Goodbye Mr. Franks

It's a sad day.
HERMAN FRANKS passed away yesterday, age 95.
Growing up, it seems I only heard him called "Mr. Franks." It was only a little later into adolescence that I learned his first name.
Franks managed the SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS to four straight second-place finishes in the 1960s.
Now, if Bruce Bochy were to accomplish that feat, everybody would be cheering.
Back then, the second-place finishes were met with mounting frustration.
Of course, when WILLIE MAYS and WILLIE McCOVEY are leading your team...
I was a mere babe when Franks managed my favorite team. He later managed the Cubs, but I always considered him a Giant. I was not alone.
"This guy was a Giant," longtime Giant Joey Amalfitano was quoted as saying in the CHRONICLE today. "Some guys are Dodgers. Other guys are Cubs, like (Ernie) Banks. This guy was a Giant."