The Indians announced this evening that manager Terry Francona will take a leave of absence from the team to address health concerns. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale will assume interim managerial duties for the remainder of the season. Hale was named Cleveland’s bench coach last November and has managed four games at the major league level (with the Blue Jays in 2015-16).
Francona is going for a hip replacement next week and will also need to undergo foot surgery in the coming months, reports Mandy Bell of MLB.com (Twitter link). Given those health issues, he obviously didn’t feel capable of continuing in his current capacity over the season’s final two months.
The veteran skipper also missed a significant amount of time last season on account of health concerns. There’s no indication the 62-year-old will not return to the Cleveland managerial chair next year, however. He has led the team since October 2012, winning three consecutive AL Central titles from 2016-18. MLBTR wishes Francona the best in his recovery.
Prayers for Tito. Get well soon!
Hope the Guardians will be watching over him
*slow clap*
HAAAAAAA!
Interesting timing. Is he angry about the trade with the Sox and bumped up the surgery? Regardless, the important thing is hope he has a speedy recovery.
I don’t think losing Cesar would cause him to move up his surgery. I’m surprised they haven’t tried to move more pieces. They really should be selling off most of the team. The window has closed
Thoughts and prayers
Always loved the name Terry.
How strange.
Terry is a boys name however Teri is a girls name.
Terry Farrell was a pretty good looking girl for a boy.
The Jane’s Addiction singer?
No, the actress Terry Farrell. She’s best known for her regular roles on TV’s “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” & “Becker”. She also had a starring role in the 1992 sequel “Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth”. And yes… She was fuggin’ hot back in the day.
Absolutely!
In today’s day and age no matter how you spell it is both a boys and a girls name, same with Bruce.
Springsteen early in his career used to write about sexually people named Terry. It was completely unclear from the songs whether they were a guy or a girl.
My cousin’s name is Terry. He goes by Tad
.. nice name for a dog..!!
Best manager in MLB.
Best manager in the history of the Cleveland franchise.
Hope he returns next year.
Gets more out of his players than anyone.
Hmmm…. not really sure about that.
Dimitri, do you even watch the games?????
Sammy boy watches every game. He knows everything about baseball. You’re wrong. Don’t even try to argue. It’s futile.
I’m wrong? About what. And who’s arguing?
Sorry, I should have let you in on the joke. Samuel is a walking dunning-kruger effect. I have no problems with you, my dude.
@ Steve Nebraska;
How come every time you post an insult at me, within a minute your post gets an upvote?
‘Cause you be liking them so much
Hard to top Lou as the franchise’s greatest manager with him player managing the 1948 team to a WS title and an MVP for himself, but Tito has been great enough in his time in CLE to be in that conversation. What a guy. It’s a shame he probably won’t be back to break another drought
Besides, Lou was in a movie pre-Netflix, so there’s that.
Lou was great in ’48. Not so much other than that.
For a second I thought you were talking about Lou Brown until I saw the year.. haha
Thought for sure you meant Lou Brown at first.
Kevin Cash says “hold my beer”
Cash was Francona’s bullpen coach with the Indians, and Tito gave the Rays a great rec about him during the interview process. In fact, Francona and others helped him prep for the interview.
I like Cash, I like Counsel a bit more.
Ignore the self-promoting cheap-shot Steven Colbert imitator – he’s worthless.
Look at the Indians rosters over the past 6-7 years and tell me who gets that sort of won-lost record out of it.
Better than Manny Acta? Better than Eric Wedge? Some high praise there! LOL!
And now I’ll have nightmares tonight. Thanks, Hammer.
I didn’t know you can replace your ass.
Don’t know if you’re referring to me or what point you’re trying to make – but you appear to be an intelligent Yankee fan.
You can upgrade to a horse.
All hail Tito.
Get well soon Tito!
Greatest of all time
Chief Tito will be back stronger than ever.
Get well soon!!!
F****** sucks.
Best wishes for the future hall of famer.
Everybody loves Tito. Hope he rests up and comes back next year
Francona had health issues for a few years and he probably could not handle the job any more so he choose to step down. In the mean time, the Indians are not going anywhere so there is no point for Francona to stick around for the rest of this season.
He’s having hip replacement surgery and a rod put in his foot.
Very disturbing that in the 21st century we still have to deal with the bigotry of racist headlines. Do better MLBT.
What the hell are you even talking about!
He’s mad because the team is still called the Redsk- I mean Indians.
Oh his feelings are hurt when you say the name of the team currently. Here, ill fix it. “Terry Francona is stepping away from the team that was formally known as the indians.”
yeah i agree changing the name is just STUPID if i was a player i would just Quit , the political BS in mlb today is nuts BLM can go to H_ll im sick of them (terrorist group)
IKR? “Remainder” is SUCH a dog whistle.
Down vote
Agreed, Mister Cheese.
Cheesy, if that headline is disturbing to you, then I would love to see how you react when life deals you something hard. Probably fold up like an old lawn chair and call the police (that you defunded) whilst sucking on your thumb.
