Francona will get job today

Despite lingering interest in Anaheim bench coach Joe Maddon, the Sox gave indications they knew for days, if not weeks, that Francona was their man. The search clearly lost a degree of urgency after Francona thoroughly impressed the Sox brass in his initial interview four weeks ago yesterday. And though the former Phillies manager hardly needed an extra boost, he received a major one last week when Curt Schilling dropped his opposition to a possible trade to Boston when he learned Francona was the front-runner for the job.

The Sox informed the only other formal candidates -- Maddon, Los Angeles third base coach Glenn Hoffman, and Texas first base coach DeMarlo Hale -- by last night that Francona had prevailed in the relatively limited search for a new skipper. The only other person the Sox sought to interview, Anaheim pitching coach Bud Black, declined the invitation.

"They've got themselves a good man," Maddon said after getting the word last night from general manager Theo Epstein. "Terry is an excellent baseball man. I wish him and the Red Sox well."

Francona, 44, will return to the managerial ranks three years after he was ousted in Philadelphia, ending a four-year run in which his pitching-poor teams went 285-363. At 37, he was the youngest manager in the majors when the Phillies hired him after the '96 season.

With his hiring, Francona will help complete the realignment of the Sox coaching staff. Hitting coach Ron Jackson is expected to return after helping the team set an array of batting records. Interim pitching coach Dave Wallace, who took over for the ailing Tony Cloninger in midseason, will assume the job full time next season. Also returning will be bullpen coach Euclides Rojas, the Cuban emigre who impressed management and the pitching staff in his first season on the job.

Even though Francona served as Jerry Narron's bench coach with the Rangers in 2002, the two are not expected to reverse roles next season. Narron is unlikely to return after a single season as Little's bench coach. Nor is first base coach Dallas Williams expected back after his first year on the job. The greatest uncertainty involves third base coach Mike Cubbage, who is considered to have a 50-50 chance of returning.

The Sox appeared to have some interest in recruiting Hale as a coach. Hale, 42, rose as high as Double A as a manager in the Sox' farm system before he joined the Texas organization as a Triple A skipper in 2000. But Rangers general manager John Hart was quoted in the Dallas Morning News yesterday as saying Hale would not be allowed to make a lateral move to Boston as a coach if he did not receive the manager's job.

For Maddon's part, he will return to Anaheim after his candidacy for the Sox job raised his profile throughout baseball. He was considered the second-leading candidate for the job.

"This came out of nowhere for me," Maddon said. "Theo and everyone else was wonderful throughout the process. It was a great experience for me. I hope to go out for a beer and some sushi with everyone when we come to Boston this year."

Francona will take over a team that averaged 94 wins in Little's two years at the helm and will face even greater expectations next season after the Schilling acquisition. . . .

While the Sox waited for Oakland's All-Star closer, Keith Foulke, to receive and weigh formal offers from the teams competing for his services -- the Sox, A's, Mets, and Cubs -- the process may have taken a significant twist when the Cubs signed Minnesota righthander LaTroy Hawkins as a setup man. Hawkins was considered Oakland general manager Billy Beane's fallback choice if he was unable to re-sign Foulke. With Hawkins off the market, Beane may compete more aggressively for Foulke, who is expected to decide within a few days where he will pitch next season. The Sox also may be at risk of losing one of their fallback candidates, Eddie Guardado, after the Phillies traded for Minnesota lefthander Eric Milton, who was due to make $9 million next season. The Twins are expected to use the savings to try to re-sign Guardado, whose 41 saves ranked second in the American League last year to Foulke's 43 . . . The Sox officially completed a 15-year agreement with Lee County officials in Florida to keep their spring training home in Fort Myers. The deal became official when the city of Fort Myers transferred control of the property to Lee County, which will make a series of capital improvements over the next three years at the ballpark. Among the changes, the stadium's capacity will increase by 1,000 by 2005. The Sox have trained at City of Palms Park and a nearby minor league facility since 1993. Season tickets for Sox home games in spring training are available by calling 877-RED-SOXX or 239-334-4700. Single-game ticket sales begin Jan. 17 . . . Happy 91st birthday to Sox favorite Charlie Wagner, who is gearing up for his 68th spring training.