ON THE RISE
Where does Francona rank in longevity in Cleveland sports history?
Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona has had the past two seasons cut short due to health issues. Last year, around the trade deadline, Francona opted to step aside for the reminder of the season to undergo two needed procedures in an effort to be ready for spring training.
He’s one of the longest tenured coaches/managers in Cleveland sports history. But where does he rank entering the 2022 season? Here’s look at the top 10 coaches/managers amongst the major three professional sports by longevity in Cleveland history.
1. Paul Brown, Browns, 1946-62
The man who innovated football in so many ways as a pioneer led the Browns for 17 years, amassing an overall record of 158-48-8 — a scorching .767 winning percentage — en route to seven championships. He remains the king of Cleveland coaches, even with his tenure being cut short due to the rift between him and Art Modell. For Francona to reach Brown’s longevity, he’d have to manage the Guardians into the next decade.
2. Bill Fitch, Cavaliers, 1971-79
The original coach of the Cavs is also, still, the longest tenured in franchise history. Fitch went 304-434 in nine seasons while the franchise got its start but is most known for coaching the Miracle of Richfield team in 1976. Fitch passed away earlier this month at the age of 89.
3. Lou Boudreau, Cleveland baseball, 1942-50
The longest-tenured player-manager in Cleveland history, Boudreau is credited with a managerial record of 728-64912 and led the 1948 World Series team. Boudreau has managed, officially, 35 more games than Francona, meaning Francona should pass him for No. 1 on the franchise list in early May.
4. Terry Francona, Cleveland baseball, 2013-present
Francona is already credited with the most managerial wins in Cleveland history with 753, topping Boudreau and Mike Hargrove (721).
The Guardians’ wins and losses that were accrued under interim manager Demarlo Hale were essentially put into escrow, with the added caveat that if Francona returned in 2022, they’d be included with his overall record. If he didn’t, they’d officially go under Hale’s name. Francona is a sure-fire future hall of famer as a manager.
In terms of longevity, Francona will quickly climb to No. 2 on this list this season.
5. Mike Hargrove, Cleveland baseball, 1991-99
“Grover” was at the helm when Cleveland baseball made runs to the
World Series in 1995 and
1997, a stretch that was part of five consecutive divisional titles between 199599. He finished with a career 721-591 record with Cleveland. He also holds the franchise records for ejections with 29.
6. Blanton Collier, Browns, 1963-70
The man who took over for the legendary Brown, Collier found success in his own right, accruing a 76-34-2 overall record with Cleveland that included the 1964 championship season, which was the city’s last major title until Lebron James and the Cavaliers won it all in 2016.
7. Tris Speaker, Cleveland baseball, 1919-1926
Another player-manager who also won a title, Speaker managed Cleveland to its first World Series championship in 1920. He had a career record of 617520-2, the third-best winning percentage (.543) in franchise history among those with at least 1,000 games managed.
8. Lenny Wilkens, Cavaliers, 1987-93
Wilkens led the Cavs to the playoffs five times. With his 316-258 record in Cleveland, the Basketball Hall of Famer has the best winning percentage (.551) of any head coach in franchise history who didn’t lead a team that featured Lebron James.
9. Eric Wedge, Cleveland baseball, 2003-2009
Wedge finished his time in Cleveland just below .500 (561-573) but came one game away from reaching the World Series in 2007 had it not been for, of course, Francona’s Boston Red Sox, who came back from a 3-1 deficit in the American League Championship Series and then went on to win the title.
10. Sam Rutigliano, Browns, 1978-84
In a somewhat similar position as Wedge, Rutigliano had a sub-.500 overall record with the Browns (47-50), but that is far overshadowed by his role with the 1980 “Kardiac Kids” team that had a knack for thrilling victories.