With the new appointment of Guardians Manager, Steven Vogt, it is time for a new era of Cleveland baseball. After 11 years in Cleveland Terry Francona steps away from the Guards with only 2 seasons under .500. Francona’s teams on paper lacked starpower and obvious game changers, but the Guardians stayed relevant during every year in charge. During his first season in charge Francona took the team to their first postseason appearance in 5 years in a loss in the Wild Card to the Rays. Francona’s management led a team with Danny Salazar as the ace, and largely utility outfield players to the playoffs, a truly astonishing feat. Francona was a master of doing a lot with nothing, transforming players like Jason Kipness and Lonnie Chisenhall into great players. Even in recent seasons the development of players like Steven Kwan and Andrés Giménez point to Francona’s innate ability to grow talent through a series of brilliant moves. The impact of the Guardians Front Office, Mike Chernoff and Chris Antionetti, can not be understated, however Francona’s leadership on field is certainly part of the equation. His knack for amassing pitching talent is incredible. When we discuss MLB teams “farm systems” Cleveland truly has a farm of young exciting pitching talent; Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Shane Beiber, Triston Mckenzie, Carlos Corrasco, and Mike Clevenger just to name a few of the dominant starters from Cleveland. Francona’s underdog 2016 team was truly a testament to his creativity and managerial prowess. A team the national media quickly forgets about because of a blown 3-1 lead to the Cubs, the 16 Indians were a textbook example of doing a lot with very little. I believe that Tito’s biggest blunder during his tenure occurred when he deployed Andrew Miller in the 5th. Although Kluber wasn’t pitching well, it was not quite Miller Time, and in my opinion he should have been rested till later in the game. Nonetheless the blown game 7 will forever haunt Cleveland baseball fans. Francona was the longest tenured manager in Cleveland baseball and is truly a legend. In recent times, Tito’s win percentage only trailed that of legendary manager Mike Hargrove. Unlike Hargrove, Francona left the club in much better spirits, and retired on his own accord. His willingness to fight for his players, 17 ejections over his tenure, showed his dedication to the team. Tito’s personality truly elevated his persona. The ever present bucket of bubblegum, riding a moped into work, and his open embrace of Cleveland make him impossible to forget. The city of Cleveland and the Guardians owe Francona so much for his time here. The only way to memorialize a true legend like Tito is to build him a statue on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. The greatest manager in Guardians baseball history needs to remain in the memory of Guardians fans forever. If the Guardians are looking for any ideas I have a few: a classic statue featuring Francona standing looking majestically out at the stadium from the street, Tito on a moped near the entrance to the garages at Progressive Field however it must be public enough, or simply build a statue of a bucket of Francona’s iconic Double Bubble in the dugout right where he kept his. One thing is for certain, Terry Francona left an indelible mark on Cleveland Guardians baseball, it will inevitably be difficult for Steven Vogt to live up to his high standards but we here at Cooper’s Corner wish him all the best.
