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The Tito tales: Terry Francona stepping down as Guardians manager spurs many memories
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- The Tito tales: Terry Francona stepping down as Guardians manager spurs many memories
CLEVELAND — Before Terry Francona led the Cleveland baseball team to the World Series in 2016 , zipped around Progressive Field on a scooter or endeared himself to Northeast Ohio with self-deprecating humor, he returned to the shores of Lake Erie as legend.
When the franchise hired Francona as its manager on the heels of the 2012 season, starting pitcher Corey Kluber thought to himself he would be guided by a presumptive future Hall of Famer.
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A former MLB player who appeared in 62 games with Cleveland in 1988, Francona had managed the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. The 2004 triumph gave the club its first championship in 86 years.
"I probably thought he was [a Hall of Famer] before he got the job in Cleveland, honestly," Klube r, a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland who's now a member of the Red Sox, said by phone. "With what he did in Boston, ending their drought and winning a couple World Series, I probably felt like he was."
Francona , 64, would go on to pilot Cleveland for 11 seasons, earning three AL Manager of the Year awards and bolstering a resume widely considered a lock to take him to Cooperstown.
As a manager for 23 combined seasons with Philadelphia (1997-2000), Boston (2004-11) and Cleveland (2012-23), Francona compiled a regular-season record of 1,950-1,672, placing him 13th for the most wins in MLB history. He came incredibly close to winning a third World Series, but Cleveland fell 8-7 to the Chicago Cubs in extra innings of Game 7 on Nov. 2, 2016.
Cleveland's Mel Hall (27) is greeted by teammates Terry Francona (24), Ron Washington (15) and Brook Jacoby as he crosses home plate on a three-run inside the park home run in the seventh inning to beat Oakland 8-6, July 6, 1988, in Cleveland.
With Francona formally announcing Tuesday he's stepping down as Guardians manager, a decision tied to the major health issues he has endured in recent years, the baseball world is reflecting on what made him great.
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Loyalty, passion and love are the main ingredients people close to Francona identified as they shared memories with the Beacon Journal about his run as Cleveland's manager.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona, right, hugs his father Tito Francona prior to the game against the New York Yankees, Monday, April 8, 2013, in Cleveland.
Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis admired and emulated Terry Francona's leadership style
In the blunt words of Carl Willis , the longtime pitching coach had "screwed it up."
But Francona , otherwise known as Tito like his late father who played for Cleveland from 1959-64 , refused to let Willis become the fall guy for a colossal communication gaffe.
On July 10, 2018, Willis thought Francona had told him to order O.T. — right-hander Dan Otero — to warm up in the bullpen during the ninth inning against the visiting Cincinnati Reds . The problem was Francona had actually told Willis he wanted to summon O.P. — left-hander Oliver Perez.
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So when Otero emerged from the bullpen to pitch against Joey Votto with the bases loaded and Cleveland clinging to a one-run lead, Francona was shocked. Although Votto had gone 0-for-4 in his previous at-bats against Otero, Francona wanted the left-handed Perez to match up against the left-handed Votto.
Guardians manager Terry Francona, left, and pitching coach Carl Willis, right, watch from the dugout against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 4, 2023, in Cleveland.
Francona and Willis realized there had been a mix-up when Otero entered the game, but the proverbial toothpaste couldn't be put back into the tube. Otero was required to face at least one batter.
"I never cheered any harder in my life for someone to get somebody out and had the worst knot in my stomach," Willis said.
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Nonetheless, Votto hit a two-out, three-run double off Otero, giving the Reds a two-run advantage. They ultimately prevailed 7-4.
After the game, Francona and Willis met with president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff to sort through the mess.
"I basically said, 'I screwed it up. Fire me. I take accountability.' And everyone was upset, but Tito would not hear that because of his position," Willis recalled. "He felt no matter what, 'It's on me.' I actually begged him to let me talk to the team the next day. He wouldn't [let me] do it because he felt like it's his responsibility."
Cleveland manager Terry Francona, right, talks with pitching coach Carl Willis, left, prior to a spring training game against the San Diego Padres Saturday on March 10, 2018, in Peoria, Ariz.
