‘I’ve Never Seen That’: Elly de La Cruz' Extraordinary Spring Training Wowing Terry Francona

‘You know [how] they say you may see something when you come to a game you never seen before? I’ve never seen that,’ Francona said of De La Cruz.

Elly De La Cruz (44) of the Cincinnati Reds poses for a portrait during photo day at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 18, 2025. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

When you think of baseball lifers, Terry Francona is one of the first names that comes to mind. He’s in his first year as manager of the Cincinnati Reds but Francona has been around Major League Baseball, literally, his entire life, as he is the son of 15-year MLB veteran, Tito Francona.

The younger Francona has been employed in MLB since 1981 as either a player, coach, manager, or within the front office of various teams. But on Tuesday, he saw something he had never seen previously in his 45 years in MLB.