Terry Francona decided in October that he’s returning as manager of the Cleveland Guardians in 2023. He may need to find a new ride to the ballpark this spring.
According to an Associated Press and ESPN report, Francona’s scooter was stolen outside his Cleveland apartment over the weekend. Per the report, “Tito” travels from his downtown apartment to Progressive Field on game days via the scooter.
The report said that police have been made aware of the theft, which occurred either late Friday night or early Saturday. Although Francona spends his offseasons in Arizona, he was in Ohio over the weekend for “Guards Fest” — the team’s annual winter fan festival — and noticed that his transportation was missing.
According to the report, the 63-year-old two-time World Series champion manager has used a scooter to get to the Guardians’ home park “in recent years.”
A former first-round draft pick of the Montreal Expos and 10-year pro, Francona managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997 through 2000, before spending his most prominent days in the dugout with the Boston Red Sox from 2004 through 2011. He won both of his World Series titles with Boston — helping the franchise end the “Curse of the Bambino” in 2004 — and has been with Cleveland since 2013, earning an AL pennant in 2016.
“Tito” has won three AL Manager of the Year Awards with Cleveland, including in 2022.
