John Patsy Francona (November 4, 1933 – February 13, 2018) was a
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player. As a child, he was
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
d "Tito" by his father. His son,
Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
manager Terry Francona
Terrence Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), nicknamed "Tito", is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Cleveland Guardians in Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he was the manager of the Boston Red Sox fo ...
, is also sometimes referred to as "Tito."
Baltimore Orioles
Francona originally signed with the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
in 1952. He spent two seasons in the Browns/
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
'
farm system (the franchise was relocated to
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
and renamed on September 29, 1953) before departing to serve in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
for two years. Upon his return, he was invited to
Spring training 1956 as a non-roster invitee, and made the club. He batted .258 with nine
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 57
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
to finish tied with the Cleveland Indians'
Rocky Colavito for second place in
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
Rookie of the Year balloting behind
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...
.
With
Al Pilarcik's acquisition during the off season, Francona lost his starting job in
right field, and was demoted to the
Pacific Coast League's
Vancouver Mounties early in the 1957 season. He returned with a vengeance, hitting two home runs in a game for the first time in his career on May 19 against the
Kansas City Athletics
The history of the Athletics Major League Baseball franchise spans the period from 1901 to the present day, having begun as a charter member franchise in the new American League in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1955 for 13 sea ...
, raising his season average to an even .300 in the process. He slipped into more of a reserve role from there. Used as a
fourth outfielder
In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various s ...
and left-handed bat off the bench, Francona batted just .185 as a
pinch hitter for the season. After which, he,
Ray Moore and
Billy Goodman
William Dale Goodman (March 22, 1926 – October 1, 1984) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder who played 16 seasons for the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, and Houston Colt .45s, from 1947 through 1962. Go ...
were dealt to the Chicago White Sox for
Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier and the first black pl ...
,
Jack Harshman and
Jim Marshall (Chicago later sent
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
Russ Heman to Baltimore as part of this deal when it was discovered by the Orioles that Harshman was suffering from a slipped disc).
Chicago White Sox/Detroit Tigers
After a hot
Spring, Francona won the White Sox starting right field job. His stay in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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was short, as he was dealt to the
Detroit Tigers on the June 15 trade deadline. With
Hall of Famer
Al Kaline
Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kali ...
in right, Francona logged just 84
plate appearances over the remainder of the season. Dissatisfied with his lack of playing time, Francona demanded a trade. On March 21, 1959, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Larry Doby, the second trade involving the two.
Cleveland Indians
Regardless of his desire for more playing time, Francona began the 1959 season as a pinch hitter and utility man with his new franchise. After going five-for-nine with a home run in a June 7
doubleheader with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
, Francona replaced
Jim Piersall as Cleveland's starting
center fielder. Toward the end of the season, he was shifted to first base, with Indians regular
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Vic Power being shifted to
second base. For the season, he batted .363 with a career high 20 home runs and 79 RBIs to help the Indians to an 89–65 record and second place in the American League. His .363 average would have led the league, however, he fell 34
at-bats short of the 3.1 per game necessary to qualify. The
batting championship was awarded to the Detroit Tigers'
Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Edward Kuenn (; December 4, 1930 – February 28, 1988) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers (1952–1959), Clev ...
, with a .353
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
.
Francona was shifted to left field when the Indians acquired Kuenn for home run leader Rocky Colavito just prior to the start of the 1960 season. With Colavito gone, Francona was inserted in the clean-up spot in manager
Joe Gordon
Joseph Lowell Gordon (February 18, 1915 – April 14, 1978), nicknamed "Flash" in reference to the comic-book character ''Flash Gordon'', was an American second baseman, coach and manager in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yank ...
's batting order. After hitting only six home runs through the month of July, Francona was dropped to the number six spot in the batting order for August, and up to the number two spot in September. The moves helped, as he hit eleven home runs over the rest of the season to finish with seventeen. His 36
doubles led the American League.
On March 26, 1961, Francona hit a home run during a spring training exhibition game against the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
at
Hi Corbett Field
Hi Corbett Field is a baseball park in the southwestern United States, located in Tucson, Arizona. With a seating capacity of approximately 9,500, it was the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseb ...
. When John C. Cota, a city parks employee, went to retrieve the ball, he discovered the body of Fred Victor Burden, who was wanted by
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
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, map_caption = Interactive map ...
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
in connection with the shooting death of former
prize fighter
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...
James Cocio.
Francona was batting .293 with eleven home runs and 53 RBIs at the second
All-Star break of the 1961 season to be named to the American League All-Star squad for the only time in his career. He did not, however, appear in the game. For the season, he batted .301 with sixteen home runs, 85 RBIs and led American League
Left Fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
s in
Fielding Percentage.
