1980 TCMA Memphis Chicks Terry Francona
There are two copies of this card on eBay for $200. While I really wanted it for my Cleveland minor league card collection, I was not paying that. Then, I discovered Sportslots last week. Never used the site. Just for fun, I searched for the card, and sure enough, someone had one for $20. Absolutely made my day.
I don’t think there is any doubt that Tito is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes. His managing record is impressive. He has an 1874-1586 record over 22 seasons managing the Phillies (1997-2000), Red Sox (2004-2011), and Guardians (2013-2022). He won two World Series with the Red Sox, but I think his time in Cleveland has been even more impressive. The Guardians, the very definition of a small-market team, has gone 845-671 under Tito. That includes the 2016 AL Pennant and memorable World Series run, plus four Central titles.
And this probably means something too: there are nine head coaches in the MLB that have worked for Tito. Its an impressive coaching tree: Torey Lovullo, Dave Roberts, Gabe Kapler, Alex Cora, Kevin Cash, David Ross, Mark Kotsay, Rocco Baldelli, and Matt Quataro.