Francona exceeded Indians' expectations, happy to stay in Cleveland

Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – The Indians hired Terry Francona to help turn around their franchise in 2013. Since then he's led the Tribe to three-straight division titles, an American League Pennant and the leagues best record (547-427) over the past six seasons.

The Indians rewarded Francona with a two-year contract extension on Wednesday. He's now under contract through the 2022 season. 

"We had exceedingly high expectations when we hired Tito and the unbelievable thing is as high as those expectations were – he's gone on to exceed those everyday," Chris Antonetti said on Wednesday. "In those moments when we're struggling or we're facing challenges or there are those moments of adversity – that's when Tito is at his best. He's always helping us find a way to make it better."

Chris Antonetti “couldn’t be more excited” to keep Terry Francona around. He says an extension for Tito was at the top of their offseason to do list #Indians pic.twitter.com/nAaaud80LY

Antonetti admitted an extension was near the top of the Indians' offseason to-do list. Francona will be headed to Cooperstown once his career ends. He continues to build a resume that already includes two World Series Championships and over 1,500 wins. That number will continue to rise. Tito could end up having a longer run in Cleveland than any of his other stops as a manager. He wouldn't have it any other way. 

"I have no ambition to ever work somewhere else," Francona said. "There's going to come a time when I can't do this job the way I want to because of age. That may happen at some point, but I don't have any ambition to ever go somewhere else and that's because of the people here."

The Indians have one of the best managers in baseball. Some may criticize ownership or the moves the front office made this offseason, but it was clear on Wednesday that Francona is on the same page as the rest of the organization. Tito praised the Indians for the patience and their ability to see the good in people. 

"I don't think the guys above where I am get the credit that they deserve. I know it starts with them and it trickles down and we take our lead from them," Francona said. "Ownership has a big say when you sign contracts like this, so obviously I'm appreciative of that. I love working here. We're going to get challenged. I'm not afraid of that. We're going to try to figure things out together. Hopefully we do a good job of it – sometimes we struggle, but we're going to do it together and I enjoy doing that with people that I really care about."

This extension means Tito could finish his career in Cleveland. He was asked about potentially going through a rebuild at some point and simply said his goal is to be part of the solution. Francona understood the moves this offseason. He's also aligned with the front office and ownership. That's a great sign for those who worry about the team collapsing over the next few seasons. 

Francona and the Indians are all-in on reaching their goals together. Tito might not be the power bat you were looking for, but he's more important.

The Indians are keeping their Hall of Fame manager for two more seasons. It's a good day at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.