Mother knows best: Guardians' Josh Naylor apologizes to Terry Francona for head-butt
CLEVELAND — Josh Naylor’s parents arrived in Cleveland too late for the start of the Guardians’ game against the Minnesota Twins Wednesday night, so they watched their son’s 10th-inning heroics at his apartment.
With the Guardians down to their last strike, Naylor sent a two-run, opposite-field, game-winning shot to the Home Run Porch for a 7-6 victory, capping a four-run inning and setting off a wild celebration. Capping the jubilant melee was Naylor’s head-butt of manager Terry Francona, who thought he’d prepared by wearing a helmet.
Naylor tried to cushion the blow with both hands, but he had some momentum as he rushed at Francona.
“I gotta go ice my neck,” Francona quipped to reporters afterward.
Naylor’s mother was not as amused. A Guardians staffer said her immediate reaction was to tell the first baseman he needed to apologize.
That happened Thursday morning when Naylor arrived at Progressive Field for the finale of the five-game series against the Twins.
“Nayls came in and apologized to him,” Guardians General Manager Mike Chernoff said of Francona. “He was like, ‘I didn't realize that I did that like that.’ It was pretty funny.
“Actually, when Tito came in, I don't know if he told you guys last night, his glasses were all crooked, he had to go and get them taken in and fixed this morning.”
Francona was at the helm on Thursday, but Chernoff took over Francona's pregame media session.
“Alright, I'm sitting in for Tito after his seven-day IL protocol after yesterday's head-butt,” Chernoff joked.
Francona joked that his glasses were so bent that he looked like the late Max Patkin, known as "The Clown Prince of Baseball."
"I don’t feel that good about myself, anyway, but that didn’t help," Francona said after the Guardians rallied for a 5-3 walk-off victory.
On Wednesday night, Francona knew he needed protection. He learned that after Naylor homered twice and drove in eight runs in a 12-9, 11-inning victory at Chicago against the White Sox on May 9, when Naylor was just as exuberant.
Asked if Francona has started wearing a helmet any time Naylor does anything spectacular, Chernoff said, “I think he probably should. I don't know if it was just last night, but in the future, I think he'll do that, too.”
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Chernoff asked Naylor if his head was OK the morning after.
“He said, ‘I’ve got a helmet right here,’ and pointed to his hair,” Chernoff said. “So I guess the hair cushioned it for him.”
Naylor was acquired from the San Diego Padres on Aug. 31, 2020 in the Mike Clevinger trade that also brought in current Guardians Owen Miller, Austin Hedges and Cal Quantrill. Chernoff said in scouting Naylor that he had never seen Naylor head-butt anyone.
“Oh, man, no. I’m staying out of his way,” Chernoff said. “When he came in to apologize to Tito, I almost put a helmet on myself.
“But you know what, if he continues to do what he did last night, he can head-butt anybody he wants.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Josh Naylor's head-butt mangled Terry Francona's glasses
