All-star roster of Stark County baseball people salute Cleveland's Terry Francona

Frank Gamble grew up in those radio days when Jimmy Dudley calling a Rocky Colavito home run - "you can kiss that ball goodbye" - was poetry in a 12-year-old Brewster boy's soul.

Colavito clobbered an American League-best 42 home runs for 1959 Cleveland team that finished 24 games over .500. Manager Al Lopez's colorful group included Billy Martin at second base, Minnie Minoso in the outfield and Mudcat Grant on the mound.

Tito Francona, newly acquired in a trade that sent Larry Doby to the White Sox, played his way from utility man to Jimmy Piersall's replacement in center field.

Francona's 1959 batting average of .363 would have led Major League Baseball, officially, had he posted a few more at-bats. Instead, Hank Aaron was No. 1 at .355.

General Manager Frank Lane traded Colavito on the eve of opening day, 1960. With two months left in the '60 season, Lane insanely swapped managers, sending Joe Gordon to Detroit for Jimmy Dykes.

Gamble grew up to be head baseball coach at Tuslaw High School for 17 years and head coach at Perry High School for 20 years.

He wouldn't trade the other Tito Francona, son of the original, for anybody.

"I'm a Tito guy," Gamble said. "In my lifetime the two best managers I've seen were Tommy Lasorda and Tito Francona. I'd put Bobby Cox No. 3."

Terry "Tito" Francona is his final days of managing the team of Gamble's youth.

"I'm a little biased because Cleveland has always been my team, but it's a horse race between Tito and Tommy Lasorda for best manager," Gamble said. "I hope they can compete without Tito, but that's big shoes to fill.

"I don't think they would have had the success they had without him."

Frank's son Brian Gamble, head baseball coach at Sandy Valley High School, sees it his dad's way.

More on Terry Francona: Guardians fans say goodbye to Tito, and Terry Francona gives them a parting message

"Francona is my all-time favorite manager," Brian said. "He's a people's manager. His teams do all the little things right. The guys play hard and respect him.

"He has maximized the situation he's been given."

The Gambles were among prominent area baseball people asked to share what Francona has meant to them.

Here are other responses.

Diana Munson calls Terry Francona 'pure class'

Diana Munson represented her late husband Thurman at the New York Yankees' recent Old-Timers Day, as she has every year for decades. She has met all of the Yankees managers since the 1970s.

Thurman Munson won American League Rookie of the Year under Ralph Houck, was an All-Star and Gold Glover under Bill Virdon, and was 1976 American League Most Valuable Player under Billy Martin.

Cleveland was Diana's first baseball love before Thurman's days as a Yankee captain.

Even now, she says, "I root for the Guardians, except when they're playing the Yankees."

She loves Tito Francona.

"He is pure class," she said. "It shows it in every movement he makes.

"I never have heard a bad word about him, which is unusual. He and Yogi (Berra) are the same that way.

"He is just a wonderful gentlemen. There are not a lot of gentlemen in baseball, I'm sad to say.

"He treats all of his players like sons. He knows you have to manage different personalities in different ways. In this day and age with salaries what they are and egos what they are, that's very difficult.

"I've seen managers who are crazed after the game and blaming this person or that person. He is never that way. He's always soothing. He's always even keeled. That's a gift.

"He is the epitome of a baseball mind and a baseball guy. It will be a real loss to baseball. It makes me a little sad."

'Profound love for Cleveland played a big part in the success he's had'

Doug Miller won three OHSAA state championships at Central Catholic and has logged 40 years as a high school head coach, most recently at East Canton.

"There are three active managers who are sure-bet Hall of Famers," Miller said. "Terry Francona is No. 1. I think Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy are no-brainer Hall of Famers, as well.

"I like his whole demeanor. He never gets too high. He never gets too low. The players pick up on that.

"He relates to players coming up. He relates to veteran players. He manages the games well. He manages the pitching staff extremely well. There was never a greater example of that than the World Series year, 2016.

"I remember distinctly what he said when he came here after a year off. He said Cleveland was the only organization he would agree to manage. Just think about that. He came off two World Series titles in Boston, and he said he wouldn't manage for any organization but Cleveland.

"I think his profound love for Cleveland played a big part in the success he's had."

Jeff Lindesmith assisted Miller on state title teams at Central Catholic and now is the Crusaders' head football coach. He sees Francona as a role model for team leaders.

"His desire to win along with patience is incredible," Lindesmith said. "To motivate and to get players to play hard every inning is something I try to get my players to do.

"He showed the Cleveland front office how important a manager is. Players love playing for him."

Dealings with media reveal how Tito Francona earns players' respect

Rob Dewolf played high school ball at Jackson and college ball at Malone prior to turning pro and stealing 51 bases one year with a Milwaukee Brewers affiliate. His minor league run got as far as Triple-A ball in 1989, when he was a Las Vegas Stars teammate of Sandy Alomar.

Dewolf had been a lifelong Cleveland fan, but he dropped out when the team changed its nickname to Guardians. His respect for Francona is ongoing.

