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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski salutes Guardians' Terry Francona amid Cleveland send-off
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- Browns coach Kevin Stefanski salutes Guardians' Terry Francona amid Cleveland send-off
CLEVELAND — Kevin Stefanski and his family were traveling to the Browns coach's hometown of Philadelphia in June 2020 while he participated in a Zoom call for the Cleveland 3-Team Alliance .
On this particular day, technology proved to be as bothersome as a Mike Tomlin defense.
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"I got the kids in the car packed to the brim, and I'm on the Zoom call," Stefanski told the Beacon Journal on Wednesday afternoon at Browns headquarters in Berea. "I'm listening, and I'm trying to add when I can, but I guess when I'm adding, I'm in and out. My reception's terrible. I keep repeating myself, and finally I just stopped talking."
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stands on the sideline during a game vs. the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Sep. 24, 2023, in Cleveland.
Still, toward the end of the call, Stefanski couldn't resist an opportunity to seek words of wisdom from longtime Cleveland baseball manager Terry Francona .
Stefanski had just been hired by the Browns roughly six months earlier, so he asked Francona for "the secret to staying power in Cleveland."
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To no one's surprise, Francona didn't waste a chance to rib the rookie head coach.
"He said, 'Well, you've got to have a great relationship with the owner and good Wi-Fi,'" Stefanski recalled with a smile.
Guardians manager Terry Francona stands for the national anthem before a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Cleveland.
A relationship between Francona and Stefanski developed behind the scenes similarly to how another one grew between Francona and Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff .
"He's been so supportive of me, I know J.B. as well," Stefanski said. "He's a mentor type that doesn't ask for anything in return, but is happy to share advice when available. But to be here for as long as he did, to do it the way he's done it with class constantly, always making it about his players, never making it about himself, I think is a great testament to the person he is."
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The Guardians used their 2023 home finale Wednesday night at Progressive Field to celebrate Francona's illustrious career, one he has repeatedly acknowledged will end with an official retirement announcement after this season. The season finale is Sunday in Detroit.
The organization distributed red "Thank you Tito" T-shirts to fans and played a four-minute video on the scoreboard honoring Francona before first pitch. After the tribute footage, Francona answered two curtain calls from the crowd.
Chants for the manager were loud and clear during the ninth inning. Another curtain call followed the game and was extended for a bit because third baseman Jose Ramirez blocked Francona from retreating into the dugout.
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A pregame photograph of Francona tipping his cap was handed out to fans as they exited the ballpark.
Tito's players did their part, too, by defeating the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 .
"Someone like Tito, with the career that he's had in the game, it's one of a kind," catcher Bo Naylor said. "It's super special, and I think that he deserved that kind of support from everyone — a Guardians W and just overall a great night that celebrates him."
With 920 regular-season victories in 11 seasons, Francona is the winningest and longest-tenured manager in Cleveland baseball history. Francona is also 13th on MLB's all-time regular-season win list (1,949) in 23 seasons as a manager, including two as a World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox (2004 and 2007).
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"This is one of the biggest moments in Cleveland sports history that's not a game that you can [win] a championship ring because no matter who walks in next, the credentials won't be the same, and it's going to take a lot to get to where he's at," said Akron native Andre Knott, the in-game Guardians reporter for Bally Sports Great Lakes. "That doesn't mean he's a perfect human being, a perfect person, but we all know he's a Hall of Famer."
Guardians manager Terry Francona applauds during a tribute video before a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Cleveland.
The Browns haven't had a coach with Francona's longevity since founder Paul Brown roamed the sidelines for 17 seasons (1946-62).
The Cavs coach who lasted the longest was also the first in the team's existence — Bill Fitch with nine seasons (1970-79).
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"How many people that are either a manager or a head coach are able to determine when they walk away?" Tom Hamilton, the radio voice of the Guardians, said. "Normally, most of us in life are told, 'Yeah, see ya.' Tito has been able to determine when he wanted to walk away.
"It makes it a bigger moment. This is a Hall of Fame manager and one of the finest managers to ever manage in the major leagues. He'll be in Cooperstown someday, and he came here. He could have gone a lot of other places, and he chose to come here."
Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff argues for a first-half foul call as Cleveland plays against the Hornets, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C.
Stefanski, 41, is three games into his fourth season as coach of the Browns.
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Bickerstaff, 44, has three full seasons as Cavs coach under his belt and will begin his fourth next month.
Before Bickerstaff guided the Cavs in the playoffs for the first time this past April, he consulted Francona, 64.
"I reached out to him to just see if I could pick his brain on some things," Bickerstaff said then . "He's been open, and he's always reached out and shown support."
More on Terry Francona retiring: Jokes, respect, support and baseball defined Guardians manager's career
Stefanski and Francona struck up a friendship via text message. They eventually bonded more in person.
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"I was able to get down to the ballpark before a game and sit with him and just talk shop and talked about a lot of things that have nothing to do with sports," Stefanski said. "But he's just an unbelievable personality, gregarious, willing to share, super helpful for me.
"The rules and the games are different, but the players and that locker room are so similar, or, in [Francona's] case, the clubhouse. It's so sacred to what we do with our players and how we treat them and what we ask of them and how we motivate them. There's just great carryover in what he's been able to do over the course of multiple years, multiple players, different ages, different backgrounds. It's an incredible sign of a person that knows how to get to the core of people."
Francona has always had an uncanny ability to connect with people, including leaders in other sports who are left appreciative amid his send-off.
Guardians column: Jose Ramirez guiding Cleveland teammates will have more value than ever when Terry Francona era ends
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Kevin Stefanski salutes Guardians' Terry Francona
