Indians select ex-Red Sox skipper Francona as new manager

Cleveland, OH, United States (NewsBahn) – It didn’t take Terry Francona very long to impress the brass of the Cleveland Indians.

A day after meeting with the team about its managerial job, the ex-Boston Red Sox manager was named to the post by the organization.

“We really enjoyed our visit with Terry,” Indians general manager Chris Antonetti wrote in an e-mail to MLB.com on Friday night. “We covered a wide array of topics and emerged from our conversations with a more in-depth understanding of his thoughts on managing and leadership.”

Francona helped the long-suffering franchise to a pair of World Series titles after decades of frustration and little sustained success.

The Indians, coming off a 68-94 season, are hoping Francona can work his magic in Cleveland, which has endured a similar dry spell as the Red Sox.

An official announcement is coming Monday, and Francona said he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s a good story. It’s almost a family feeling,” Francona said. “I don’t think you can take a job because of that, but it still means a lot to me. Because of Chris and Mark and my relationship [with them], I am excited to try to tackle, or attempt to tackle, every challenge that comes our way and do it together.”

---

---