'This has been a good year for me.' New Reds manager Terry Francona discusses his health

Days before the news that former Cleveland Guardians manager Terry "Tito" Francona would be the new manager of the Cincinnati Reds , Francona appeared on the "Pitch and Moan" podcast from Audacy's "Baseball Isn't Boring," and discussed topics including his health, his future and more.

Last October, Francona said he was stepping away from MLB after 11 seasons in Cleveland, and he underwent surgeries to replace his right shoulder and repair a double hernia. And in 2017, he underwent a cardiac ablation for an irregular heartbeat.

The three-time American League Manager of the Year won World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007, and ranks 13th in MLB history in wins as a manager.

"I'm doing fine," Francona told Courtney Finnicum on the podcast. "I'm actually like a year removed from any surgeries, which is always a good thing. And being away from the game, I was able to kinda watch my diet a little. Things that you don't do when you're kinda going 24/7. I had lost some much needed weight. Probably have a ways to go there, but still, it helps you feel better. So I feel good, which is a nice feeling for once. Because there was a couple years there where it was kinda hard. I was kinda dragging my leg around, or worried about my heart. So it feels good to be I think trending in the right direction. … I've tried hard. It's not fun. It's way more fun doing the things that you do to put weight on than it is to take it off. … This has been a good year for me. And much needed. And really enjoyable. … I got to see my grandkids, you know, not at the baseball field. It was a big decision, but I think it was necessary. And I'm glad I did it."

Francona suggested during the podcast that he hadn't figured out what he wanted to do next.

"I'm not evading. I don't know. I'm trying to figure out how busy I want to be," Francona said. "I think to be a Major League manager, you've got to be all in, to do it the right way. And that's what I was fighting a couple years ago. And I think a lot of it was to do with my health. But I didn't want to short change anybody. So that's the conversation I guess I'm having with myself right now is how busy do you want - because I love the game. Like I didn't leave the game because I got fired or because I didn't like it. I just didn't feel like I was doing the job appropriately. I'm trying to figure that out now myself. Do I maybe go back to the minor-leagues and help out? I don't know. There are things that get me excited. I just - I need to figure that out. And I'm trying to.

"I gotta be careful. Because when you're a manager for as long as I was, you want to do things a certain way. And then when it's done differently, it's hard to - you get a little stubborn. And you're like wait a minute, I think the game's gotta be played a certain way. And when it's not, it bothers me so much that I gotta keep an eye on that."

Francona added that he watched a lot of baseball during his year off "for enjoyment purposes" and "kind of liked it."

"I do think Major League Baseball does a really good job," Francona said. "I mean all the rule changes that have come into effect. I was panicked about it, and I was the typical old guy that had done it one way, and I was panicked. But I learned over the years - they don't throw stuff against the wall. They really do do a good job. And you're not always gonna agree with everything. I mean, you're not really supposed to. But I also think if it's good for the game, and if it's good for the fans, we the people in uniform need to suck it up sometimes and just make the best of it. Because we're trying to better our game. That's the whole idea."

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'This has been a good year for me.' New Reds manager Terry Francona discusses his health