BOSTON: Indians manager Terry Francona has won two World Series rings. He’s also guided the Indians to within one win of advancing to the American League Championship Series.
But to hear him say it, his proudest moment in baseball came just prior to Game 1 of this American League Division Series, when he could announce the formation of the Larry Doby Youth Fund, which was quickly put together by the Indians leading up to the series.
The organization formed the fund within a couple of days this past week to benefit underserved inner-city kids and included an opening donation of $1 million dollars. On Thursday, Francona announced it in a press conference. He later revealed how nervous he was and how important it was to him.
“I think it was the proudest moment I’ve had in my entire baseball life,” Francona said. “I couldn’t believe — I was trying not to get emotional. I was having a hard time because it meant so much to me. I don’t think there’s another team where you could do that.”
It all came to be in part as the result of conversations Francona often had with policemen standing around the dugouts at Indians home and road games, and the things he heard about kids in the inner cities. One conversation in Chicago stuck with him, along with what he saw on TV.
“You turn on the TV and you see so much that — these kids in the inner city, they have no chance,” Francona said. “How are they supposed to be the next generation when they’re not getting an education or they’re either scared to get an education or they go to school and they’re afraid they’re going to get shot? Somebody has to start caring about them. I don’t understand it.”
Francona spoke with a few players and it grew. Every player, front office executive, clubhouse guy and trainer donated, as well as owner Paul Dolan. Part of the deal to do it was that there would be no overhead. Dolan and five selected players will act as the oversight committee to determine where the money goes and how much. How the club came together is part of what made Francona emotional.
“Just the way that the guys rallied together and did it,” he said. “That’s not an easy thing to do. And it’s not my place to tell guys how to spend their money. I don’t think that’s fair. I told them, ‘Hey, there’s no wrong here.’ I just think we’re in a position where we can do some good, and they were incredible. I mean incredible.”
In a way, this is the Indians’ gesture toward an always present social issue.
“In the course of conversations, talking to Coco [Crisp] and [Rajai Davis] about it, I just wanted to see how they felt about it,” Francona said. “One thing led to another and I thought, what a way for us to be unified into doing something constructive, kind of putting our money where our mouth is.”
Needing three
The Indians hold a commanding 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series over the Boston Red Sox, but in a five-game series, a strong advantage can slip away quickly. That’s how the Indians are viewing Sunday’s Game 3 at Fenway Park.
“I think it’s really cool because of the situation we’re in, but we can’t get complacent and we’re not,” Game 3 starter Josh Tomlin said Saturday in Boston. “It’s about going out there and handling our business [Sunday], trying to win a game and not let them back in it. We know how good they are and so we can’t get complacent and just kind of go through the motions and expect to win.”
The Indians don’t want to allow baseball’s best lineup to get into a rhythm.
“That’s not a monster you want to wake over there,” Jason Kipnis said after Game 2. “That offense can be scary and intimidating even when they’re not getting hits. You give credit to our staff these first two games, with how well they’ve done. When you have a chance to knock out a team early, you don’t waste any time. You do it. You don’t want to let them get their footing or let them feel at home. If you get a chance to end it, you end it.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