Francona has a winning way

Indians manager Terry Francona has a way about him.

It’s the way of a man comfortable in his own skin.

It’s the way of a man who knows he’s really good at his job but isn’t going to remind others of that every chance he gets.

It’s the way of a man who knows after 21 years managing in professional baseball that with the peaks come valleys.

It’s the way of a man who, by all accounts, is fair and fiercely loyal to his players.

It’s the way of a man who can be trusted to make the right moves when the calendar flips from August to September and the legitimate contenders separate themselves from the pack.

It’s the way of a man who looked his mortality square in the eye this summer when a health scare had him out of the dugout and in a hospital for heart surgery.

Francona has called on those qualities and the wisdom of acquired experience to guide this Indians team through a season as challenging as any during his nearly five years on the job.

With the bar of expectations set high after last season’s emboldening run to the American League pennant and World Series, the Indians were in a good place on Aug. 26 before hosting the Kansas City Royals in the middle game of a consequential threegame series at Progressive Field.

They were 71-56 and six games clear of the secondplace Minnesota Twins in the American League Central Division. The thirdplace Royals were seven games off the pace.

How the Indians got here given the circumstances is, at least in part, a tribute to Francona and his even-keeled, onegame-at-a-time method of getting through big-league baseball’s long slog of 162 regular-season games.

More so than in any season on Francona’s watch, the Indians have been dogged by injuries to key pitchers and position players.

On April 2, the day before the Indians opened the season on the road against the Texas Rangers, outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis were placed on the 10-day disabled list.

Both are back on the DL again. Joining them there are left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Miller (out since Aug. 17), starting pitchers Josh Tomlin (out since July 31) and Danny Salazar (out since Aug. 21) and reserve outfielder Abraham Almonte.

At other points of the season there have been stays on the DL for No. 1 starting pitcher Corey Kluber, left-handed relief pitcher Boone Logan (done for the season) as well as outfielders Brandon Guyer, Austin Jackson and Almonte.

Beyond the injuries, the Indians have experienced frustrating, sometimes overlapping stretches of hitters and starting pitchers failing to perform as expected.

Through it all, Francona has been the settling influence. He doesn’t get too high or too low. Indians players take their cues from him.

No Kipnis, Chisenhall, Almonte, Miller, Tomlin and Salazar? No problem. When batting orders, starting rotations and bullpen roles must be juggled to meet the needs of that day, no manager in the game does it better than Francona.

Yes, it’s the players who play and settle the outcomes of major-league games and seasons, but managers matter.

In the Indians dugout, Francona’s wheels constantly turn as he fidgets, works his way through another bag of sunflower seeds and intently watches the game unfolding in front of him.

He has a way about him, the way of a winner.