Francona: 2017 season left me 'pretty wiped out'
A hard ending to the Cleveland Indians' 2017 season was the capper on an already difficult campaign for Terry Francona.
In the aftermath of the club being ousted in five games by the New York Yankees, Francona revealed this season has taken a huge toll on him from a physical standpoint and left him "pretty wiped out" heading into the winter.
"This is the most wiped out I've ever been after a season physically," Francona told reporters, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. "When I go home, whenever that is, I need to make a concerted effort in getting stronger."
Indeed, 2017 hasn't been a smooth ride for Francona from a health standpoint. Earlier this season the 58-year-old left a pair of games after feeling lightheaded in the dugout and subsequently had to miss a few more contests while in hospital. Then in July, Francona underwent heart surgery and was forced to miss the All-Star Game; Indians bench coach Brad Mills managed the AL All-Stars in his place.
Francona vowed on Friday he'll use the offseason to refresh and return to the Indians "stronger" than ever before.
"I don't mean stronger as in looking good in the lobby stronger," he continued. "I have a responsibility to do something here. I feel at times I leaned on Millsie (Brad Mills) and some of the coaches too much. It's supposed to be the other way around.
"So I need to get a little stronger so I can uphold my responsibilities here because that's not good."