AL WILD CARD SERIES: RAYS VS GUARDIANS

October 8, 2022

Terry Francona

Progressive Field

Cleveland Guardians

Pregame Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: First question for Tito.

Q. What was it like last night riding your hog on 4th Street?

TERRY FRANCONA: It got a little interesting, a little interesting. You know, so when I pulled out of here, there were some people that were yelling, and I mean, just truth be told, in this day and age with like cell phones and stuff, this lady's yelling at me, and she goes, you're the greatest and -- well, she pulls her shirt up, and I'm like, hey, man, I don't want -- she had a picture of me on her other shirt. But I didn't know that. I'm like, I don't want this on camera.

So I'm kind of going by her being not necessarily, I hope not rude, but probably not overly gracious. Yeah, then when I got to East Fourth, and it's like, I hope people understand. I had an ice bag wrapped around my ankle because, you know, I'm trying to park and it's like chaotic, but I guess that's better than nobody being there.

Q. They weren't throwing stuff, right?

TERRY FRANCONA: No. No. Not to my knowledge.

Q. You won't do that again?

TERRY FRANCONA: Well, I got to get home.

Q. I saw you jam on the breaks in the hallway here yesterday, somebody walked out in front of you?

TERRY FRANCONA: Yeah, sometimes I get going a little quick.

Q. I watch these college football games and the coaches all have state trooper escorts. Why don't baseball managers have something like that?

TERRY FRANCONA: You know what? Every policeman in town here either high-fives me or says hello, because, you know, they're always helping with the parking on stuff. That's part of what I like about being here is that you can't do that anywhere else. Like, I come right out that one-way alley going the wrong way and the cop lifts up the thing so I can get under it. You can't do that everywhere.

Q. You've been around postseason baseball for a long, long time. This format being slightly new this year and all that, how do you like it? Do you have an opinion on it, or do you just play?

TERRY FRANCONA: I wish it was a one-game just because we won.

I think it's good. I think it's better. I think it's a more truer outcome. But then again it might hurt us. I hope it doesn't.

Just think you play 162 and then you play one and go home. That's rough. I think this is good for fans. I think it's more, a better measure in competitive balance than a one-game play-in.

Q. Quantrill was only half kidding about building a statute for José.

TERRY FRANCONA: Say it again.

Q. I said Quantrill was only half joking when he said you guys should start thinking about building a statute for José.

TERRY FRANCONA: I'm guessing some day they probably will. It might be a little premature now. He's got a few years left to go. But it wouldn't surprise me.

Q. Cash just brought up the José of 2014 and you've talked about this a million times of how nobody could have projected this. Back then what did you think his ceiling was? I know you don't want to ever put that on a guy.

TERRY FRANCONA: We try real hard never to do that. But, I mean, I remember just thinking, I remember first time he pinch ran and he led off, and I'm sitting there thinking, God dang, man, does he think he's invisible? Like, he had like a 20-foot lead, and he, what, stole second. I think he got thrown out at third. I mean, he was everywhere.

And he was a switch hitter, he could bunt, he could hit the ball all over the place, he could hit 300 in winter ball. Kind of ahead of his time. But I don't know if anybody saw this, and if they did, they're probably fibbing.

Q. What's the difference in your mindset before a playoff game, maybe your first one compared to how you get prepared now for one? What's changed with you?

TERRY FRANCONA: You know what, not much. I just, I remember going through the meetings in '04 and when we got done with the meetings feeling comfortable, like more comfortable than I thought I would because we had really had good meet things, I felt. And I was like, you know, once I think I'm situated, like I say, you don't know how the game's going to go, but once my stuff's ready to go I can relax and enjoy the game.

And I kind of feel the same way. Like, I mean, I, like I was telling you guys, I had anxiety against the Royals in the 9th inning because it's, I don't know, that's what we do. But I tend to probably enjoy this more because I know how hard the guys work. And there's no reason that they shouldn't embrace and enjoy what we're doing. Obviously if you win it's way better, I get that.

Q. Is there anything different about the Tampa Bay hitters yesterday from what you saw when they were here 10 days or so ago in terms of approach or anything?

TERRY FRANCONA: I don't think you can, I don't know if you can really do that. I mean, against a pitcher sometimes -- like I want to be careful. There's a real fine line between winning and losing or being smart and dumb. Like if José's ball doesn't go out, there's probably a segment of people who are going, Oh, the moment was too big for your young guys. Instead of, Hey, they're okay.

So you want to be a little careful and just kind of keep it in perspective that, you know, play the game the best you can and hopefully when it's over you're one run better.

Q. What's rare with young teams is how you guys play such mistake-free baseball often. In regards to running the bases, defensively. And I asked Cal earlier, he said even though he's not part of this organization from the beginning that it's preached from top to bottom. Do you see how that all sort of pays off now?

TERRY FRANCONA: Yeah, but we've been talking about it for a long time. You need the players that can do it.

I mean there were times last couple years where I was thinking, well we're not as good defensively as we need to be. But we couldn't do anything about it. It wasn't they weren't working, we just, the guys we had, that's who you have.

Fortunately, the kids that have gotten called up have all been pretty good defenders and willing to learn on the run so it's worked.