Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona is nearing the end of his career.
He has had his fair share of health-related scares in recent seasons, including missing large portions of the 2020 and 2021 campaigns with gastrointestinal problems and multiple surgeries and having to step away from the team for a few days in 2023 after feeling light-headed ahead of a game with the Kansas City Royals.
Francona is 64, but his body has been through a lot and he has suggested in recent days that it’s time for him to step aside and retire.
He hasn’t made things official yet, but it appears to be a league-wide assumption that he will call it a career after the 2023 season.
Fans are also getting ready for that moment and will be rocking shirts thanking him for all his contributions over the years.
“Tito has not officially announced retirement but ‘Thank you, Tito’ shirts will be handed out to the first 20,000 fans at the last home game on Wednesday. There will be a video tribute to Tito and upper deck seats will be on sale for $11 in honor of Tito’s 11 seasons in Cleveland,” Guardians insider Mandy Bell tweeted.
Tito has not officially announced retirement but “Thank you, Tito” shirts will be handed out to the first 20,000 fans at the last home game on Wednesday. There will be a video tribute to Tito and upper deck seats will be on sale for $11 in honor of Tito’s 11 seasons in Cleveland.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) September 20, 2023
If the team will be handing out “Thank you, Tito” shirts, then the message is very clear: the man will get a much-needed and much-deserved retirement.
Francona won two World Series with the Boston Red Sox and was one game away from getting one with the Guardians.
He also won three Manager of the Year awards and turned some limited teams into contenders, becoming one of the few managers to really give an organization an important competitive edge.
His excellent managerial record of 1,946-1,666 (.539) speaks for itself.
NEXT: Shane Bieber Looks Strong In Latest Rehab Outing
