Thoughts on Francona, one of the best managers in Cleveland baseball history

Last week, Terry Francona formally stepped down as Cleveland Guardians manager.The move was not a surprise. The skipper had been telling the media he was leaving since August.He was careful, though, not to make it official, probably because he didn't want to deal with a "goodbye tour" that so many future Hall of Famers get.But, in the end, Cleveland fans did get a chance to thank Francona at the final home game. I was there. The crowd stayed for a long time after a win over the Reds, cheering and chanting. Francona came out and tipped his cap. The players and coaches applauded.It was a really nice scene.Francona is an oddity in today's baseball. He won two World Series in Boston, then was fired from there after the 2011 season.The fact that someone with that kind of success wanted to come to Cleveland – which was coming off four straight losing seasons, low attendance and had a miniscule player payroll – was a shock.But Francona grew up with the Cleveland Indians. His father, Tito, was one of the best hitters for the team in the late 1950s. Francona himself played a season in Cleveland in 1988.But the idea that someone with two World Series rings in big market and big money Boston would want to lead my team? Stunning.Francona started as Indians manager in 2013. He managed for 11 years, and presided over some of the best moments in franchise history. The Indians/Guardians won four division titles and made six postseason appearances. They won a pennant in 2016 and had an incredible 22-game winning streak in 2017.Yes, Francona wasn't able to do what he did in Boston: win a World Series. The loss in 2016 – to the Cubs, of all teams – still keeps me up at night. But his overall records (he won a franchise-best 921 games and had a .548 winning percentage) are superb.I don't think we'll ever see the likes of "Tito" Francona (he adopted his father's nickname) again in this sport.A manager lasting 11 seasons with one team in today's environment is odd enough. But more than that, Francona had a great relationship (at least, outwardly) with the Guardians' ownership and front office.He is also appreciated – if not beloved – by the majority of the fans.Yes, there were always a few who wanted Tito gone. I have been very critical of his managing, especially in recent years.But a large group of fans believed Tito was not only a good manager, but the best in the sport. In 11 seasons, I never once heard about Francona's job with the team being in trouble. His seat was never hot.For more than a decade. That's unheard of.Many have said that Francona is the best manager in franchise history. I won't go that far. To me, Al Lopez deserves more appreciation. He led the Tribe for six seasons in the 1950s, won a pennant and his teams never won less than 88 games in a year. Mike Hargrove also seems to be treated with a lack of appreciation. He managed the team for nine years, guiding it from being a doormat to a powerhouse, all while getting some of the game's strangest personalities to work together.But Francona will go down as one of the best skippers in franchise history. And for a team that has been around more than 120 years, that's a big deal.Now, Francona moves on. It will be interesting to see what the Guardians do, and how they do.The franchise's front office, which is led by Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, is generally considered a strong one.But there has been a bit of a question: How much of the team's success in the last several years has been due to the front office, and how much is due to Tito?Well, we're about to find out.Regardless of my issues with Francona – I think he relied too much on veterans and how on earth did Myles Straw get 133 starts this year?-- I'll give him this:The franchise is in a much better place now than it was when he arrived. Thank you, Tito.