Francona, 65, resigned last October after 11 seasons at the helm of Cleveland. He won a franchise-record 921 games and led the Guardians to the playoffs six times, setting a winning record in nine seasons between 2013 and 2023. His Cleveland teams won four division titles and he led the club to the American League pennant and the World Series in 2016, which fell to the Cubs in seven games.

A three-time AL Manager of the Year with Cleveland, Francona won two World Series championships in eight seasons as manager of the Red Sox and spent four tumultuous years as manager of the Phillies in the late 1990s.

In late August 2023, Francona confirmed that he was considering quitting at the end of the Guardians’ season. The club distributed 20,000 “Thanks Tito” T-shirts to fans who attended Cleveland’s final home game, when Francona, ironically, took the curtain call following a 4-3 Guardians win over the Reds.

“I just think the timing is good,” Francona said. “I’m just physically challenged and (it’s hard) to do this job right or the way I want to do it… I don’t want to shortchange anyone.” I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I just think the timing is good. I mean, I worked on it for a couple of months during the season. It’s not like I came to this conclusion overnight.”

When Francona resigned, the Guardians announced that he would play a role in the club’s further development. The 2024 Guardians media guide lists Francona as a “special adviser.”

Francona’s ties to Cleveland and Cincinnati are strong. He played in 102 games as a first baseman and outfielder for Cincinnati in 1987 before spending the 1988 season with Cleveland. Buddy Bell, a friend and former Cincinnati teammate, hired Francona as first base coach when Bell took over as manager of the Detroit Tigers in 1996.

The Reds fired David Bell, Buddy’s son, on September 22 after six seasons as coach, giving Francona the opportunity to take over.

Francona, a native of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, grew up playing the game alongside his father, Tito, and spent six seasons in Cleveland for the club that was still known as the Indians. He attended the University of Arizona and won the Golden Spikes Award as the top college baseball player in 1980 before the Montreal Expos selected him with their top pick (No. 22 overall) in that year’s June draft.

Known for his easy-going interactions with players and media, Francona quickly became a fan favorite in Cleveland after leading the club to a Wild Card appearance in his first season. His penchant for chewing gum and riding to the ballpark on his scooter – affectionately known as “the Pig” – endeared him to the Progressive Field faithful and set the stage for countless fan encounters that have become the stuff of legend are.