The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Francona has fond All-Star memories
Indians manager Terry Francona will be sweating/ relaxing at his home in Tucson, Ariz., on July 17 while the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star game is being played in Washington, D.C., but he has been on that stage twice as the American League manager, and they are experiences he will never forget.
The managers of each team are the managers of the teams that met in the World Series the previous season.
Francona managed the American League in the 2005 All-Star game as the Boston manager after the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series and again in 2008 after the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007. He would have managed the American League in 2017 because the Indians won the A.L. pennant in 2016, but he required emergency surgery, so Indians bench coach Brad Mills managed the team.
“The first All-Star game, I don’t even remember because it was going so fast, trying to get guys in,” Francona said reflectively July 15. “And the second one was the one in New York — the last one at (old) Yankee Stadium. It was the most special.
“I remember standing out behind home plate as they introduced the current guys and then they brought out Hall of Famers, like three at every position. And I remember standing on the field thinking, ‘What am I doing standing here?’ ”
The late Indians great, right-handed pitcher Bob Feller, was among that legendary Hall of Fame honor guard introduced 10 years ago. Bob Gibson of the Cardinals was part of the pitching-rich group, along with Yankees’ legend Whitey Ford.
Harmon Killebrew of the Twins and Eddie Murray from the Orioles and Indians were among the first basemen. Rod Carew of the Twins and Bill Mazeroski of the Pirates were introduced at second base. Brooks Robinson
of the Orioles, Mike Schmidt of the Phillies and George Brett of the Royals tipped their caps at third base. Ozzie Smith of the Cardinals and Robin Yount of the Brewers were at shortstop along with Ernie Banks of the Cubs and Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Orioles.
The outfield was just as star-studded. Lou Brock of the Cardinals, Billy Williams of the Cubs and Ralph Kiner of the Pirates in left field; Willie Mays, of the New York baseball Giants and San Francisco Giants, was the only Hall of Fame center fielder introduced. The right fielders included Al Kaline of the Tigers, Frank Robinson of the Orioles, Hank Aaron of the Braves and Reggie Jackson of the Yankees.
Earl Weaver of the Orioles and Tommy Lasorda of the Dodgers were introduced as Hall of Fame managers.
The last Hall of Famer introduced was beloved
Yogi Berra, the catcher for the Yankees from 1946-65.
After all those names and more, Clint Hurdle of the Rockies and Francona of the Red Sox were introduced as managers for the game that night.
It is safe to say there has never been so much baseball greatness on one field at one time before or since.
“It was incredible,” Francona said. “They were running guys out there like holy cow. It was unbelievable.
“Of all the guys, I wanted to see Yount, because he had been so good to me when I went to Milwaukee, and I missed him when he was coming off the field,” Francona said, smiling as he told the story. “And he must have found out. So he came down in the dugout in the third inning. And he came down the runway there. And the game’s going on. And he goes, ‘Tito, I can’t believe this.’ And I go, ‘Yeah.’ And he goes ‘I can’t
believe it.’ I go, ‘Yeah.’ And he goes, ‘No, I really can’t believe it.’ I go, ‘OK, I get it.’ ”
Francona played in 89 games with the Brewers in 1989 and three games with them in 1990. Yount played 162 games with Milwaukee the year before Francona made the roster.
Yount, the star at shortstop, didn’t have to make time for Francona, who had to scratch and claw to make the Brewers out of spring training. Instead, they developed a close bond that still exists. Yount made the first move.
“I made the (Brewers) as a non-roster (player), so he let me stay with him the first week until I got an apartment,” Francona said. “He got me a car. I was the 25th man on the team. He was like the ultimate teammate, in my opinion. He was a gamer on the field. But he treated everybody the same if you tried to play
the game the right way. ”
Francona recalled playing a game in Cleveland in 1989 while he was with Milwaukee. He laid down a sacrifice bunt and dove head first into first base trying beat the throw. He was out.
“Probably not as close as I thought,” Francona recalled. “I got up and I was kind of embarrassed. Robin was standing on the top step. He said, ‘I don’t care if you’re out. Way to go.’ And I remember thinking, ‘I’d run through a wall for him.’ He’s just, like, the best teammate ever.’”
That one moment has stayed with Francona all these years. It’s one reason you’ll see him at the top step of the Indians dugout to show he appreciates when his players hustle, even if the result isn’t always positive.
“Because you want them to know,” Francona said. “Yeah. It just resonated.”