Terry Francona returns to Cleveland as Reds manager, jokes about getting lost in renovated ballpark
Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Terry Francona could have used his old scooter to get around the renovated service area beneath Progressive Field.
Instead, Francona made do with walking and joked about the changes that have occurred at the ballpark he called home for 11 seasons.
Francona returned to Cleveland for the first time since being named Cincinnati's manager as the Reds opened a three-game series against the Guardians on Monday.
'I got lost about three times. That's the longest (clubhouse) hallway I've ever seen,' Francona said. 'I don't think I've seen the whole thing yet just because I don't feel like icing down my knees. But from what I've seen in the ballpark, it looks good.'
Francona — who used to ride a scooter from his downtown apartment to the ballpark — isn't the only visitor who has joked about the long tunnel from the clubhouse to the dugout on the first-base side. Both clubhouses were renovated during the offseason, more than tripling their size.
The 66-year-old manager enters the series unbeaten against his former team: The Reds swept a three-game series at Cincinnati last month.
Francona was at the helm in Cleveland for 11 seasons and is the franchise's leader in wins (921) and games managed (1,678). Cleveland made the playoffs six times under Francona and lost the 2016 World Series to the Chicago Cubs in seven games, falling just short of the franchise's first title since 1948.
He was a senior advisor for the Guardians last year, but only made a couple of trips to Cleveland. He didn't want to get in the way of manager Stephen Vogt and his coaching staff.
'There were a couple times during spring, two hours away I wanted to come up, but I didn't think it was right,' Francona said. 'I just thought for the new staff here, they needed to be able to do things. They don't need me telling 'em how to do it or acting like I'm going to tell 'em how to do it.'
'During the season I watched a lot of baseball, probably more than I have in a long, long time. I'd turn on games that were in the eighth inning tied and I'd watch the end of it and flip to another game and really enjoyed it.'
While Francona was happy to be back in Cleveland, his focus was on trying to help the Reds extend their winning streak to four games after a weekend sweep of Arizona.
'I had 11 really fun years here and I had some great relationships. That never changes, but now we're trying to figure out a way to beat 'em tonight. That's why we're here. That'll never take away how I feel about people here,' he said.
Francona was among several Reds staffers making their return. Bench coach Brad Mills and hitting coach Chris Valaika were on Francona's Cleveland staff, while first-base coach Collin Cowgill and major league coach Mike Napoli played for the franchise.
Reds left fielder Will Benson, who hit four home runs during the sweep of the Guardians, was Cleveland's first-round pick in 2016.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Fraley and Miley propel Reds past Guardians 7-4 in Francona's return
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jake Fraley, had three hits, including a home run in the fourth inning, Wade Miley got his first win since 2023 and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-4 Monday night in Terry Francona's return to Progressive Field. TJ Friedl also went deep for the Reds, who have won four straight and are over .500 for the first time since May 19. Bo Naylor had a solo shot for Cleveland. The Guardians have dropped four of five overall and have lost all four of their meetings with the Reds this season. Francona managed Cleveland for 11 seasons (2013-23) before being hired by the Reds last October. Miley (1-0) got the win in his second game and first start since signing a one-year deal with the Reds on June 4. He went five innings and allowed three runs and five hits. The 38-year old left-hander signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Feb. 4 and was with the club during spring training as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. He made four starts for Triple-A Louisville before opting out of his minor-league deal on June 1. He signed with the Reds three days later after Hunter Greene was placed on the injured list due to a groin injury. Emilio Pagán picked up his 16th save. With two outs in the fourth inning, Fraley connected on a slider from Cleveland starter Luis Ortiz (3-7) and put into the stands in right center to tie the game at 3-3. Friedl led off the third inning by driving a 97.9 mile fastball from Ortiz over the wall in right-center. Key moment Christian Encarnacion-Strand then put the Reds on top in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to drive in Friedl. Key stat The Reds have won the season series from their in-state rival for the first time since 2014. Up next Reds LHP Andrew Abbott (5-1, 2.18 ERA) goes against Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (1-2, 4.87 ERA) in the middle game of the series. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trade Idea Swaps Phillies' Andrew Painter for $3.85 Million Outfielder
