Terry Francona Health Update: What Happened to Terry Francona?
by Alaguvelan M
Updated Jun 28, 2023
Who is Terry Francona?
Terry Francona is a former professional baseball player and a highly regarded manager in Major League Baseball. Francona was born on April 22, 1959, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He played college baseball at the University of Arizona before being selected in the first round of the 1980 MLB draft by the Montreal Expos.
Francona played in the major leagues for ten seasons as a first baseman and outfielder. He played for several teams, including the Expos, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers, before retiring in 1990, due to a recurring knee injury.
After retiring from playing, Francona transitioned to coaching and eventually became a manager. In 1997, he was named the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, where he managed for four seasons before being fired in 2000. In 2004, Francona was hired to manage the Boston Red Sox, a team with a long history of underperformance. Francona led the Red Sox to their first championship in 86 years in 2004, and again in 2007.
After leaving Boston, Francona was hired as the manager of the Cleveland Indians in 2013. With the Indians, Francona led the team to a World Series appearance in 2016, though the team lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
Throughout his career, Francona has been known as a players' manager, one who is respected and revered by his players. He is also known for his innovative strategies, including his use of sabermetrics, a statistical approach to baseball.
In recent years, Francona has dealt with numerous health issues, including a gastrointestinal condition that forced him to miss the entire 2020 season. Despite these challenges, Francona remains highly respected in the baseball community and is considered one of the most successful managers in the history of the sport.
Terry Francona Health Update
The resurgent Guardians find themselves back in the mix for the AL Central crown after a lackluster season, but an unexpected health scare has added a new twist to their journey.
Manager Terry Francona, the veteran skipper in his 11th season with the Guardians, was absent from Tuesday night's series opener against the Royals. Stepping in as interim manager was bench coach DeMarlo Hale. Francona, who is 64 years old, has battled health issues throughout his tenure. While he successfully completed the 2022 season without any absences, guiding Cleveland to an AL Central title and earning Manager of the Year accolades, he had missed significant time in the previous two years.
As the Guardians strive to salvage their season, the uncertainty surrounding the manager's role poses an unexpected challenge. Details regarding Francona's condition were limited on Tuesday night, as the team simply announced that he wasn't feeling well and would undergo precautionary testing at a hospital in Kansas City.
It appears that the situation arose shortly before the start of the game, catching Hale off guard. After the victory, Hale mentioned that he had received the news of managing just 15 minutes prior to the game. Francona remained at the hospital overnight.
As of now, there is no update on Francona's status for Wednesday night's game against the Royals, and the specific nature of his illness remains undisclosed. Given Francona's history of health scares during his tenure in Cleveland, the team took every precaution to prioritize his well-being on Tuesday.
What Happened to Terry Francona?
Unfortunately, Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona won't be at the helm for tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals. Francona's health took a toll before the game, resulting in his absence.
To ensure Francona's well-being, he will undergo precautionary testing at a local hospital in Kansas City. In the meantime, the team's trusted bench coach, Demarlo Hale, will take charge of managerial duties. Hale is no stranger to this role, as he previously served as the acting manager in 2021 when Francona had to take a leave of absence due to health concerns.
Francona has faced his fair share of health challenges in recent years. In 2020, he grappled with a gastrointestinal problem and a blood-clotting issue, while in 2021, he had to step away from the game to undergo hip replacement surgery and have a rod inserted into his left leg.
The organization remains hopeful that this incident won't result in any major setbacks. Francona is renowned for his legendary managerial prowess and possesses a deep understanding of the game at its highest level.
With a long and storied career in baseball, Francona has left an indelible mark. After an impressive 10-year stint as a player, he transitioned into coaching. He secured his first managerial job with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997 to 2000 before moving on to short-term contracts with the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers.
Terry Francona News
In an unfortunate turn of events, manager Terry Francona fell ill and was hospitalized, leading to his absence from the Cleveland Guardians' game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Missouri. The Guardians made the announcement, expressing their concern for Francona's well-being.
Prior to the start of Tuesday's game at Kauffman Stadium, medical professionals assessed the seasoned manager's condition. Francona underwent testing at a hospital affiliated with the University of Kansas, where he remained overnight for further observation. Details regarding the specific health issue were not disclosed by the team.
As of Wednesday morning, the Guardians had not provided an update on Francona's current condition, leaving fans and the baseball community awaiting news with hopeful anticipation.
Bench coach DeMarlo Hale, who stepped in to fill the managerial role, shared his experience with reporters, revealing that he received the news only moments before the game commenced. Hale recounted Francona's message, stating that the manager wasn't feeling well and needed to take some time off. With limited time to discuss the situation, Hale respected Francona's request and planned to touch base with him after the game.
This isn't the first instance of Francona encountering health challenges throughout his extensive career in Major League Baseball. In 2021, he was absent for the latter half of the season due to hip and foot surgeries. Prior to that, he underwent surgery to address a staph infection in his foot. In 2020, Francona faced multiple surgeries to treat blood clots, limiting his managerial presence to just 14 games out of the Cleveland Guardians' 60-game schedule during the pandemic-shortened MLB season.
Despite the setback, Francona had guided the Guardians to a 38-40 record, keeping them in close contention in the 2023 campaign. They currently trail the Minnesota Twins (40-41) by a mere half-game for the top spot in the American League Central.
Last season, Francona led the Guardians to an impressive 92-70 record, securing the division title. With 11 seasons under his belt, Francona boasts a managerial record of 883-711 with the franchise, earning him respect and recognition throughout the league
Terry Francona Health Update - FAQs
Terry Francona fell ill and was hospitalized, forcing him to miss the game.
Francona was taken to a hospital affiliated with the University of Kansas for testing.
As of the next day, there was no update provided on Francona's condition.
DeMarlo Hale found out just before the game started, approximately 15 minutes prior to the first pitch.
Due to the timing, Hale did not have a chance to inquire about the details of Francona's health issue. They planned to discuss it after the game.