Terry Francona has seemingly enjoyed his time as manager of the Guardians and will miss the city of Cleveland when he steps away from managing the team after the 2023 season ends on Sunday.
But one thing Francona won’t likely miss is the way his beloved scooter has been treated over the past year, including someone who allegedly defecated on it.
It’s no secret that Francona rides his scooter to work every day, and Cleveland denizens left it well enough alone on the street.
That was until two incidents this year.
In January, it was stolen, according to The Athletic, but luckily, police recovered it and returned it to the seasoned baseball manager.
However, a second instance didn’t turn out so well for Francona’s scooter.
The Guardians manager told reporters on Wednesday that it had been swiped 10 days prior, according to the Associated Press.
He added that whoever took the scooter made it look as if “they took a baseball bat to it.”
His scooter was not only damaged, but the thief left his mark on it.
“They defecated on it,” Francona told The Athletic. “I told the police when I talked to them, ‘If they bring back the death penalty…’”
Francona said he was parking his scooter two blocks away from Progressive Field and had gone untouched for most of his 10-year tenure, with the locals knowing who it belonged to.
The bizarre incident has led Francona to start riding a different electric scooter, which naturally resulted in another odd instance.
While riding that, Francona hit a pothole while riding home one night and went over the handlebars, sending his flip-flop flying and his dinner spilling across the street.
“I went over the handlebars,” Francona said, “I mean over. It’s amazing how much you can see of your life in that moment.”
Francona, who has not officially announced his retirement yet, likely managed his final home game at Progressive Field on Wednesday — a 4-3 win over the Reds.
The Guardians will wrap up their season this weekend with a three-game set against the Tigers.