Willis noted the breakdown occurred just a few months into his first season working for Francona.
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"But he never lost trust in me," Willis said. "He seemingly never lost faith in me. It was a very embarrassing situation, but we moved on and became kind of able to joke about it. And I just think it speaks volumes to who he is as a leader.
"We're all held to really high standards here in terms of what we're doing. We understand that. But for me to make a mistake that I felt like was that glaring and yet him be able to move on from it, and now the relationship we've grown into, I could never be more appreciative just to how he leads and how he lets us work."
Francona is the one who addressed the team the next day and apologized to the players.
"It's something I've tried to emulate as a leader of an area," Willis said. "You have to be in front of everything. Regardless of what happens, you're accountable. You're responsible. And the players especially, they need that because it gives them the freedom to go out and play the game the right way and play the game aggressively. And if they make a mistake, it happens."
Cleveland manager Terry Francona takes starting pitcher Corey Kluber out of the game during the fifth inning of Game 7 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, in Cleveland.
How Terry Francona defended and supported his Cleveland Guardians players
Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan can attest to Francona's willingness to fight for those who are on his side, even if their relationship is in its infancy.
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On April 10, 2022, Kwan was hit by a pitch in his third game with the Guardians, prompting Francona to reprimand the culprit, Kansas City Royals starter Brady Singer.
Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona, left, and left fielder Steven Kwan celebrate the team's win over the White Sox, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in Chicago.
"At that point, obviously, you don't know if anybody likes you," Kwan said. "You're just trying to make a name for yourself. I didn't know too many guys on the team. I didn't know if Tito even liked me, obviously. But I got hit by the pitch, and immediately I hear Tito yelling at the pitcher, like, 'Hey, throw it over the plate! That's BS! You don't do that!'
"From that point on, I was like, 'OK, he's got my back through thick and thin no matter what.' He came up after me and checked if I was OK. That meant a lot for me at that point in my career."
Cleveland's Carlos Santana, right, kisses manager Terry Francona's head before Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Cleveland.
Francona is a character. He's undeniably funny, but he has a fiery side, too.
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"He wants to win," Kwan said. "He wants to make sure all of his guys are taken care of.
"He's a lover. He'll always stand up for you."
Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer, left, reacts as he is taken out by manager Terry Francona in the fifth inning against the Royals in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday, July 28, 2019.
Why Jason Kipnis thinks about 'listening to a parent scold a kid' when he tells Terry Francona stories
It is possible, though, for someone on Francona's team to draw his ire.
Former Cleveland starting pitcher Trevor Bauer proved it on July 28, 2019, when he reacted to a frustrating outing against the Royals by throwing the ball from the infield and over the center-field wall at Kauffman Stadium as Francona walked to the mound to remove him from the game.
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Part of the conversation Francona and Bauer had on the mound was caught on camera, and even a lip-reading novice could tell the manager had used an expletive while asking the pitcher what was wrong with him.
Cleveland's Jason Kipnis, left, is congratulated by manager Terry Francona after a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, in Cleveland. Kipnis' RBI double in the eighth tied the score.
Former Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis heard the discussion continue after Francona and Bauer had entered the dugout and disappeared into the tunnel.
"I had just watched it on TV 'cause I was off that day, and I got to hear the show that went on below," Kipnis said. "I can't repeat anything that was said, but just one of my favorite memories was you're just like listening to a parent scold a kid there.
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"I was in the gym nearby with the strength coach and Kluber and, I think, [catcher] Yan Gomes . It's like you start laughing 'cause you're just so nervous of what was going on right there, and you start joking about it."
Kipnis said he had never seen Francona so angry.
"Just for his health, you hope you never see him like that again," Kipnis said. "You don't want to see a coach like that for many reasons."
Cleveland manager Terry Francona celebrates with his team after defeating the Kansas City Royals 3-2 and winning the American League Central Division on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.
Terry Francona's sense of humor 'played a larger role than most people realize' during his successful career as an MLB manager
Francona was usually in a jovial mood with his players and quick to joke around.
