Francona has had own HOF career

Terry Francona’s climb to become the winningest manager in Tribe history is being stalled by coronavirus.

Not that he is sitting at home in Arizona stewing and thinking about this, but Terry Francona’s climb to become the winningest manager in Indians history is being stalled by the novel coronavirus.

Francona is 638-494 since taking the reins as Tribe manager in 2013, good for third place behind Lou Boudreau (728-649) and Mike Hargrove (721-591). Boudreau (194250) and Hargrove (1991-99) each managed the Indians nine seasons. The 2020 season would be Francona’s eighth.

Francona is 1,667-1,409 managing the Phillies, Red Sox and Indians over 19 seasons. He won two World Series with Boston and has already won more games than nine of the 22 managers in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., including former Indians and White Sox manager Al Lopez, who was 1,410-1004 over 17 seasons without winning a World Series.

Tommy Lasorda won the World Series twice managing the Dodgers from 197696 and is in the Hall of Fame with a record of 1,599-1,439. Earl Weaver managed the Orioles for 17 seasons, won the World Series once, and posted a 1,480-1,060 record. Weaver is in the Hall of Fame.

Major League Baseball is tentatively planning to start games around July 4 and play 82 games — roughly half a season.

That’s if it even happens.

There are still many issues to settle before games begin. Right at the top of the list for owners is convincing the players they will be safe from COVID-19. The owners also want players to take a salary reduction beyond the prorated reduction already agreed upon for games missed because there will be no ticket revenue since games would be played without fans in the stands.

Francona’s track record says he would catch or at least get close to Hargrove and Boudreau if 2020 were a normal 162-game season. The Indians have had winning records in each of the seven seasons Francona has managed them and won at least 90 games five times.

The Indians’ worst season under Francona was 2015 when they finished 81-80. Despite all the injuries last year — Corey Kluber

missing five months (broken forearm), Carlos Carrasco missing three months (leukemia), Mike Clevinger missing more than two months (back injury) and more, the Indians still won 93 games — two more than when they won the Central Division title in 2018.

I do not know where Francona ranks as an ingame strategist among baseball’s 30 managers.

I don’t know how anyone would measure that, although I do know Francona revolutionized use of the bullpen in the 2016 playoffs by successfully using setup man Andrew Miller in midrelief.

For what it’s worth, Yardbarker.com rated MLB managers in March of 2019 and ranked Francona fourth. Alex Cora of the Red Sox (since fired), coming off the 2018 World Series championship, was ranked first, followed by Kevin Cash (a Francona protégé) of the Rays and Craig Counsell of the Brewers. Francona was next.

Francona has been a success wherever he has managed because he gets

the most of his players. The Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years in 2004 with Francona managing them. They won again under Francona in 2007 because he could keep players with strong personalities like Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Pedro Martinez focused on the common goal.

Francona wins with less talent in Cleveland. He is self-deprecating to such an extent he pretends to not know onetenth of what he knows, often interjecting, “We’re just trying to win tonight’s game” into his news conferences.

Francona’s approach to playing during the COVID-19

crisis sums up his baseball philosophy perfectly:

“Playing (in empty stadiums) would be different,” Francona said on a Zoom conference last month.

“We tell our guys all the time, ‘Whoever handles adversity the best gives themselves a better chance to win.’ That’s how we feel about everything. It will be another thing we’re trying to handle better than the team we’re playing.”

The uncharted waters ahead will put every manager to the test.

LYNNE SLADKY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Indians manager Terry Francona stands with Corey Kluber after Kluber was hit on his right arm by a line drive May 1, 2019, in Miami.