“He’s real,” Torre said on Monday. “He’s a lifer. He loves the game. I played on the same team with his dad back in the 60s. Automatically, I became close with Terry. You couldn’t tell one day to the next. He hates to lose like the rest of us. He’s excited about the game of baseball. I’ve always admired that. I’m happy to say he’s a friend.”
Francona responded to Torre’s text message right away.
Francona has downplayed the 2,000 win milestone that he reached on Sunday. But at All-Star Week in Atlanta, his impact around the game has been undeniable. All over, there are people with strong connections to Francona.
It starts with National League All-Star manager Dave Roberts, the current Dodgers skipper who played for Francona in Boston.
Torre is here as an honorary coach on the American League team.
Former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is on the pre and post-game show on FOX.
On Monday afternoon, Ortiz was rushing between assignments. He had just gotten off the FOX desk before the Home Run Derby and was heading to another appearance. When he’s asked by a reporter for his thoughts on Francona’s 2000th win, Ortiz puts his arm around the reporter, tells him to walk with him and ensures that he gets an answer.
“It means a lot to me,” Ortiz said. “Terry is like a father to me. Watching him get his 2,000th win, I feel like I’m a part of it.”
Another one of Francona’s top former players is starting for the National League team at shortstop. When former Cleveland Guardians shortstop Francisco Lindor broke into MLB in 2015, Francona was his manager.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“I’m super happy for him and to be able to say that he was my manager,” Lindor said. “He gave me a lot of freedom to become Francisco Lindor. He’s one of the best. He’s a Hall of Fame manager. I’m sure he’s going to continue to win a lot of games.”
Francona learned lessons from managing Lindor that he can apply to Elly De La Cruz. Those are the only two active All-Star shortstops that have ever been on a team managed by Francona.
“(Lindor) is a very smart baseball player,” Francona said. “He has all the tools, but he’s a very smart baseball player and a very smart kid. I remember watching him early on. We had a day game after a night game. He’d always be out there with a strength and conditioning coach with the ladder. He’s getting the blood flowing. He’d drag some people out there with him. This is a kid. I remember thinking, he’s trying to do the right thing every day.”
Current Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said that he would have loved to see Francona get his 2,000th win in Cleveland. Similar to Lindor, Kwan’s development into a star player began under Francona’s tutelage.
Kwan has become one of the most consistent players in baseball. He’s hitting .285 and playing stellar defense.
“It’s awesome,” Kwan said. “Seeing him do his thing — inspiring players — he’s so good at that. He deserves it. If it’s up to him, he’ll probably go for another 1,000 wins if he can. He loves the game. You can feel that when you’re playing for him. It’s not a job for him. It’s a passion.”
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