"Chicago Cubs" Frank Lucchesi Hand Signed TOPPS Trading Card Todd Mueller COA

Description

Up for auction the
"Chicago Cubs" Frank Lucchesi Hand Signed TOPPS Trading Card.
This item is certified authentic by Todd Mueller Autographs and comes with their Certificate of Authenticity.
ES-1396
Frank Joseph Lucchesi
(April 24, 1927 – June 8, 2019) was an American
professional baseball
player
,
manager
and
coach
. He was the manager of three
Major League Baseball
(MLB) teams: the
Philadelphia Phillies
(
1970
–
1972
),
Texas Rangers
(
1975
–
1977
) and
Chicago Cubs
(
1987
, on an interim basis). Overall, Lucchesi posted a career
win–loss record
of 316–399 (.442).
Lucchesi took over the Phillies at the beginning of the
1970
season as the team was rebuilding with young players. Although his
initial squad
showed a ten-game improvement from
1969's club
, the
1971 Phillies
fell into the basement of the
National League East Division
, and when the Phils started only 26–50 in
1972
, Lucchesi was fired on July 9 by the club's new
general manager
,
Paul Owens
, who took over as manager himself.
After returning to
Triple-A
to manage Cleveland's
Oklahoma City 89ers
affiliate in 1973, Lucchesi was appointed third-base coach of the Texas Rangers of the
American League
for 1974. The following season, on July 21, 1975, Lucchesi succeeded the fired
Billy Martin
as manager of the
1975 Rangers
, who were a disappointing 44–51 in Martin's second season at the helm. Lucchesi led them to a 35–32 mark for the remainder of the year, and was rehired for
1976
, when the Rangers continued to struggle at 76–86, tied for fourth in the
AL West
. Lucchesi was invited to return as manager for
1977
, but a violent incident in
spring training
with
second baseman
Lenny Randle
marred the season.
Lucchesi was auditioning rookie
Bump Wills
to take over Randle's second base job. When Randle complained publicly about being benched, Lucchesi was quoted as responding: "I'm sick and tired of punks making ,000 a year moaning and groaning about their situation."
[2]
A few days later, before an exhibition game against the
Minnesota Twins
in
Orlando
, Randle and Lucchesi became embroiled in an argument. Randle struck his manager, who was still clad in street clothes, knocking Lucchesi to the ground and causing his hospitalization for a
concussion
and broken jaw.
[2]
Randle was suspended without pay for 30 days, fined an additional ,000,
[3]
then traded to the
New York Mets
. Meanwhile, Lucchesi recovered from his injuries and returned to the bench, but on June 21, with the
1977 Rangers
stalled at 31–31, he was fired. Randle was found guilty of assault, and Lucchesi later sued him for 0,000, blaming Randle for the loss of his job.
[5]
The case was settled, and in 1979–80 Lucchesi returned to the Rangers as third-base coach, serving under manager
Pat Corrales
, whom he had managed 15 years earlier in the Phillies' farm system. In
1987
, Lucchesi was named caretaker pilot of the Chicago Cubs on September 8 upon the firing of
Gene Michael
. He had been serving the team as an "eye in the sky"
scout
from the
press box
. The Cubs went 8–17 over the season's final month, then hired both a new general manager,
Jim Frey
, and a new manager,
Don Zimmer
, for
1988
. Lucchesi, then 61, returned to the minor leagues for two final seasons, managing the
Nashville Sounds
, the Reds' top affiliate in the Triple-A
American Association
.