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Kluber can become nostalgic about Francona and former Cleveland pitcher Josh Tomlin frequently busting each other's, ahem, chops.
"He's in a leadership position, a position of power within the clubhouse, but I would assume that he made a concerted effort to make sure that it never came across that way, that he was on level playing ground with everybody," Kluber said. "Whether it was a guy that's played 10 years, whether it's a guy that got called up for their first day, building those relationships with each person I think goes a long way.
"The environment he creates in the clubhouse makes it easier for guys to just go out and play the game and not worry about all the other stuff — not worry about looking over your shoulder, getting sent down [to the minor leagues] and all that kind of stuff."
Cleveland manager Terry Francona, left, congratulates pitcher Josh Tomlin after a 9-2 win over the Tigers, Sunday, June 10, 2018, in Detroit.
Francona shared his playful nature with local media, too. He has told tales about eating 17 low-calorie fruit popsicles in one night, ordering $44 worth of room-service ice cream, awaking from a nightmare with peanut butter smeared on his eyeglasses and thinking a female fan would flash him, only to realize she had been trying to show him her Tito-themed undershirt instead.
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"From what I've met around the game, there's just not too many people like him," Kipnis said. "They don't have the same sense of humor or delivery or just, I don't know, charisma."
Francona's sense of humor helped him succeed as a manager because he knew how to keep a clubhouse loose amid the grind of a season.
"It's probably played a larger role than most people realize," Guardians ace Shane Bieber said.
Steven Kwan (38) and Myles Straw (7) are greeted by Guardians manager Terry Francona, center, after scoring on a seventh-inning single by Amed Rosario against the Atlanta Braves on July 3, 2023, in Cleveland.
Terry Francona had a knack for boosting the confidence of Cleveland Guardians players
When Cleveland acquired center fielder Myles Straw on July 30, 2021, in a trade with the Houston Astros , Francona was dealing with his own health concerns. Those issues forced him to miss the final 63 games of the season.
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Still, Francona established a rapport with his new outfielder from afar.
"I remember when I first got traded here, I was a Gold Glove finalist and he was texting me," Straw said. "I hadn't met him at the time because he was out for the rest of '21. So he was chatting with me, texting me all the time the whole offseason, just telling me, 'I can't wait to be there next year when you win one.' And sure enough, I won it.
"He puts that thought into the player's head that you can do anything in this game, and that's the kind of confidence you need to play baseball. If you don't have that confidence, you've got no shot. So I feel like Tito does a good job of letting his players just go out and play, relax, and that's the best way to play baseball."
Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario, left, left fielder Steven Kwan, center, third baseman Jose Ramirez and manager Terry Francona joke around on the field playing against the Yankees in Game 1 of an American League Division Series on Oct. 11, 2022, in New York.
Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez said Francona's blend of experience and ability to instill confidence in players set him apart. Ramirez explained he has been confident since his childhood, though Francona assisted him with building faith in himself at the sport's highest level.
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"It's just the way he lets me help and also the organization that they gave me the chance to play since an early age," Ramirez said through team translator Agustin Rivero.
Column on Terry Francona stepping aside: Jose Ramirez guiding the Guardians will have more value than ever with the Tito era ending
Guardians manager Terry Francona, center, poses with the team for a photo, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.
A manager's belief is vital to players, including veterans, and messaging is crucial. Francona mastered it.
"His ability to communicate, I think, not only with players, but his coaching staff, front office, it's not an easy role to play when you kind of get into this clubhouse and you realize how much he actually has to do, how many relationships he has to develop and nurture and merge together," Bieber said. "So for him to be able to do that for as long as he has and as successfully as he has, it's a testament to just him as a human being and how great he is at that."
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Francona's greatness won't soon be forgotten in Cleveland. He plans to have a role with the franchise moving forward but said he doesn't foresee managing again.
It's finally time for him to hop on a scooter and ride off into the sunset, at least for now.
Reflecting on Tanner Bibee's season: Does Guardians starting pitcher have a case for AL Rookie of the Year finalist?
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians recall what made Terry Francona great MLB manager
