2056-8 Manager Change Paid Off

[indiansfan]

Manager Change Paid Off

Only twice has Calgary GM Kevin Dickson fired a manager. Nicholas Brody, who had spent over 30 years with Calgary as a player and a coach, was fired last season after posting four consecutive losing seasons. He was replaced with long time Calgary player and minor league coach Tony Franco in an ironic turn of events. Both played on Calgary’s 2021 championship team and the next year, Franco replaced Brody as the starting second baseman. So this was the second time Franco took Brody’s job in Calgary.

It certainly looks like the move paid off. The team improved 10 games from last season. The team put more than 300,000 more people in the seats. Financially the team went from losing $14 million to making $16 million, a $30 million turnaround. Several players are going to take home post season awards and one player had a legendary season. The only thing missing was a playoff spot.

“I could not be happier with the job that Tony has done this year. Sure we would have preferred a different ending, but the team played great and I am certain that we will be in the playoffs next year,” GM Kevin Dickson said.

Franco has a history of winning. In his 18 years coaching in Calgary’s minor league system, his teams made the playoffs 16 times. So this was only the 3 time in his coaching career that his team didn’t go to the post season. He won the championship in his first season managing Quebec at single A in 2038 and he won the championship with AAA St. Paul in 2055 his last year of managing in the minors.

As a player he could hit for power, drive in runs and steal a dozen or more bases per year. He won the Puckett Award at two different positions and was an All Star at a third. His crowning achievement of course were his 8 Zimmer Awards at third base. Calgary’s dismal fielding this year is bound to be an area he seeks to improve next year.

[RonCo]

The Frontier has the best bottom half of any division, which makes winning a ton of games in it difficult. Great season, though.