More on Terry Francona: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski salutes Guardians' Terry Francona amid Cleveland send-off

Dewolf appreciated playing for managers who knew how to talk to people, and he says:

"No matter who Francona is talking to, whether it's a member of the baseball press or a reporter who is not really a sports reporter, you always get the feeling he's putting a lot of thought into the answer. If he's holding something back, it's with good reason.

"He's a master at giving an answer that's true and well thought out, but without throwing a player under the bus. Players see that and really respect it and play harder for a guy who has their back, but also is going to chew their ass out, in private, if they deserve it.

"A lot of baseball managers at the big league level and even the minor league level take the attitude, you didn't play the game, so any question you ask me, you're coming from a limited scope. You never get that with Francona."

Malone baseball coach appreciates Terry Francona's ability to put 'everyone in a position to succeed'

Tom Crank grew up playing ball in East Canton and never really stopped, amassing more than 1,000 hits in the adult Canton Class A League.

Like Dewolf, Crank played college ball for Bob Starcher at Malone. As Malone's head baseball coach, Crank passed Starcher as all-time wins leader in 2021.

Of Francona, Crank said:

"Tito is phenomenal. What he does best, in my opinion as a coach, is putting everyone in a position to succeed. It doesn’t matter who he is coaching, he gets the most out of them.

"Baseball is one of the hardest sports on the planet. I try and replicate Tito and put my players in the best situation possible for success.

"Last year in the playoffs he was quoted saying, 'I never want to handcuff my players. If they like to swing early in counts, then they should do so. I want my players to be themselves.'

"It doesn't matter who he is coaching. He gets the most out of them."

Tito shows how to be 'old school' ... with humor as Guardians manager

Brian Warner was an area youth-league player in 1988 when Francona hit .311 for Cleveland. Warner was an East Canton High School senior in 1993, with Crank as his head coach.

"That was the Indians' last year at old Cleveland Stadium," Warner said. "Tom got all the players season passes for the games. It was the coolest thing ever."

Warner is head coach Louisville High School, which has averaged 20 wins across the last six seasons.

Of Francona, Warner said:

"We've been so lucky to have him with our small-market team all these years. Jim Leyland was excellent. Lou Piniella was pretty good. Francona is one of the best if not the best to do it.

"He's old-school, but in a way his players respect him. He stands up for them. He has humor.

"I grew up hating the Red Sox but when he was with the Red Sox, I started rooting for them."

State championship North Canton Hoover softball coach likes how Francona excels at 'bringing people together'

Past 80, Jerry Goodpasture looks forward to next spring and another year in the sun as head coach of the Hoover Vikings.

Long before he piloted Hoover to four straight OHSAA state girls softball championships (2011-14), baseball was his game. He was a catcher at Kent State years before Thurman Munson was.

He has followed Cleveland baseball since before Herb Score was a Rookie of the Year pitching for Hall of Fame Manager Al Lopez.

"Francona has done an excellent job with the talent he's had," Goodpasture said. "This year, who knows what he could have done if he hadn't had so many pitchers hurt.

"He has elevated young pitchers. His pitching coach does a great job. They must have some outstanding instructors in the minor leagues.

"It would be very difficult to be a big-league manager now, with so many young people concerned only with themselves. Francona has done a good job bringing people together."

Trademark of Francona's Cleveland Guardians' teams: 'Everyone seemed all in'

They play lots of games in the big leagues. In 11 years with Cleveland, Francona reached the 900 wins milestone in August.

Tim Mead has won a school-record 910 games in 41 seasons as head coach at Walsh University.

"Two traits I have tried to take from watching him are his communication skills and his patience," Mead said. "His players knew their roles. Everyone seemed all in.

"I always liked how he managed his ball club and his bullpen. It just seemed like this year it didn't go well with the bullpen.

"I have the utmost respect for Tito."

Canton McKinley baseball coach sees 'full circle' nature of Tito Francona's success in Cleveland

Zack Zelmer played for McKinley High School as a 2001 senior and has been head coach for his alma mater the last 12 springs.

He celebrates the Francona years rather than lamenting their end.

"To come full circle where his father played and turn Cleveland baseball into a perennial playoff contender, just a few outs away from a World Series championship, I think speaks for itself," Zelmer said.

"I was just speaking with my boss, and he told me he was gonna get one of those cool scooters that Tito drives around Cleveland for me to stroll around Munson Stadium."

Terry Francona 'will be remembered as the best manager ever' in Cleveland

Dennis Tucci is best known for coaching a boys basketball program that is a community treasure in Malvern.

Less known is Tucci's status as Malvern's head baseball coach.

"When Tito was hired, it was instant credibility for the Cleveland organization," Tucci said.

"He is certainly a player's manager. All of the players enjoy playing for him.

"It's too bad that his body is breaking down on him. He will be remembered as the best manager ever for the Indians.

"He always supports his players, but it is very obvious what he expects from them. With our limited payroll, Tito never made any excuses. He always says, 'It's a hard way to win,' but somehow, he managed some excellent ballclubs.

"One of my biggest regrets as a Tribe fan is that we couldn't get that World Series title vs the Cubs."

NOTE: In an upcoming article, local baseball icons John Massarelli and Joe Gilhousen join others in imagining the challenges that will go in to replacing Francona.

Reach Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Greater Canton baseball people salute Guardians manager Tito Francona