John Farrell will begin chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma on Tuesday, and a close friend who also happens to be an opponent will be joining the Boston Red Sox manager for support.
Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe reports that Terry Francona, whose Cleveland Indians are in Boston for a three-game series, is accompanying Farrell to his first round of treatment. The two managers played together in Cleveland in 1988 and worked together for several seasons in the majors when Farrell was a pitching coach under Francona from 2007 to 2010.
“I have no doubt that he will beat the hell out of this, probably with one hand tied behind his back,” Francona told reporters last week after hearing the news about Farrell. “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.”
Farrell has been diagnosed with Stage One lymphoma, and doctors have assured him that the disease is highly curable. The cancer was actually discovered during a recent routine hernia surgery, so Farrell is fortunate doctors caught it early.
Francona’s decision to accompany Farrell has nothing to do with publicity. It speaks to the type of person the former Red Sox manager is. Regardless of how his tenure in Boston ended, Francona isn’t going to let anything get in the way of being there to support a friend.
