Former manager Tony Franklin of the Trenton Thunder baseball team will be inducted into the Trenton Baseball Hall of Fame on June 6 prior to the team’s game with the Harrisburg Senators at 7 p.m. Franklin will lead the Thunder June 5-7 in the absence of manager Al Pedrique.
Franklin is the longest tenured manager in franchise history and led the Thunder to each of their three championships. Over his eight seasons at the helm, the Thunder went 635-532.
On May 9, 2014, Franklin surpassed Dave Machamer as the winningest manager in Eastern League history since the league became a Double-A league in 1963. Franklin won his 1,000th game as a minor league manager on July 2, 2012 when the Thunder rallied for a walk-off vicotry against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Franklin was named the 2012 Eastern League Manager of the Year and he guided the Thunder to the best record in the league in 2010.
The former Thunder manager will become the 17th member of the Trenton Baseball Hall of Fame joining Steve Braun, George Case, Tony Clark, Mo Cunningham, Michael DeCello, Al Downing, David Eckstein, Nomar Garciaparra, DeMarlo Hale, Ken Macha, James Maloney, Tom McCarthy, Sonny Pittaro, Samuel Plumeri Sr., Bob Ryan and Harold “Bus” Saidt.
Tickets to the upcoming homestand and Saturday’s Trenton Baseball Hall of Fame Induction ceremony can be purchased at trentonthunder.com/tickets. For more information call (609) 394 – 3300.