Despite having emerged as one of the better fielding left fielders in the league, Francona was shifted to first base during Spring training in 1962 and finished the season leading the American League in
Double Plays turned as a first baseman. He drew the ire of Boston sports fans at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Bas ...
on June 11. With the game still scoreless, the Indians loaded the bases with two
outs
In baseball, an out occurs when the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a batter or runner is out, they lose their ability to score a run and must return to the dugout until their next turn at bat. When three outs are recorded in a ha ...
in the third inning. From first base, Francona yelled, "Hold it, Earl!" to Red Sox pitcher
Earl Wilson. Francona's distraction caused Wilson to half stumble off the mound and
balk
In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. Most of these violations involve pitchers pretending to pitch when they have no intention of doing so. In games played under the Official Baseball R ...
. Despite this being against baseball rules, Francona admitted after the game that he had indeed yelled to Wilson.
Francona slumped a little under new manager
Mel McGaha in 1962. When
Birdie Tebbetts
George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts (November 10, 1912 – March 24, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, ...
grabbed the reins in 1963, Francona was moved back into left, but his numbers dipped even further. His .228 batting average was a career low, and his ten home runs and 41 RBIs were his fewest over a full season. He was, however, part of baseball history on July 31, when he hit the third in a series of four consecutive home runs in a single inning against pitcher
Paul Foytack
Paul Eugene Foytack (November 16, 1930 – January 23, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and right-handed pitcher who appeared in 312 games in Major League Baseball between 1953 and 1964 for two American League clubs, the Detro ...
of the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
. This was the second time in baseball history that a team hit four consecutive home runs in a single inning. It has happened three times since, including once by the Red Sox while his son, Terry Francona, was managing.
The Indians acquired All-Star
Leon Wagner
Leon Lamar Wagner (May 13, 1934 – January 3, 2004) was an American professional baseball left fielder who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants (–, ), St. Louis Cardinals (), Los Angeles Angels (–), Cleveland Indi ...
to play left field prior to the 1964 season, so Francona split time between right and first base. After the season, he was dealt to the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
for a player to be named later and cash.
Journeyman years
The
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
champions were already set in their corner outfield positions and at first base; Francona was acquired strictly to strengthen their bench. He batted .259 in 1965, including .265 as a pinch hitter. He remained a pinch hitter with the Cards through 1966. During Spring training 1967, his contract was sold to the
Philadelphia Phillies.
Francona batted .205 with three RBIs filling in for an injured
Bill White at first base for the Phillies. Upon his healthy return, Francona was sold to the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
. He enjoyed something of a resurgence in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, batting .248 with six home runs and 25 RBIs over the remainder of the 1967 season. In 1968, he logged 398 plate appearances, his most since 1963, and batted .296 with 47 RBIs, his most since 1962.
Francona was batting .339 with fourteen RBIs in semi-regular action in 1969 before a dislocated thumb halted his season. He returned healthy toward the end of June, but batted just .219 with one home run and eight RBIs in his return before his contract was sold to the
Oakland A's
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
on August 22. He returned to his hitting ways, batting .341 with three home runs and twenty RBIs over the rest of the season. He split the 1970 season between the A's and
Milwaukee Brewers before retiring.
Career stats
His 1000th hit came off
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
All-Star
Ken McBride
Kenneth Faye McBride (born August 12, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. The right-handed pitcher worked in 151 games, 122 as a starter, in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox (1959–1960) and Los A ...
on April 23, 1964.
*
List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
Dozens of father-and-son combinations have played or managed in Major League Baseball (MLB).
The first was Jack Doscher, son of Herm Doscher, who made his debut in 1903.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. became the first father-and-son duo ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
In baseball, a doubles is recorded when the ball is hit so that the batter is able to advance to second base without an error by a defensive player. In Major League Baseball (MLB), the leader in each league (American League and National League) ...
Post-baseball career
Francona was the director of parks and recreation in
New Brighton, Pennsylvania
New Brighton is a borough in north-central Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Beaver River northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,719 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Histor ...
until retiring in 1997. He remained in New Brighton until his death at his home on February 13, 2018.
References
External links
Tito Franconaat SABR (Baseball BioProject)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francona, Tito
1933 births
2018 deaths
Aberdeen Pheasants players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American League All-Stars
Atlanta Braves players
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from Pennsylvania
Chicago White Sox players
Cleveland Indians players
Detroit Tigers players
Major League Baseball first basemen
Major League Baseball outfielders
Milwaukee Brewers players
Oakland Athletics players
People from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
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Philadelphia Phillies players
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