CLEVELAND (AP) – Indians manager Terry Francona said he was physically “wiped out” by a season that ended way too soon.
Francona met with reporters on Friday, two days after Cleveland was eliminated from the postseason by the New York Yankees, who rallied from an 0-2 deficit to stun the defending AL champions in the Division Series.
Francona said the sudden, stunning conclusion was disappointing in a different way than in 2016 when the Indians went to Game 7 of the World Series. Francona conceded “we didn’t play our best baseball” and said he’s still coming to grips with all that went wrong for Cleveland in the series.
The 58-year-old Francona said he was challenged physically to get through the season after undergoing a heart procedure in July. He’s determined to get stronger this winter and fully intends to manage in 2018.
In the meantime, he said the stinging finish hurts and he’ll only feel better “when baseball is over.”