Francona on ASG staff: 'It's such an honor'

When Terry Francona was offered a spot on Kevin Cash’s coaching staff for the upcoming All-Star Game, Cash gave his longtime friend an out.

“I know you’d probably rather go home,” Cash said. “You don’t have to answer me now.”

Francona took about five minutes during their phone call to give his answer. He couldn’t say no to something like this.

“It’s such an honor,” Francona said. “Even just the fact that I get to sit there and watch Cashie and [Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, formerly with the Indians] and his guys do their thing. I really will take in a lot of pleasure in that.”

Cash, the manager of the defending American League champions, goes way back with Francona: Cash spent 2007-08 with the Red Sox while Francona was managing there, and in 2012, he joined the Indians' staff as the bullpen coach.

Three years later, Cash (then 37) left for the Rays and became the youngest active manager in the Majors. Moving not just teams but divisions has meant Cash sees Francona far less than before. But they’ll reunite on the same staff in Denver next week.

“We knew when we hired him in Cleveland we were gonna lose him,” Francona said of Cash. “When you get people like that, you know you’re gonna lose them. And it’s kind of bittersweet. You’re really happy for the guy, but at the same time, he’s one of my best friends in the whole world and you miss him. But I’m happy for him.”

Francona has had his turn managing the AL All-Star team twice (2005, 2008), and would’ve done so a third time if not for a heart procedure in 2017.

He remembers feeling like the game went by really fast, because there are so many players to use and only so many innings to use them -- and it was his responsibility to orchestrate that. But sometimes, that’s not the main issue -- like at the 2008 Midsummer Classic that lasted 15 innings.

“That was kind of agony,” Francona said. “We were about an inning away from pitching [former Red Sox outfielder] J.D. Drew, which wouldn’t have been good.”

This year, Francona’s role is different, and he’s good with that. He’s just happy to be part of the event.

“I did nothing to earn this,” Francona said. “[Cash and his staff] earned the right to run this game. My association is through Cashie, and I’m honored that they asked me. But they earned it. And I will take a lot of enjoyment in watching them do their thing.”