THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING
G FORCE | JACQUE FRANCONA

Managing just fine

Jacque Francona will be cohosting the I Have Nothing to Wear benefit on Sunday. Jacque Francona will be cohosting the I Have Nothing to Wear benefit on Sunday. (Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff
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By Hayley Kaufman
Globe Staff / November 12, 2009

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Baseball season’s over, but that doesn’t mean Jacque Francona slows down. The wife of Red Sox manager Terry Francona, Jacque’s gearing up to cohost I Have Nothing to Wear, a benefit Sunday in downtown Wellesley for Kids Clothes Club, which donates thousands of winter coats to needy Massachusetts youngsters. We caught up with her to ask about the event and, of course, to talk a little baseball.

Q. OK, I have to ask: Did you watch the World Series?

A. Bits and pieces. But not every inning and not glued to it by any means.

Q. What about your husband?

A. The same. Kinda flipping channels around. Enough to know what’s going on.

Q. How many Sox games do you see a year? Do you watch them all or do you have to bail sometimes and watch, say, “Dancing With the Stars’’?

A. I love to go to the games. During the summer, I try to go to as many games as possible, as much to see the other wives and kind of catch up as to see the game, I guess. If I’m home I almost always have the game on, but I’m doing other things. It’s a lot of games (laughs).

Q. Do you travel with the team?

A. Not a lot. I would say that I try to maybe go three times a year on a road trip or part of a road trip. We have four children, and we’re down to one at home, but for the last several years my life has been driven by my children’s schedules.

Q. Is it even possible in this sports-obsessed town for you to go out with your husband and not have to talk baseball?

A. I do think that’s difficult for Terry. We tend to go to the same few places all the time because it’s easier. I would say for the most part people are respectful during dinner.

Q. Any notable exchanges with fans?

A. Not that you would want me to report (laughs).

Q. That bad?

A. There are times when I just shake my head. People just forget where they are, they forget that I’m standing there (laughs). Almost everyone comes up and says “I’m sorry, but. . .’’ It’s always that preface.

Q. How long have you been involved with the Kids Clothes Club charity?

A. I first became involved about four years ago, when the kids and I moved up here. One of the founders, Elaine Shannon, her daughter played volleyball at Brookline High with my daughter. I grew to love what this charity is about. It’s completely volunteer - there’s no overhead.

Q. How many coats have you given out?

A. This year, in October, we gave away 5,000. You have to buy the coats in January. The more money we make, the more coats we can give out.

Q. What will you be shopping for at the event?

A. Oooh, I don’t know. I’m thinking I might try to get a little pre-holiday shopping in.

Q. Any gift ideas for Terry?

A. No, basically. I’m terrible. He actually told our daughter something he wanted yesterday and I can’t remember what it is! [Editor’s note: Jacque e-mailed later with the answer: Headphones.]

Tickets for I Have Nothing to Wear are $49.99. Ticket holders receive a 20 percent discount at 30 Wellesley boutiques. The event is 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, and a cocktail party follows from 5 to 7 p.m. Visit www.kidsclothesclub.org for tickets.