While Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona hasn’t made it official, it’s a league-wide assumption that he will retire when the season is over.
The season, for the Guardians, will be over on Sunday in Detroit.
However, they get to play one last time in front of their fans on Wednesday, against the Cincinnati Reds.
It will be a perfect occasion to say goodbye to one of the most influential managers in Guardians history.
Recurring health issues are forcing Francona to retire even though he is still one of the best managers in MLB.
But he has to put his wellbeing first.
The world of baseball understands that, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be missed.
A true clubhouse leader with proven success, Francona will get to say goodbye in front of the fans that have given him so much love and support through the years.
As WKYC 3News states: “Tonight marks the end of an era in Cleveland. Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona will manage his last game at Progressive Field.”
Tonight marks the end of an era in Cleveland. Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona will manage his last game at Progressive Fieldhttps://t.co/52Fo0uiC4i pic.twitter.com/433HoJmydE
— WKYC 3News (@wkyc) September 27, 2023
Francona is a two-time World Series champion (2004, 2007) and three-time AL Manager of the Year (2013, 2016, 2022).
He helped mold the Guardians into a perennial contender in the 2010s and was awfully close to winning their first World Series title since 1948.
It happened in 2016, when he lost the Fall Classic against the Chicago Cubs.
Managing since 1997, Francona has a great 1948-1670 record with a .538 winning percentage.
MLB fans, especially those from teams he managed (the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and the Guardians), will always remember him fondly and wish him the best in his upcoming endeavors.
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