Matt Underwood doubts Sandy Alomar will replace Tito Francona, declines to share who might

CANTON TWP. - Matt Underwood's on-camera appearance is along the lines of a well-maintained Lexus that just came out of the car wash, dried.

Perhaps Underwood tells the story of identifying with two Ohio hometowns — sleepy Ashland and up-all-night Steubenville — to convery the message that, while he is polite perhaps to a fault, he's really just one of the guys.

At 55, Underwood has been around as a Cleveland Guardians baseball voice and he attracted a packed house Monday for his appearance at the Hall of Fame Luncheon Club.

Underwood played quarterback in the 1980s at Ashland High School, where fights did not break out in the stands. His parents grew up in the smash-mouth football/factory town, Steubenville.

One of his leadoff stories Monday was about his grandpa showing him around the Ohio River city. There was gramps, guiding little Matt into a back room thick with cigar smoke — an illegal bookie joint.

In keeping with his youth, Underwood's entertaining talk was a mix of things.

Of course he touched on Terry "Tito" Francona's anticipated exit as manager.

Right off the bat during question-answer, someone asked if first-base coach Sandy Alomar will replace Francona.

"Sandy and I are about the same age," Underwood said. "Sandy has been an interim manager. He's also been interviewed by other clubs. I don't think Sandy has any designs on wanting to be the manager.

"Should he be considered? I think so, absolutely. I don't know that that's necessarily what he's aspiring to do at this point in his life."

Who does Underwood think will be the next skipper?

"Unh uh," he said in a tone drawing a room full of laughs.

Underwood pointed to his microphone and said, 'You see this thing right here? I don't know who's listening, but, Chris Antonetti, if you're listening, it's not going to be me.

"Great question, though."

Antonetti was Major League Baseball executive of the year in 2022, when the team went 92-70 and won four postseason games. The 2023 team was 74-83 as Underwood spoke.

"Last year, it was the youngest team in Major League Baseball … kind of took the league by storm," Underwood said. "They were fun. They were exciting. They were energetic. They gave Tito a lot of energy.

"We thought they were going to take that quantum leap forward this year, and it just didn't work out."

Underwood cited a plethora of one-run losses and slippage by closer Emmanuel Clase, who again leads the league in saves, but also leads in blown saves, and has a 3-9 record.

The announcer looked to potentially stellar pitching in 2023.

"This year has a been a bitter pill to swallow," Underwood said. "The good news is we get to keep looking at the way this organization develops young players and young pitchers.

"We had three pitchers nobody even knew about, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen, who did a terrific job and give you hope for the future. If Shane Bieber can get back to form and Triston McKenzie can come back on top of his game … and add Cal Quantrill. Now you've got a real strength."

Underwood made it clear he is a Jose Ramirez fan, saying the longtime third baseman's love for Cleveland is real.

During Q&A, he didn't defend the team's failure to make midseason moves that might lead to the playoffs, but did say first base prospect Kyle Manzardo, acquired for pitcher Aaron Civale, is a potential middle-of-the-order power hitter, a crying need.

In 92 at-bats for Class AAA Columbus, Manzardo posted a .590 slugging percentage. Underwood did not hazard a guess as to whether Manzardo will be given a chance to make the 2024 big-league roster out of spring training.

Underwood said losing Francona is an inevitable bummer.

"Twenty-three years as a manager is a grind," Underwood said. "When you lose a game as a bench coach, it stinks, but you take a shower and come back the next day. When you're the manager, you don't turn it off."

The team was barely alive in the AL Central race last week. The last straw was blowing a late 4-2 lead against the Royals, a 100-loss team.

"It was brutal," Underwood said. "It ate him up. Tito told me he wasn't able to turn it off.

He said, 'I've had conversations with myself when I come to work in the morning and think, 'Hey, it doesn't do anybody any good to see with your tail between your legs.'

"He's said it's time. I think it's time. He needs to take care of himself a little bit.

"Five years ago, he was playing cards at a casino. He won a hand, and in reaching to get the chips, he said he felt like a lightning bolt went through his shoulder.

"He's finally going to get the shoulder taken care of. He also has had a double hernia he has to get surgery on. The man barely can make it to and from work every day."

Before closing with a funny broadcasting story about "Miss Cheesecake," Underwood shared an ice cream anecdote.

"We were talking before a game in the 2016 World Series," Underwood said. "Tito told me he hadn't been able to sleep, so in the middle of the night, he ordered room service, a hot fudge sundae.

"He sat there with that big sundae in bed, watching TV, and finally fell asleep. He was alarmed when he woke up. He couldn't see.

"He didn't know what was wrong until he realized there was hot fudge smeared on the front of his glasses."

Reach Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Guardians TV man Matt Underwood talks Tito Francona, Sandy Alomar