn’t what I was thinking about. Go to Pat. Tito, if I could ask you about uh the game tonight with um I guess what what did you think about Zack? seemed like he gave you a lot. And then um I wanted to ask about Nick Martinez. What did you see from him? Um with Zack, I kind of wanted to try to keep it where he only faced their lineup twice and I think he ended up giving up six hits, you know, in the last one, the the kind of the blooper down right really hurt, but I thought he threw the ball really well and I thought he navigated his way through a lineup like he knows how to. Um the plan was to kind of turn it over to Lollo and and then to Nick and with Nick what he gave up well we we had runner on second one out we had the air and there was a couple ground balls and then there was a double so that’s you know it wasn’t his best night that kid we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him he’s part he’s a big reason why we got as far as we did standing on your right t though you feel like this year kind of reinforced force this year and tonight reinforced situational hitting, hitting with runners in scoring position. Say it again. This year kind of reinforced the importance of situational hitting and hitting with runners in scoring position. I don’t think there’s ever a year that it doesn’t. That’s part of baseball. That’s I mean, I just told her guys, you know, we need to do some things better. Myself included. You know, I would never ask them to try to get better and I’m just going to sit at home. I’m going to, you know, look look in the mirror, too. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Third row on your right. Terry, you mentioned day one, that 9:00 a.m. meeting, February 15th, whatever, when the marathon started. What you asked in that conversation, what did that group deliver back to you ultimately over the last six plus months? They they they every time you asked them to do something, they tried to do it, which isn’t always the case. They they put our ball club ahead of themselves, and that always doesn’t happen either. You know, we didn’t We’re not the finished product, but they competed like crazy, and that’s what we asked them to do. Um, when things didn’t look very good, they kept competing. Even the last couple nights, you know, we’re getting kind of getting our ass handed to us, but they keep keep going. Um, that’s a good trait. One or two last ones, Trent. You know, uh, one month ago today, South Stewart makes his big league debut. today. He drives in three, drove in one yesterday. Is I mean, did you learn something about this kid and what he is capable of doing? I I think we kind of felt like we had a pretty good idea. Um, and his off season is going to be really important because there’s so much to love about him, but there’s also things he needs to get better at, you know, defensively and things like that. But if he’s willing to buy in, which I have a feeling he is because he wants to be good, there’s a very special player there. We’ll finish with Pat up front. Tito, now that you’ll have some time to sit back and, you know, do some analysis and reflect with everyone in the organization, uh, what does that look like for you? And, um, how long do you look at the season before you kind of turn the page? I don’t know. Sometimes sometimes it’s easier, sometimes it’s harder. Like you know your emotions. Um was it 2017? I’m still having trouble turning from the page because the way we lost. Um, you know, there’ll be a time to, you know, I’m going to stick around at Cincinnati for a couple weeks and I I’ll I’ll try to see, you know, when you’re playing and you’re trying to make things reach, even when it doesn’t look like it’s maybe going to reach, it’s not time to look at it. It’s time to compete. When it’s over, then you can sit back and go, “Okay, here’s maybe what we need to do better.” Like, you know, we know we’re going to have to kind of rebuild our bullpen. You know, we we we kind of did it with we had Sudtor, our lefty, who’s more of a length guy. So there there’s things we know we need to work on. All right, Tito. Always a pleasure to team play. Thanks, guys. Good to see you. Thanks for your time.

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona congratulated the Los Angels Dodgers after they swept the Wild Card round to advance to the NLDS.
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40 comments

  9. Better teams are gonna capitalize on tbe Dodgers bullpen meltdowns. Dodgers luck is currently
    2W – 0L against bases loaded bullpen collapses. Do the Dodgers want to fix that or try that same bs with the Phillies and HOPE for a win?

  11. As a Dodger fan, "Thank you Terry for the congratulations". As far as a class act, that would be you, Terry Francona, 100%. Get ready Cooperstown. Good luck next year. I'll be rooting for you, (until you play the Dodgers😉).

  12. I wondered what Tito was thinking last night when he had the lefty righty matchup with Santillan and Otani, and he walked Otani to pitch to Mookie Betts who at the time was 3-4 and then he took a nine pitch at bat and hit the double down the left field line scoring two runs.

  13. tito sat there and watched his team swat flies for 2 days..the dodgers gave the reds all their runs because their bullpen sucks..try that shit with the phillies and see how that works out

  15. When a team with a $350m payroll beats up a team with 1/3 it's salary,it's not good for baseball.

    MLB needs a salary cap, if the Dodgers win the World Series again, that just might happen.

  22. All the Reds needed to do to truly "compete" was about another 231M in payroll. (350M – 119M). Way to go MLB. Hope you get your high TV ratings. Thanks for all you do Terry Francona. You did the best you could with about 0% margin of error or mistakes.

  30. Tito made some debatable calls during this series, like pulling out Lodolo and putting in Martinez. WTF?? Reds had their chances yesterday but no offense. Kroll needs to add some bats for 2026, no question!

  40. As an LA fan growing up with watching Pete Rose, this is the difference between a real team and a fake team like the Padres. LA is not done now it's time for Philly another legendary team 🎉

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