Terry Francona’s tenure as manager of the Cleveland Guardians is officially over, but we shouldn’t expect the affable 60-year-old to disappear from the baseball world entirely.
The Ohio organization held a brief press conference on Tuesday where Francona was able to say his temporary farewell. The 64-year-old has had several problems with blood clots in recent years and it will take time for him to fully recover.
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“I have a problem with the word “retirement.” When you’re retired, you’re at home and don’t do anything. I know I have to go home and get healthy and see what I miss about our sport,” said Francona, a former Montreal Expos player.
On the field, he became the winningest coach in Cleveland franchise history. He spent 11 seasons at the helm and was named American League Manager of the Year in 2013, 2016 and 2022.
Francona’s 1,950 wins rank him 13th in major baseball history. With the Boston Red Sox he won the World Series twice, in 2004 and 2005.
He will come back
Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations for the Guardians, said he would offer the American an administrative role if he was willing.
“The priority is that ‘Tito’ is healthy and when he is, we will talk about what happens next,” he said.
Francona isn’t someone who likes to be the center of attention. Last Wednesday, he was wildly celebrated at the end of his final game at Progressive Field, a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
“What happened in the last game? [à domicile] “It was touching, but I felt really, really uncomfortable,” he admitted. I came here for the right reasons and I think I left for the right reasons, but the time in between was very good.”
The Guardians failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished third in the Central Division with a record of 76-86.