There’s more information about why Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona hinted earlier this week that he could step away from the club and retire following the 2023 season.
Shortly before the 60-66 Guardians hosted the 76-48 Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer mentioned that Francona “needs major shoulder replacement surgery” that will include a “pretty lengthy (recovery time).” The 64-year-old who holds the Cleveland franchise record for the most wins earned by a manager also needs two hernias removed.
While speaking with reporters, Francona recalled how he understood at some point in 1991 that he’d reached the end of his playing days.
“I never looked back,” Francona said about his mindset both at that time and this summer. “I never missed playing. I think I had given everything I had and I knew it. It was getting hard and I never looked back. I think that’s probably where I’m at now. I’m in a pretty comfortable place.”
Francona’s numerous medical issues over the years have been well-documented by outlets such as the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). He underwent a heart procedure in 2017 and later missed the majority of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season due to gastrointestinal problems and multiple blood clots. In July 2021, he took a leave of absence for the remainder of that year’s campaign to focus on his health.
Most recently, Francona was briefly hospitalized in June after he experienced lightheadedness.
It’s somewhat remarkable Francona not only returned to the dugout for the 2022 season but guided the Guardians to the division title en route to earning his third career American League Manager of the Year award. However, Francona acknowledged Tuesday he felt “old and kind of beat up.”
The second-place Guardians entered Wednesday evening trailing the first-place Minnesota Twins by four-and-a-half games in the AL Central standings. A September, and maybe an October, to remember would be a tremendous sendoff for one of Cleveland’s most beloved sports figures.
