He's Terry Francona to the Public and Terry 'Prankona' to the Rest of the Cleveland Indians by STEPHANIE APSTEIN February 27, 2018 GOODYEAR, ARIZ
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
He's Terry Francona to the Public and Terry 'Prankona' to the Rest of the Cleveland Indians By STEPHANIE APSTEIN February 27, 2018 GOODYEAR, ARIZ. — It seemed fitting when the black-and-white photos of Amber Rose appeared on the whiteboards and refrigerator of Indians camp last week. Shortstop Francisco Lindor had celebrated the start of spring training by shaving his poofy bleached curls and dyeing the stubble silver. He received compliments from teammates for his work on the Thong Song—Sisqó’s 1999 hit—and comparisons to model Rose. The ribbing was nearly nonstop, and the Cleveland clubhouse contains its fair share of practical jokers, so there were many theories as to who was responsible. Corey Kluber, the team’s silent assassin of a prankster? Trevor Bauer, who goes to creative lengths when it comes to retribution? Michael Brantley, Lindor’s mentor? Lindor, who laughed uproariously and hung one of the photos on his locker, knew right away. “Tito,” he says confidently. Yes, the most dangerous member of a clubhouse full of 25-year-olds is their 58-year-old leader, manager Terry Francona. The Rose move would not even rank in the top 10 of jokes he has played on those around him. Starter Josh Tomlin is a frequent victim. Last year, when they were playing cribbage in Francona’s office on the road, Tomlin made the mistake of leaving his coffee cup unattended when he used the bathroom. He was almost finished with it when he noticed the wad of chewing tobacco Francona had added to the bottom. “That was one of the grossest things I’ve ever experienced,” Tomlin says. “He was laughing his head off.” One spring training early in Bauer’s career with the Indians, he gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs against the Cubs. During the Goodyear Police Department’s annual presentation to the players a few days later, they began discussing vandalism by players. “Who is responsible for these?” they demanded, producing three baseballs. The most regular occurrence is the water balloons. Two or three times a week during spring training, he gets a clubhouse guy to help him fill dozens. They load them into the back of the gator he rides from Goodyear Ballpark three quarters of a mile to the Indians’ facility, pelting anyone they encounter along the way. Often that includes the front office staff. “He’s like a nine-year-old,” says media relations director Bart Swain, a frequent victim because Francona finds the image of him on his bike hilarious. “No one is safe.” Francona often enlists help from others. He and Rays manager Kevin Cash have been friends since both were with the Red Sox in 2007, so for Tampa Bay’s annual trip to Cleveland, Francona works with the Indians scoreboard operator to welcome Cash to town. “Kevin Cash: A tribute to a legacy,” it read. “.183 AVG .248 OBP .273 SLG.” Last year he put the numbers in context: “How bad is Kevin Cash at the plate? Cash’s career batting stats: .183/.248/.273. In the history of Major League Baseball, among all non-pitchers with at least 650 plate appearances, Kevin Cash is the 5th worst OPS+ of all time.” Cash should have seen it coming. When he worked on Francona’s Cleveland staff, he lost a bet one year. Francona had a new jersey made in honor of the money his friend had surrendered: NO CASH. Cash had to wear it to deliver the lineup card to the umpire. That moment turns out to be a risky one when Francona is around. Last spring training, while Indians bullpen coach Jason Bere trotted out with the card before the game, Francona poured water on his chair, then mixed in some chewing tobacco. “He had to go get some new pants,” says third base coach Mike Sarbaugh. “It didn’t look good.” And sometimes the manager just amuses himself. One year he instructed assistant hitting coach Matt Quatraro to wear a double-ear-flap batting helmet during a spring game. Most of the time Francona goes unscathed. Tomlin did pay him back by adding a little uncut tobacco to the milder stuff Francona prefers. “He almost threw up on the bench,” Tomlin says. “I kind of felt bad doing it during the game, but we had a pretty big lead.” Bauer plans to get him back at some point, but he’s not working on anything just yet. “If you put too much thought in it, it’s not funny,” says the man whose retaliation for the old gum-in-the-hoodie a