This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell’s Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The second Guardians manager Terry Francona heard Scott Rolen's name, his grin grew from ear to ear.

Francona was sitting in Progressive Field's media room, atop the dais, fielding questions from media members. Just before he got up from his seat to head back to his office, he was reminded it was Hall of Fame weekend and one of the most exciting players from his first roster as a Major League manager in Philadelphia was set to get inducted into the most prestigious baseball fraternity.

For a moment, Francona paused. It was clear memories were flooding back into his brain. But then, he explained the reason he’s most looking forward to Rolen getting a plaque in Cooperstown on Sunday.

“I think the thing that probably gives me the most joy about this whole thing is knowing his mom and dad are gonna be there,” Francona said, still sporting his big smile. “His mom and dad had like a Winnebago. They traveled around, watched him play. You’d look up in the stands and his dad would have a hamburger.

“If you ever met Scott and then you meet his folks, you can see why. I mean, they’re kind of salt of the Earth people and that part makes me feel good. I mean, Scotty is what you’re looking for. Talk about respecting the game and people in the game, he’s that and then probably some.”

Francona managed Rolen through his National League Rookie of the Year Award-winning season in 1997 to the manager's last year with the Phillies in 2000. In that span, Rolen owned a .286 average with an .896 OPS, 104 homers, 50 stolen bases and two Gold Gloves.

“He played third base like a linebacker,” Francona said, “but I mean that in a way like he just ate up balls. He was so good.”

It wasn’t until later in Rolen’s career he racked up All-Star nods, more Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and a top-four MVP finish. And even if he’s remembered more for his time after Francona was no longer his manager, the skipper is adamant Rolen was just as good in those first four full seasons of his career as the others. And the more he thought back, it wasn’t hard for Francona to remember more moments that justified his opinions.

“Eric Chavez used to always say when I was in Oakland, ‘Am I the best?’ And I’m like, ‘No, you’re second.’ It used to infuriate him,” Francona said, chuckling. “Scotty just ate up ground. Like I heard the stories of when he was a high school basketball player and I could just picture him being under the basket rebounding, loving every minute of it. And he just came, and he just chewed it up.”

Standing alongside Rolen on Sunday will be Fred McGriff. Francona was never McGriff's teammate, and the skipper never managed the five-time All-Star, either. But Francona distinctly remembers when McGriff was with the Blue Jays in 1987, competing against him and the Reds in Spring Training.

“We were playing at the old Al Lopez Field in Tampa,” Francona recalled. “Norm [Charlton] was trying to make the club from out of Double-A. And Fred hit a ball across Dale Mabry [Highway]. Richie Garcia was the umpire. I was like, 'Richie. ... That’s foul. This guy’s trying to make the team.’ He goes, ‘That ball crossed four streets. You can’t tell!’ But that was a young Fred McGriff."