CLEVELAND -- Guardians manager Terry Francona has 22 years of experience as a manager, yet every time he reaches this point in the year, he can’t help but feel butterflies.

“Oh, I’ll be scared to death,” Francona said, when asked about how he’ll feel Friday.

The Guardians are set to face the Rays in a three-game Wild Card Series that begins Friday at Progressive Field. Francona has had his fair share of trips to the postseason, but this year is different. This is the youngest roster he’s had to lead, and the youngest in the Majors. There’s been a lack of experience this club has had to overcome all season, but there’s no way to know how much harder it’ll be to conquer in the postseason.

But the roster makeup isn’t what causes the nerves. It doesn’t matter who is on his team. For Francona -- and for many -- this is the common feeling once you hit October.

“I can remember all the way back in ’16, before the first game of the World Series,” Francona said. “I went out to the dugout, like, an hour early because I had anxiety, and [Mike Napoli] was out there. I’m like, ‘What are you doing out here?’ He goes, ‘I’m scared to death.’ [I said], ‘Me, too.’ But as long as it doesn’t get in the way, that’s OK. You want to use it to your advantage.”

There are a lot of layers to this postseason for Francona. He’s finally able to enjoy a full season after going through so many health concerns the last two years. He’s led a team that no one expected to be successful this season to the playoffs with 92 wins in its pocket. And now, he has to face one of his best friends in Kevin Cash, as he and the Rays come to town.

“That’s hard,” Francona said. “He's one of the most special people in my life, and they're either going to be happy or we are. … When it's all said and done, whenever it ends, I'm really proud of him. And he knows that. But it's hard when you care that much about people and then you're kind of fighting to beat your brains out.”

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Regardless of who is in the other dugout, the Guardians' coaching staff spent all Wednesday night preparing for the series, trying to figure out how to keep the vibe as same as it’s been for every other game. It’s worked so far. Now, the team is ready to see how it plays in the postseason.

“We just told them, ‘Just play the game the way you know how to play baseball.’ This is why they work so hard, is to get to this, where they can enjoy and embrace the competition," Francona said. "I don’t see them backing down.”

Bieber ready for first postseason start in front of fans 
Shane Bieber has suddenly become one of the more veteran players on this young Guardians roster. His team will be leaning on him in Game 1, not only because he’ll be getting the start, but also because he’s one of just a handful of Guardians in the clubhouse who have playoff experience.

Bieber started in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Yankees in 2020. It was his Cy Young season, but it was a year that was condensed to just 60 games with no fans in the stands due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As much as the piped-in music and hype in the dugouts attempted to make the playoff atmosphere as “normal” as possible, it certainly won’t live up to what he’ll experience on Friday.

“It’s going to be an entirely different feel as opposed to 2020, just feed off the energy of the Cleveland crowd,” Bieber said. “Not lose sight of how special of an opportunity this is to just be out there representing the city and to take an advantage of an opportunity that we’ve worked very hard for since dating all the way back to last year and last offseason.”

Ramírez ready to share the wealth
Third baseman José Ramírez hasn’t kept his desires to keep his best friend and teammate Amed Rosario in a Cleveland uniform to himself. He’s loudly wished for the organization to extend Rosario’s contract -- much like they did his at the beginning of the year -- and rarely goes anywhere without the shortstop by his side.

On Thursday, when he was asked if he’s made any progress on Rosario’s extension, he joked about a creative alternative.

“No. What I told Amed is I want to give $40 million of mine to pay his contract,” Ramírez said, through team interpreter Agustin Rivero.

All jokes aside, Ramírez has benefited greatly from his friendship with Rosario. The Guardians' infielders have fed off of each other in order to continue improving. Rosario has been one of the more consistent bats in Cleveland's lineup the past two years, and Ramírez has always been the heart and soul of the team. And he’s convinced that this relationship will continue to bring more success to the club.

“It's special because we spend 24/7 together, hanging out, after games on the road,” Ramírez said. “The key is having that good communication and spending the time with somebody you want to spend time with. That's why I like playing with him, because I feel the communication and the way we interact is tremendous.”