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Guardians honor Reds manager Terry Francona like they should in Ohio Cup reunion | Ulrich
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- Guardians honor Reds manager Terry Francona like they should in Ohio Cup reunion | Ulrich
CLEVELAND — The Guardians tried to give Terry Francona the hero's welcome he deserves.
About 20 minutes before Francona's first game at Progressive Field as Cincinnati Reds manager , the Guardians played a video featuring Tito on their scoreboard and showed him watching from the visiting dugout.
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The fans who were in the ballpark cheered for Francona , but there were still thousands who had not yet arrived to what became a 7-4 Guardians loss on June 9.
The Guardians organization's intentions were pure, though. A tribute to Francona isn't merely appropriate. It's necessary.
"I was kind of uncomfortable [with the attention], but it was very touching," Francona said.
Guardians news: Now with Reds, Terry Francona wants Cleveland fans to know he didn't plan to manage again
Former Guardians manager Terry Francona has a place in a special category of Cleveland sports figures
Francona is cemented as a future Hall of Famer and an all-time Cleveland sports legend. He belongs in an elite class with the likes of LeBron James and Nick Chubb , among other luminaries. When they reunite with Northeast Ohio, the respect and appreciation of the fan base should be palpable.
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"He's the man here," Guardians All-Star utility man David Fry said of Francona. "Really good to see him and glad that he's back in the game. I think everybody who's ever been a part of a team with him just really loves him."
A baseball lifer known for fiercely supporting his players and entertaining everyone with a self-deprecating sense of humor, Francona went 921-757 in 11 regular seasons (2013-23) as Cleveland's manager. His 921 wins are the most in franchise history. His 483 victories at Progressive Field are the most by a manager at any ballpark since 2013, according to Sportradar. Four American League Central titles, six playoff trips and one World Series appearance occurred on his watch.
Has Francona stepping away from the Guardians after the 2023 season and spending just a year in retirement before jumping into the skipper role elsewhere created an awkward dynamic?
Yes, a little bit, but life is full of unexpected detours.
Francona didn't betray the Guardians (34-31). Medical issues plagued him in recent years. His body told him he needed a break, so he underwent a shoulder replacement and double hernia surgery during his hiatus from MLB. Recovery went well, and the Reds (34-33) eventually came calling. Francona didn't plan to return to managing, yet he is addicted to the sport.
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"You use the word addicting, which really isn't a bad word," Francona, 66, conceded.
A taste for the thrill of the ninth inning never quite left. However, Francona didn't seek a comeback. Instead, the Reds were the suitors, and their courtship gave him flashbacks to when Cleveland hired him in 2012.
"I didn't think I was ever going to do it again," Francona said. "I was OK with that, but I think I have more energy. I don't think I have what I used to, but I think I can do the job. I don't want to shortchange anybody. I don't think that's fair to anybody."
Guardians score vs Reds: Terry Francona returns to Cleveland for Ohio Cup showdown
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona acknowledges a tribute video for his time as the manager of the Cleveland Guardians before a game June 9, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Stephen Vogt got off to a hot start with the Guardians after Terry Francona's exit
Francona's concerns about becoming a burden influenced his decisions in 2023 and 2024. Toward the end of his Cleveland tenure, he thought his health problems made him less patient and prevented him from engaging in conversations with players he should have had.
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As Francona's de facto farewell tour unfolded, there was an expectation he would remain with the Guardians in some non-managerial capacity. However, Francona ultimately didn't want to interfere with his successor, Stephen Vogt.
"I didn't think it was right," Francona said. "There was a couple of times during spring because I'm two hours away [in Arizona], I wanted to come up and see, but I didn't think it was right.
"During the season, I watched a lot of baseball, probably more than I have in a long, long time. I'd turn on games that were in the eighth inning tied, and I'd watch the end of it and flip to another game and really enjoyed it. But I just thought for the new staff here, they needed to be able to do things. They don't need me telling them how to do it or acting like I'm going to tell them how to do it."
Vogt guiding the Guardians to the AL Championship Series in his first season at the helm helped soothe the sting of Francona's departure. Vogt was voted the Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2024 AL Manager of the Year, an award Francona received three times, all with Cleveland (2013, 2016 and 2022).
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Terry Francona resurfacing at Progressive Field is a different kind of MLB reunion for the new Cincinnati Reds manager
Still, Vogt has a long way to go before the Guardians can claim he has completely filled Francona's cleats. For the record, Francona's Reds are 4-0 against the Guardians .The Reds also swept a three-game home series in May.
This is Francona's fourth job as an MLB manager. The Philadelphia Phillies fired him in 2000 after four seasons. He had an ugly divorce with the Boston Red Sox after eight seasons and two World Series wins (2004 and 2007).
The circumstances surrounding his Northeast Ohio homecoming are much different.
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Cleveland fans said goodbye with multiple curtain calls on Sept. 27, 2023, when the Guardians defeated the Reds 4-3 at Progressive Field. Less than two years later, Francona came back to Cleveland on the other side of the interleague matchup, and Cincinnati secured the Ohio Cup for the first time since 2014.
In classic Francona fashion, he kissed the bat of Christian Encarnacion-Strand moments before the Reds cleanup hitter went on deck in the fifth inning. Then Encarnacion-Strand hit a sacrifice fly to give the Reds a 4-3 lead. They must have gotten luck from Francona's smooch because All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan's throw to home plate was derailed when the ball hit TJ Friedl a split second before he scored. Cincinnati never trailed again.
"[Encarnacion-Strand] was looking for a little help. I gave it to him," Francona said with a laugh. "We're in this together, man. I'll do whatever."
Although no other kisses were witnessed, the Guardians enthusiasts who had the chance to show Francona love embraced him like they always should.
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Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians give Terry Francona tribute Reds manager deserves
