The first person he mentioned was Frank Coppenbarger, the Phillies' director of team travel and clubhouse services.
"When the camera went on him, right when he was in the dugout, that was exciting," Francona said.
Contacted last night, Coppenbarger said he was honored that Francona would mention him.
"The thing about Terry is that despite all the notoriety, he hasn't changed a bit, and knowing people like that makes you proud to be in baseball," he said.
Coppenbarger, 52, also knows Joe Maddon, although his relationship with the Tampa Bay manager isn't as close as his connection to Francona.
In 1978, Coppenbarger was the equipment manager and Maddon the catcher for the California Angels' single-A team in Salinas, Calif.
"I'm happy for Joe's success also," Coppenbarger said.
Francona also has fond memories of club chairman Bill Giles.
"He is one of the dearest people I have ever come across," the Boston skipper said. "He wants everybody that works for him to do well."
Francona recalled an annual Giles tradition before the first game of the Grapefruit League season in Clearwater, Fla.
"He proclaims that, 'This is going to be the year,' and he believes it in his heart, and now I'm happy for him that now it has come true," Francona said.
Maddon grew up in Hazleton, Pa., about 80 miles north of Philadelphia, but the Rays manager said he wasn't a Phillies fan. He rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals but still followed the Phils.
"I used to listen to By Saam on the radio and Richie Ashburn and all those guys, but Gene Mauch got to me," Maddon said. "He is one of my favorite baseball people of all time."
Still, it couldn't get him to root for the Phillies.
"I went down to see the Cardinals play the Phillies on several occasions, got a bunch of autographs," Maddon said.
One of those autographs, he said, was from Tito Francona, the former major-leaguer and father of Terry.
