Terry Francona one of 7 inductees into college baseball HOF

Most people know who the name Terry Francona when it pops up.  This being as a result of the success he has endured in the 7 seasons of managing the Red Sox, winning 654 games, which makes him one of just 3 managers in the 110-year history of the Red Sox to win 500 games, on top just one of 4 Red Sox skippers to manage 1000 games with the club, and the biggest accomplishment of them all, the only Red Sox manager to win a World Series since 1918, managing 2 World Series teams, in 2004 and 2007.  He has also established himself as a top-echelon manager in the majors and in 2011, many are forecasting him to complete the hat-trick, with his team being a favorite to win the World Series and looks like one of the best teams assembled in recent history, at least on paper.

What many probably don't know about Terry Francona, is that he is one of the greatest college baseball players of all time, playing 3 seasons as an outfielder at the University of Arizona from 1978-1980.  In his time with the Wildcats, he was a first-team All-American while winning the Golden Spikes Award in 1980, an award handed out anually to the best college baseball player in the country.  He also guided the Wildcats to their 2nd of 3 College World Series titles in 1980.  Tito went on to get drafted 22nd overall in the 1980 MLB Amateur Draft by the Montreal Expos.  Unfortunately, his career was plagued by injuries, which limited him to playing 100 games in just 3 of his 10 seasons while playing for 5 different teams in those ten years.  In 1990, Tito called it a career, and join the Chicago White Sox organization as a coach in 1991.

Francona joins former Southern University backstop Danny Goodwin; Duke Shortstop Dick Groat; Grambling State coach Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones; ASU outfielder Oddibe McDowell; Fullerton State first baseman Tim Wallach; and Clemson coach Bill Wilhelm.