The two Cleveland coaches aren’t best friends. They don’t talk every day. Bickerstaff even admits he doesn’t love baseball. But there’s mutual respect.
And Francona, whose magical managerial run officially ended on Sunday afternoon with a Guardians loss in Detroit, has become a mentor and sounding board for Bickerstaff.A week before the Cavs’ first-round series opener against the Knicks, Bickerstaff reached out to Francona for advice. In the aftermath of Cleveland’s non-competitive playoff ouster, as Bickerstaff was trying to pick up the pieces of a shattered season ending, Francona was there to help. Again.
The Guardians used their 2023 home finale Wednesday night at Progressive Field to celebrate Francona’s iconic career -- nearly 10 years as a player followed by two decades as manager in Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland. Francona has two World Series rings and three American League Manager of the Year trophies. With 921 regular-season victories, Francona is the winningest and longest-tenured manager in Cleveland baseball history.
“We talked about relationships, playoff moments and preparation, even civic engagement. He was open to whatever discussions were needed,” Bickerstaff said. “I was just trying to learn from his experiences. There are so many moments and things he has seen that I have not. Won at the highest level. Been deep in the postseason. Just understands the psyche of the moment. Just understands the psyche of players, yourself and fans.
“To see somebody sustain a career the way he has is impressive. People who know the game, are in the game, not in the game, if you just listen and watch how they respect him and the things they say about him, I just have such an appreciation for that,” Bickerstaff said. “There are certain people who are bigger than their sport. Tito was one of those guys. He deserves all the praise. The job isn’t easy.
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