Review: Cleveland Guardians fans will find plenty in Terry Francona documentary on MLBN

For the baseball fan “Tito: The Terry Francona Story” is an entertaining diversion, but for Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians fans, it may be baseball heaven.

Not “Field of Dreams” kind of heaven, but fans have never shy about wanting to revel in the glory of their teams and there’s plenty here for Boston and Guardians fans to enjoy when it premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday on the MLB Network.

Of course, with two World Series championships courtesy of Francona’s managerial skills the Sox fans may be more wistful courtesy of the trip down Memory Lane when they won titles in 2004 and 2007, but Guardians fans will likely say, despite the lack of championships, Francona’s time as skipper of the organization has been special because he’s helped create a culture where a team, even the youngest squad in baseball last season, can win, as did the Guardians in taking the American League Central Division in 2022.

While those fans will appreciate how heavily the filmmakers lean on the actual game aspects, the documentary is just as fascinating when dealing with how the game has affected Francona.

Guardians’ fans have been aware of health issues Francona has faced in recent years, but it’s rarely heard why. Francona is still paying the price for his love of the game as the problems – blood clots – have come courtesy of past surgeries related to his playing days.

It adds a certain level of familiarity and intimacy to Francona’s story that goes beyond his having spent significant time in Cleveland as a child when his father played for the Indians. It goes a little bit further than the testimonials heard and given the lineup of individuals who sing Francona’s praises, that says something.

From the Red Sox days: pitcher Curt Schilling, former Red Sox and Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein and others. From the Guardians: outfielder Steven Kwan, pitcher Triston McKenzie and Guardians front office gurus president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff. They all paint a portrait of a man who is baseball.

However, throughout the documentary’s moments dealing with his time in Cleveland, it gives the impression that Cleveland is home, something that will make a Guardians fans’ heart beat faster.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to manage again,” Francona said at one point after parting ways with the Red Sox back in 2011.

Moments later he adds: “I just knew I wanted to be in a place where I loved working.”

Francona is indeed home.

George M. Thomas dabbles in movies and television for the Beacon Journal.

Review

Movie: “Tito: The Terry Francona Story”

When: 8 p.m., Sunday

Where: MLB Network

Running time: 90 minutes

Grade: B

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Review: MLB Network documentary looks at humble Terry Francona