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LeBron is back, the Heat are surging, and Crowell is missing: While We’re Waiting…
November 4, 2014Unfinished business? Apparently so as the Cleveland Indians and manager Terry Francona have agreed to a two-year contract extension that includes club options for 2019 and 2020.
“I really didn’t want to move on from here,” Francona said through a team-released video. “You watch every manager in their first press conference and they say all these things. They’re all true—they really feel them. But what’s cool for me, two years later, I’m getting to live them out. I still feel the same way, except maybe stronger, as I did the day I got hired. For that, I’m really grateful.”
Francona, 55, has led the Indians to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2000-2001, compiling a mark of 177-147 (.546) over his two-year tenure with the Indians that began in October of 2012.
His 177 wins and .546 winning pct. rank fourth- and fifth-best, respectively, in club history among managers through their first two seasons. The New Brighton, PA native owns a 14-year Major League career managerial record of 1206-1062 (.532), the fourth-most wins among active big league managers. Dating back to 2004 with Boston, Francona’s teams have posted winning records for ten consecutive seasons, the longest such managerial streak since 2009 (Joe Torre), in addition to a pair of World Series titles and six postseason appearances.
“Being with those guys for two years, we’re a really tight knit group,” said Francona. “I’m talking the clubhouse kids, to the traiiners, to Paul Dolan… We do things together. We have fun doing it. We run into our share of challenges, and we try to tackle them together. That’s when I appreciate being here the most.
“Even when things aren’t going the way they wanted to, I’m excited because I know the people I’m doing it with, I know they care about me and I care about them.”
Francona says that he spoke with several players before agreeing to terms, preferring to make sure they were comfortable with the decision prior to him doing so.
7 Comments
This is good news.
Dolanantonshapinetti (or whatever portmanteau we’re calling them now) doesn’t hit a lot of home runs, but seems to square up on Tito. Well done.
Thus ends any talk about Antonetti’s near future?
Lets see what happens this year nothing will happen this off-season I’m sure but who knows.
Best news to come out of TribeTown in a long time. Players seem to enjoy playing for him. This alone will have little impact, if any, on whether a decent free agent will come here, but Tito gets the most out of what he has.
Francona is really the only part of this management team that I like or have liked in a long time.
Now let’s hope the FO gets him some bats this offseason. Who was it that Houston wanted from us for Hunter Pence? Right now there’s only about 7 guys on the roster that I wouldn’t trade for him.