Cleveland Indians: Terry Francona Winning Management Battle
By Ryan Schultz
The reigning NL Manager of the Year is in the opposing dugout, but Terry Francona has been the best manager in the World Series. He’s put the Cleveland Indians two wins away from a championship with his win now attitude.
The Chicago Cubs seem to have everything on their side. They have a good farm system. They have a ton of young major league level talent. They have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. They have one of the best five closers in baseball. They have the guy baseball writers chose as the best manager in the National League last season. They have some of the smartest front office minds and one of the highest payrolls. The list could go on and on.
For the small market, low payroll Cleveland Indians it may seem like an insurmountable task to take down the Cubs. And yet, they have a 2-1 lead with at least one more game at home guaranteed. To some, it was shocking that the Indians even made it to the World Series. They were matched up against the mighty offenses of the Red Sox and Blue Jays on their way to the Series, and they didn’t even flinch. They’ve only lost two games this entire postseason.
Where has this come from? The Indians entered the postseason without two of their best starting pitchers, leaving the rotation in shambles behind Corey Kluber and a shaky Trevor Bauer. They added Andrew Miller to their bullpen, but there were still questions about their ability to hold the entire pitching staff together. The offense hasn’t been more lucky than any other team to reach the World Series in the past few years. So how have the Indians managed to get where they are, up 2-1 on the Chicago Cubs and just 2 wins away from a World Series Championship?
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One of the main reasons the Cleveland Indians have been so successful in the postseason is manager Terry Francona. While Joe Maddon attracts media attention with his zany antics and well-known ability to keep teams loose, Francona is happy to quietly make all the right decisions for his club.
He’s had the same strategy throughout the playoffs: let starters go 6 innings if possible, bring in Andrew Miller in the tough situations, and finish the game off with Cody Allen. It has worked masterfully, as Miller and Allen have combined to shut down every single opponent they’ve faced. Against the offenses of Boston, Toronto, and Chicago that’s not exactly an easy task to accomplish.
In no game was Francona’s intelligence and plan more evident than in game 3. He firmly believes that with Kluber on the mound, the Indians have a great chance to win. That meant they had to steal at least one of the other games. No time was it better to steal one than in game 3, the first home game for the Chicago Cubs in the World Series in 71 years.
He characteristically pulled Josh Tomlin when the Cubs were the closest to threatening to score in a 0-0 game. He brought in Andrew Miller for the 6th inning, despite Miller’s turn to bat coming soon on offense. In the next inning, that decision became crucial. Miller’s place in the lineup came up with runners on first and third with only a single out. Rather than have Miller attempt a bunt, something he hasn’t done hardly ever at all, he decided to end his best pitcher’s night in place of Coco Crisp as a pinch hitter. Crisp promptly dropped one into right field, and the Indians scored the first run of the game.
He could have kept Miller in, knowing that he was shutting the Cubs down. He could’ve punted on that scoring opportunity, counting on another one coming around later in a close game. He could’ve chosen pitching over a scoring opportunity. But he didn’t. He has characteristically had a “go for it now” attitude throughout the playoffs. It has payed off in huge ways for the Cleveland Indians.
In contrast to Francona’s “right now” attitude, Maddon saved Kyle Schwarber for a later inning despite having a runner in scoring position with two outs. Schwarber did bat, but with nobody on base. He softly lined out to the second baseman. Regardless of the outcome, it seemed like Maddon was hoping for a better situation to use Schwarber later in the game rather than using the opportunities given to him. By no means is Maddon stupid for the decision he made, but his thinking so starkly contrasted Francona’s thinking in game 3.
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In the postseason, where each game carries so much weight, an attitude like Francona has can be incredibly valuable. Over a long season, those “wait for a better situation” or hoping for a big inning can work out. In the postseason, it’s all about taking the opportunities given. Terry Francona has perfectly embodied that attitude, and it’s the reason the Cleveland Indians are giving the mighty Chicago Cubs a run for their money in this series.