Terry Francona is one of the most successful managers in MLB history.
He has a career 1,874–1,586 record as a skipper, with a winning percentage of .542.
He should be two seasons from becoming a member of the 2,000-win manager club.
He has won two World Series (2004 and 2007) with the Boston Red Sox and lost another one in 2016 with the Cleveland Guardians.
None of these things, however, prevent him from becoming a little too nervous when performing his duties and addressing his players.
Look at this fascinating story told by Guardians insider Zack Meisel.
“Terry Francona gave his annual team speech. He was so nervous he was drenched in sweat. He declined dinner w/ coaches last night so he could make edits. He made pasta, but it didn’t fully cook and broke his tooth. He arrived at camp at 3:30am & spilled coffee all over the speech,” Meisel tweeted.
Terry Francona gave his annual team speech. He was so nervous he was drenched in sweat. He declined dinner w/ coaches last night so he could make edits. He made pasta, but it didn’t fully cook and broke his tooth. He arrived at camp at 3:30am & spilled coffee all over the speech.
—Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) February 21, 2023
So yes, we would say the whole speech thing didn’t exactly go as Francona planned.
But it shows that he still has passion for the game.
It shows that he cares about his players and his message being understood.
He has shown that much over the course of his brilliant career as a manager.
Obviously, this Guardians team means a lot to him.
He took them to the second round of the MLB playoffs last year, the Division Series.
There, his players took the New York Yankees to the maximum of five games and were always competitive.
He knows he has an excellent team, full of youth and energy.
We just hope his teeth are okay.
NEXT:
Guardians Legend Shared A Touching Farewell
