Terry Francona and John Farrell have more ties to each other than just being managers of the Boston Red Sox. So when Francona, now the Indians manger, heard of Farrell’s lymphoma diagnosis, he immediately offered his support.
"I have no doubt that he will beat the hell out of this ... probably with one hand tied behind his back," Francona said, via Cleveland.com. "He's so upbeat and he's such a tough guy. And he has so many people who care about him. I honestly feel like he will come through this with flying colors."
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Farrell, Francona’s pitching coach in Boston from 2007-10 and Francona’s teammate with the Indians in the late 1980s, said his Stage 1 lymphoma is highly curable.
Francona put in a call to his longtime friend after hearing the news and will have the chance to talk with Farrell face-to-face early next week when the Indians travel to Boston for a three-game set with the Red Sox.
"I'm glad we're going to go through Boston in a couple of days because I'd like to see him,” Francona said. “He really sounded good when I talked to him … Like I said, if having a lot of people root for you has anything to do with it, he'll kick this thing's butt."