Tribe’s Francona wishes best for Cavaliers’ Lue

Terry Francona is hoping for a fast recovery for Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, who is taking a leave of absence “You never see him ranting and raving. But I’m guessing on the inside he probably is.”

Indians manager Terry Francona can identify with Tyronn Lue and the heart issues that made the Cavaliers coach decide to take some time off.

Francona last July underwent a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat that sidelined him for about three weeks and prevented him from managing the American League in the 2017 All-Star game.

Lue in a statement on March 19 said he has been experiencing chest pains and has had difficulty sleeping. Francona did not speak on Lue’s condition or compare it to what he went through. Instead he wished the Cavaliers’ coach a speedy recovery.

“What you see is not always what you get,” Francona told reporters in spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. “When I watch Ty on the sideline, he looks under control. You never see him ranting and raving. But I’m guessing on the inside he probably is. I know that’s how I feel a lot of times.

“You feel the need to be a leader. When everything starts to spin out of control and you want to react, that’s when you can’t. But it doesn’t mean it’s not churning on the inside.”

Lue is 40. Francona is 58. There is no indication Lue will need surgery. Francona was back in the dugout 18 days after undergoing the cardiac ablation.

“As important as these games are to us — and they are important,” Francona said. “I’ve been doing this a long time. You talk to other coaches and managers, a lot of times they’ll tell you, ‘I’ll sacrifice an arm or a finger for a win,’ but when push comes to shove, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.

“I think the best way for me to go about this is to wish him well and for him to be back doing what he wants to do rather than trying to make an assessment (on Lue’s condition) because I have no idea.”

Lue in his statement said he hopes to be back so he can “come out of it a stronger and healthier version of myself so I can continue to lead this team to the Championship we are all working towards.”