Trade Idea Swaps Phillies' Andrew Painter for $3.85 Million Outfielder originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Philadelphia Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski has a history of being aggressive, and it's helped his teams win five pennants and two World Series over four decades. Advertisement The time has come for Dombrowski to make another win-now move, one involving a face he knows all too well. During their path to the 2018 World Series title, Dombrowski and the Boston Red Sox used a seventh-round pick on Long Beach State (Calif.) outfielder Jarren Duran. Nearly a decade later, Duran is an All-Star potentially on the verge of being traded. A reunion between Dombrowski and Duran makes sense, and it's one that Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer proposed on Wednesday. Rymer suggested the Phillies go "all-in" and trade top pitching prospect Andrew Painter, along with catcher Eduardo Tait, to the Red Sox for the speedy Duran. "Knowing how short their contention window is getting, they should arguably be looking to do exactly that sort of deal before July 31," Rymer wrote. Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren DuranKen Blaze-Imagn Images Duran enters Wednesday hitting .273 with 17 doubles, six triples and a .743 OPS for a fourth-place Red Sox club. He has three years of team control remaining and could either replace Johan Rojas in center field or push Max Kepler out of left field. Advertisement Duran fits the Phillies, especially in a loaded lineup already featuring Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. However, Rymer questioned whether trading the team's consensus No. 1 prospect and a projected future ace is worth it, even if it nets them Duran. "They are in win-now mode, but Painter is the heir apparent for Zack Wheeler, who isn't getting any younger," Rymer said. Painter is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA and 20-7 K-BB ratio in 17 Triple-A innings. Tait, who turns 19 in August, owns a .285 average, eight homers, 35 RBIs and a .837 OPS at Single-A Clearwater. Rymer acknowledged it's "doubtful" the Red Sox would decline that trade offer. He also looked at the flip side, questioning why the Phillies would do it. Advertisement "To trade a guy like that just to improve an already dangerous offense would be borderline wasteful," Rymer wrote of Painter. Related: Mets Trade Idea Adds $3.85 Million All-Star Outfielder After Mark Vientos News Related: Red Sox Projected to Trade $38.5 Million All-Star Pitcher After Kristian Campbell News This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Juan Soto Had 6-Word Pete Alonso Message After Rockies Game
Juan Soto Had 6-Word Pete Alonso Message After Rockies Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Star slugger Pete Alonso is far from done with his New York Mets tenure, but he's already done plenty for them. The four-time All-Star moved into sole possession of second place on the franchise's all-time home run list on Sunday. Advertisement Alonso went 3-for-6 with two homers and four RBI in the Mets' 13-5 win over the Colorado Rockies, giving him 243 career homers. The 30-year-old is now nine long balls away from tying club legend Darryl Strawberry. Alonso is slashing .301/.396/.594 with 17 homers and a MLB-high 61 RBI over 66 games. Fellow star Juan Soto opened up about his teammate's greatness after the victory, via SNY. Mets' Pete Alonso (20).Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images "He's Pete. He's a great hitter," the former World Series champion said. Soto was also effective on Sunday, going 3-for-3 with three walks and three runs scored. New York selected Alonso No. 64 overall in the 2016 MLB Draft. The Florida alum made his big-league debut on Opening Day in 2019, and he led baseball with 53 homers that season. He also earned NL Rookie of the Year, All-Star, and All-MLB First Team honors. Advertisement Alonso returned to All-Star status in 2022 and led the NL with 131 RBI. The 6-foot-3-inch, 245-pounder made his playoff debut that season as well, going 3-for-10 with one homer and one RBI in three games. Alonso also made the All-Star team in 2023 and 2024. The slugger helped the Mets reach the NLCS the latter season, slashing .273/.431/.568 with four homers and 10 RBI in the playoffs. That included a walk-off homer to win their Wild Card series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Related: Rockies Suffer Major Loss Before Mets Game Related: Dodgers Make Move After Mets Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