few years ago was to freeze Mike Clevinger’s shoelaces in a block of ice. “Just spur-of- the-moment things like that.” “You’ll get it twice coming back to you,” says Sarbaugh. “You’re better off just wearing it.” Friends can only remember one time he has been truly bested: In 2015, he tore back to the facility on his gator, wondering where his usual targets had gone. He was delighted to encounter VP of player personnel Ross Atkins—who, it turned out, was being used as bait. As soon as Francona approached, a dozen kids and adults soaked him. He carried on valiantly toward the facility, where he had spotted assistant director of scouting Victor Wang, but finally admitted defeat when GM Chris Antonetti poured several buckets of water on him from the roof. Francona fixed his sights on assistant GM Mike Chernoff. “You have a Princeton education and this is what you come up with?” the manager demanded. Given his history, it seems likely that it was he who added to the clubhouse decor. But Francona isn’t spilling. Was he responsible? “I might have been,” he says, eyes glinting. And does he not have access to a color printer? He howls with laughter. “We’re on a tight budget.” Gonzalez giving his all to make Indians' roster By Jesse Sanchez MLB.com @JesseSanchezMLB GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Erik Gonzalez looked down at his right foot, saw that it was pointing in an unusual direction, and the worst possible thought crossed his mind. The Indians' utility infielder had just raced to second base on a wild pitch against the Angels and slid awkwardly in the bag. He immediately felt a sharp pain in his leg. "I'm thinking, 'Oh no, it's my knee,'" Gonzalez said in Spanish. "I was really scared, but then I got up and it didn't hurt too badly. My leg is still a little sore today, but I'm fine." Officially, Gonzalez was diagnosed with an ankle contusion Wednesday. Unofficially, it's not a big deal, and it's not going to keep him off the field for what is an important spring for him. Gonzalez, who is out of options, and Giovanny Urshela, who also is out of options, are vying for a spot on the Indians' 25-man roster as the utility infielder. Either player would have to pass through waivers to be sent to the Minor Leagues. "I don't look at it as a competition between me and anyone," Gonzalez said. "Every person just has to do their own work, and the team decides what they want to do. I know I have to take advantage of my opportunities when I get it, and that's what I'm going to do." So far this spring, Gonzalez has three hits in six at-bats. He has driven in a run and walked twice. Urshela has four hits in eight at-bats, with two doubles and two RBIs. Last season, Gonzalez hit .255/.272/.418 in 60 games with the Indians, while Urshela hit .224 with one home run, 15 RBIs and a .551 OPS in 67 games with the big league club. "We know what Gonzie can do, and his batting average isn't going to matter, whether he makes the team or not," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We love to see guys do well, but it's going to be what complements our team the best. I think you can make mistakes by taking the guy that has the highest batting average. Sometimes, that's hard for players to understand, because they come in and they are competing and thinking, 'Man, I did so well,' but it has to fit your team." Ultimately, injuries and how they impact the roster will be part of the decision, but the club will also consider things like the players' bat speed, track record, running speed and adjustments at the plate. It's too early to tell exactly what the Indians will need out of the role with Opening Day still four weeks away. Spring Training statistics are fun, but they won't play much of a factor. "We have all seen a young kid have a great spring and hit his way onto a club. But it's in a utility role, and he has never done that before, and he sits for 10 days and has no chance of getting a hit," Francona said. "You look up a month later and he's in the Minors. You just have to be careful of that." Belisle off to good start in hunt for bullpen role By Jesse Sanchez MLB.com @JesseSanchezMLB GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Matt Belisle took his first step toward earning a spot on the team's Opening Day roster Thursday with a scoreless inning in the Indians' 8-7 win over the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch in his Cactus League debut. Belisle, 37, who signed with the Indians as a non-roster invitee on Feb.