Man, one thing I’ve noticed in 10 years of trolling the MLBTR comments section is that sarcasm is not well received here.
I supported changing the nickname, but Indians is still currently the name and therefore I have no problem with it being used. Comments like Cheesy’s discourage civil discourse and give those who wanted the name changed a bad look.
Wait, there’s a good look for those that wanted the name changed?
Sorry that’s the name of the team. Grow up.
tbh i think cle should of went with the tribe with there new name, heck they’ve been called that for at least the past 30 years if not more.
Cleveland Indians.
Get well!
One of the best managers ever.
5 wins behind Boudreau for Indians all-time, managerial
at least he didn’t pull a simone and cry about mental health… too soon?
No, your just an d ick hole! Go be edgy somewhere else
It’s not edgy. He just sounds like a crappy human.
Interesting you focus on that and not the tens of millions that think it was a stolen election.
*know*
81 million votes. the most ever in our elections history.
HOF manager. Vote him in.
Tito for prez. Hope to see him back soon
I’ve been wondering when this would happen. He’s looked seriously uncomfortable trying to move around, especially on his many walks out to the mound, to pull out another unproductive starter.
Won’t surprise me if he retires after this season.
I think you’re right. He’s been battling one thing or another for years. Just seems generally not healthy.
Hope u get better Terry. I wish the Cardinals would have hired you over Mike Matheny back in 2012, if they did we would have won the title in 12 and 13 hell maybe even 14. we wouldn’t have had the tires fall off all of our relievers during that time and all the rookie managerial mistakes mine make wouldn’t have happened
Dude is all beat up man… best wishes to him
Yikes won’t be the same without him
Best Wishes… get better soon
Terry Francona was a consistently terrific hitter whose playing career was repeatedly sidelined by injuries and health problems. Sending healing thoughts to a guy who deserved more breaks.
Love Tito. Best to him and his family.
2021 is even putting skips on the Injured List!
A true Gentleman of the game.
Get well Tito.
Yep. Off hand, think of his “tree” of former players who are managers….Cash, Roberts, Ross et al; and they all do pretty well.
Can’t think of anyone during his Red Sox days that had a bad word to say about him. And that’s incredibly unique in Boston. Hope it works out for him.
My phones was zoomed out. Thought it said he passed away.
He’s stepping away from the Indians forever. New name when he returns
this is horrible news and i hope nothing but the best for tito he is a class act and a helluva a manger. get well soon and get you a$$ back into that dugout and get back to doing what you love because your sorely missed.
Maybe Francona did not want to be at the Sox game tomorrow night for Elvis Night?
New Brighton’s finest.
Lol. I lived there for two years in the early ’90’s. Go Lions!
Don’t worry he’ll be back to doing shirtless calisthenics during bp and slam dunking on 7 ft. basketball hoops from a trampoline in no time
@doc i hope so tito is a good guy and a great manger, also on a side note awesome name dude doc ellis is one of my favorite pitchers
Hey thanks buddy! Cheers!
Let’s go TRIBE!!!! We can win a few more games without him!! Tribe nation is on a warpath #windians
get well tito
All the best Tito, positive vibes coming from Florida!
I can’t wait to see Kevin Cash’s next prank on Tito. Probably a walker or motorized scooter waiting for him in the dugout.
Get well, Francona!!
Foot hurts and is stepping away.
Hip replacement and rod being placed in his foot.
Yeah, hip replacement is nothing to be laughed at. My Mom is currently awaiting hip replacement surgery and I can see the pain she endures with just sudden moves. I don’t wish that on anybody.
God bless. Hope his recovery goes well
He seems to me like a guy you just have to like and respect. Best wishes Terry.
Wishing him nothing but the best. Prayers, love and respect.
Poor Tito. For a guy who has stayed in pretty decent physical shape, the poor guy has had so many health/injury issues dating all the way back to his playing career. If I recall correctly, he had double digit surgeries on one of his knees alone. He’s also had some serious health scares while getting his injuries repaired as well. Thoughts and prayers to Tito; I hope these surgeries bring him the health and pain free results he is hoping for. He’s truly one of the nice guys in baseball; not to mention an excellent manager as well. If these surgeries don’t work, he may need to retire from coaching. Maybe the Guardians would bump him upstairs into a management role should that happen. If anyone deserves that, it’s Tito. He never complains about lack of spending or trading away talent..a true company man and a player’s manager too. Very rare these days!
How does Sandy Alomar not get appointed as Manager for the remainder of the season?
Miss you here in Boston Tito. Speedy recovery.
Exactly, he will never, ever have to buy a beer in Boston. Class act and nice guy, good luck Tito
Would love to see the Yankees Dump Aaron Boone and sign Terry.
Bring back Buck.
yeah i agree changing the name is just STUPID if i was a player i would just Quit , the political BS in mlb today is nuts BLM can go to H_ll im sick of them (terrorist group)
Good luck Mr. Terry!