Hartsfield was quoted two decades later as saying that "the guys I managed the year before in Hawaii (in the triple-A Pacific Coast League) were probably a better team.

"[1] Hartsfield led the Blue Jays to a 54–107 record in the 1977 season, 45.5 games behind the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees.

[1] Notable games from the season include a 9–5 win against the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day and a 19–3 victory over the Yankees on September 10.

Both teams ended up with losing records, as did the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians in 1983, which was Hartsfield's final management job.

Hartsfield died of liver cancer at his daughter's home in Ball Ground, Georgia, on January 15, 2011, at 85.