AL DIVISION SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 11, 2022

Terry Francona

Yankee Stadium

Cleveland Guardians

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. Not in this particular Yankee Stadium, but you've won some pretty big ballgames here in the playoffs. What's it like for you to come back here with this team as an underdog going against the Yankees in this stadium?

TERRY FRANCONA: Somebody asked me something similar yesterday about like memories and stuff. I have certain memories of being here that are really good, like the All-Star Game.

But as far as coming back, like we stay in the moment pretty good. I mean, we're excited to play a really good team in a really -- you're playing in New York, you kind of look like you're the only game in town. It's going to be packed. It's going to be loud. It's a great atmosphere. So we are excited about that. That's probably what I think about, not 15 years ago or however many years ago. I just kind of get excited about what we're trying to do now.

Q. Taking absolutely nothing away from Franke Lindor who is a superstar, but after some of the growing pains that Amed and Andres have had the last couple years, would you agree that that trade is looking better and better from a Cleveland point of view as we go on?

TERRY FRANCONA: Oh, man, I mean, we love those two guys. I don't want to go in the back-and-forth of a trade that -- I love Frankie; always will. There's reasons things happen. We love our two guys. They have been tremendous, and that's -- that was a couple years ago.

Q. Two-part question.

TERRY FRANCONA: Go slow. (Laughter).

Q. Yesterday, I saw the transcript, about the offensive approach you guys have. When did you realize that would be the best way for you guys to build runs? And did you ever worry about the guys falling off that approach in the short sample size of the playoffs?

TERRY FRANCONA: I mean, a lot of times, good pitching, regardless of what you're trying to do, can make it difficult. We saw that with Tampa.

I think as a staff, our job is to take what we have and try to put them in the best position to succeed. You know, if you have guys that hit the ball 500 feet, you let them. You know, you don't run into outs on the bases. If you have guys that hit singles and doubles and that can run, you ask them to do that and you let them run. That's what we try to do.

Q. Eight of the Top 10 teams in homers made the playoffs this year. Do you think the game has swung so far in that direction that teams don't actively try to emulate what you guys are doing?

TERRY FRANCONA: Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I have my hands full managing this team, and not that I don't enjoy it, but it's -- I don't know.

Again, you kind of take who you have, and you try to put them in the best position where you think you can succeed. Like when we had Franmil, we didn't ask Franmil to steal. He wanted him to hit the ball out of the ballpark. So it's kind of who you have.

Q. Jose Ramirez's stats jump out and they have for years. What is his role in helping what is obviously a very young roster both on and off the field? What's most impressive to you about how he's grown?

TERRY FRANCONA: I don't think there is anything that doesn't impress me about what he's done. I mean, I've tried to say it different ways, because I get why people want to know. But he checks every box. Every box. And even with his limited English, he transcends and he can touch everybody in the clubhouse, and in a good way.

And he's helped me probably more than he'll ever know. Like he and Amed early in spring training kind of knew that, okay, if we are going to survive here, this is how we're going to have to play. We can't throw the bats and balls out and think that we are going to be in this thing.

And I said, Jose, "I'm not comfortable yelling at some kid to run."

He goes, "I got you."

It was like a 30-second meeting. And he plays with his fans on fire, and he's also intelligent, because one without the other doesn't really help.

When your best couple players do that, kind of makes it easier.

Q. How did you see Trevor Stephan adapt as the season went along for you and how big was the third pitch for him?

TERRY FRANCONA: We actually kind of early in the season put him in some pretty high-leverage situations just because we were really young. And even though it was a shortened spring training, he was throwing the ball really well coming out of spring training.

The split early in the season helped a ton, especially against left-handers. Then I think, like a lot of people, kind of fell in love with it, and then he kind of lost it a little bit. But he's come back, like good pitchers, good players do, make adjustments. He's been really good for us. This kid, as you know, he was Rule 5'd a couple years ago and now he's pitching a lot of games in the 8th inning. That's pretty impressive. He's done a good job for us.

Q. How would you describe the identity of this team?

TERRY FRANCONA: I think they did a good job of not backing down from challenges. I think they care more about how everybody in the room feels, as opposed to maybe how everybody else feels, which is a good thing.

You know what they are? For the most part, they really are a lot of kids in there, but they are really good kids. And then the veterans we have, you know what? They are really good veterans. It's a fun group to be around, to compete with. Because when you tell them something once, pretty much gets done. And even though they are young, there's not a lot of babysitting, which we appreciate.

Q. Following on that, you've got the youngest team in the League. Do you have any concerns about your guys keeping their composure or if things go sideways, being on the big stage in the stadium in a hostile crowd tonight?

TERRY FRANCONA: I didn't until you brought it up (laughter).

No, I think we'll be okay. Again, there's a fine line. Like somebody was asking me that the other day in Cleveland. And I was like, you know, there's a fine line between -- we won a game in 15 innings. If we had lost that game, the narrative was probably, well, they were too young to score, as opposed to, we played long enough to find a way to win.

So we just kind of ask them, hey, just show up. Remember who we are. Play the game the way you know how and then we'll see if we're good enough.

Q. Can you talk about Quantrill's development? The Padres brought him up, drafted him. What happened here after the trade?

TERRY FRANCONA: We wanted him to be a starter, and he had a pretty -- he didn't have a very good spring. But I think by his own account, he'd probably admit that.

So we start him out in the bullpen and we were kind of going back and forth. We had a June where we could not even find enough starters, and he was going back and forth. When he finally went to the starting rotation, it kind of solidified -- he solidified where he belongs, and ever since then, he's been really consistent for us.

Q. Emmanuel Clase, obviously he's turned into a great closer for you guys. His demeanor seems so calm and icy, and even-keeled. I'm wondering if he's always like that or is that just what we see on the mound?

TERRY FRANCONA: No, you've got a good read. I think it was last year -- this kid, he doesn't have a whole lot of experience. A couple times last year, we saw where the game kind of sped up, but like good players, as you gain experience, you slow it down.

But he does a really good job of -- I agree with what you're saying. It's good. It's what you're looking for.

Q. Just thinking about the question about Quantrill, Clase Gimenez, Rosario, those are all guys your front office went out and got by trading veterans. How confident are you in those guys that when you have to make tough decisions, they are going to bring back impact guys to keep this thing going?

TERRY FRANCONA: Are you talking about Chris and Chernie and his guys? The local, the Cleveland people, know I probably wouldn't be working if it wasn't for the people that I work for. I respect them and enjoy them and I know what they do.

They do a really good job of explaining to me, like coming into this year, hey, this is kind of where we're at here. It gives me a chance to adapt and kind of then talk to the coaches so we don't get off -- we stay on line and keep our direction, however you want to say it. They are the best. They are the best people you could ever work for.