CHICAGO – Terry Francona deftly deflects praise like a hockey goalie, reflexively invoking those challenging days of his playing career when he was a lousy hitter, he says, or mentioning his hair loss, or recalling some boneheaded decision from his past. Francona's habit is honed by decades of being humbled by a game that routinely crushes its best and brightest.

But if the Cleveland Indians manage to win two more games in the next five days and win the World Series, Francona will be face-to-face with a nightmare scenario: He will be forced to listen to others say really nice things about his work, and he will have no choice but to take it.

Because the way he has managed this October should probably be regarded as one of the best performances by any manager in any postseason, even if the Indians don't win another game against the Cubs. If the Indians secure those last two victories needed for the championship, Francona's handling of these moments will be the managerial equivalent of what Madison Bumgarner did on the mound two years ago.