No wonder Terry Francona is doing it again. Baseball is his oxygen – Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio – That didn't last long.

For those who know Terry Francona, this comes as no surprise.

According to multiple reports, the former Guardians manager will soon return to the dugout as coach of the Cincinnati Reds.

As many baseball fans in Cleveland know, Francona loves everything about the game. He lived at the ballpark during the season. He owned a condo downtown and rode a scooter to Progressive Field.

Baseball is his oxygen.

Why did he leave the Guardians last season?

During his eleven years in Cleveland, Francona battled significant health problems. Some of them were serious, such as a heart problem and a staph infection in his foot. In August 2023, he announced that he would be “retiring” at the end of the season.

In that small meeting with reporters, I pressed Francona about his health. He admitted that he needed a shoulder reconstruction and further surgery for two hernias.

He admitted to being “exhausted.” He was frustrated because he didn't have what he felt was the physical stamina needed to get the job done the way he wanted. He believed his physical limitations put too much pressure on his coaches.

All of that was true.

But the baseball people knew Francona would come back if he could rest and get reasonably healthy. He has no hobbies. His love for baseball remained not just a flame, but a roaring hot, blazing fire.

His 11 years in Cleveland, with nine winning seasons and six trips to the playoffs, solidified his reputation as a likely future Hall of Fame manager.

He won a World Series in big market Boston. He was a three-time manager of the year in small-market Cleveland.

I heard that teams reached out to Francona after the 2023 season and asked if he was serious about sitting out 2024. That was true. He remained with the Guardians as an advisor while recovering from his off-season surgeries.

Meanwhile, the Guardians hired Stephen Vogt as manager. The Guardians won the Central Division with a record of 92-70, the same record as under Francona in 2022, when they were also Central Division champions.

Now he is taking over the Reds at the age of 65. It's a young team with talent in a small market that even shares the same Goodyear suspension as the Guardians. It will be fun to have “Tito” back, both for the baseball fans and for him.