CLEVELAND -- Terry Francona, Indians manager, is resigning for the remainder this season in order to address some lingering medical issues.Francona, 62 years old, has worn a boot on his right leg all season since he had to have toe surgery in February for a staph infection. A hip problem is also affecting him and will need surgery.Francona, the Boston Red Sox's two-time World Series champion manager, is now out of action for the second consecutive year. Due to a serious stomach issue, he was unable to manage 14 games in 2020. He spent weeks in Cleveland Clinic.Francona was admitted to hospital with blood clotting problems. He was transferred to intensive care.Francona will be focusing on his health while DeMarlo Hale, bench coach, takes over interim. Mike Sarbaugh, third base coach, will replace Hale. Kyle Hudson, assistant coach will be moving to third.Francona was replaced by Sandy Alomar, former Indians All-Star catcher and first base coach.Francona, one of the most beloved and respected managers in baseball, is currently in his ninth season with Cleveland. Francona has a winning record every year and is just five wins away from the Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau (728), for the most wins in team-history.Francona was the Indians' World Series champion in 2016, when they lost seven to the Chicago Cubs. The longest baseball drought is currently in Cleveland, which has not won the title since 1948.Francona's news continues a rough week for the Indians. They have been plagued by injuries that have hampered their playoff hopes. In the AL Central, Cleveland is 8 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox.The Indians traded Cesar Hernandez, second baseman, to the White Sox on Thursday. This signal shows that they are focusing their attention on improving their roster for future.Francona was ill with a severe head cold that he got on a recent road trip. He missed two games this week. Many Indians fans were upset when the team announced that they would be changing their name from Indians to Guardians in 2022.Francona passionately spoke about his love of the organization after the announcement. His father, Tito played for the Indians between 1959 and 1964.
