Terry Francona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Francona
Francona with the Cleveland Indians in 2016
Cincinnati Reds – No. 77
First baseman / Outfielder / Manager
Born: (1959-04-22) April 22, 1959 (age 66) Aberdeen, South Dakota, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
August 19, 1981, for the Montreal Expos
Last appearance
April 19, 1990, for the Milwaukee Brewers
MLB statistics (through September 27, 2023)
Batting average	.274
Home runs	16
Runs batted in	143
Managerial record	1,950–1,672
Winning %	.538
Teams
As player Montreal Expos (1981–1985) Chicago Cubs (1986) Cincinnati Reds (1987) Cleveland Indians (1988) Milwaukee Brewers (1989–1990) As manager Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000) Boston Red Sox (2004–2011) Cleveland Indians / Guardians (2013–2023) Cincinnati Reds (2025–present) As coach Detroit Tigers (1996) Texas Rangers (2002) Oakland Athletics (2003)
Career highlights and awards
2× World Series champion (2004, 2007) 3× AL Manager of the Year (2013, 2016, 2022) Golden Spikes Award (1980)
Medals Men's baseball Representing  United States Amateur World Series Silver 1978 Italy Team

Terrence Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), often called "Tito", is a well-known American professional baseball manager and former player. He is currently the manager for the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before this, he managed the Cleveland Indians/Guardians, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies. As a player, Francona played in MLB from 1981 to 1988 for several teams, including the Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians.

Francona became famous as a manager when he led the Boston Red Sox to their first championship since 1918. He won another World Series with Boston in 2007. In 2013, he became the manager for the Cleveland Indians. He led them to the American League pennant in 2016 and achieved a 22-game winning streak in 2017. This streak was the longest in American League history. He also became the all-time winningest manager for the Indians/Guardians.

Early Life and Baseball Roots

Terry Francona was born on April 22, 1959, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. His father, Tito Francona, was also a professional baseball player in MLB from 1956 to 1970. Terry grew up in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, where he played baseball in high school.

Playing Baseball in College and the Pros

Francona played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats baseball team at the University of Arizona. He also played for the United States team at the 1979 Pan American Games. In 1980, his college team won the 1980 College World Series, and Francona was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He also won the 1980 Golden Spikes Award, which goes to the best amateur baseball player in the U.S.

The Montreal Expos picked Francona in the first round of the 1980 MLB draft. He made his major league debut with Montreal on August 19, 1981. He mostly played as an outfielder at first. Later, he played more than 100 games at first base. He was known as a player who made good contact with the ball, meaning he didn't hit many home runs but also didn't strike out often.

After playing for the Expos, Francona signed one-year contracts with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers. His last game as a player was on April 19, 1990. Over 10 seasons, he played in 708 games. He had a career batting average of .274, with 16 home runs and 143 runs batted in. He even pitched once for the Brewers in 1989!

Becoming a Coach and Manager

After his playing career, Francona started coaching. He spent several years with the Chicago White Sox organization. He managed their minor league teams, including the Birmingham Barons from 1993 to 1995. In 1993, when the Barons won their league championship, Francona was named Manager of the Year.

In 1996, Francona became the third-base coach for the Detroit Tigers.

Managing the Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000)

After coaching, Francona was hired as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997. The Phillies had been struggling, and under Francona, they didn't finish higher than third place in their division. He managed the Phillies for four seasons, leaving after the 2000 season.

Before becoming a manager again, he worked as a special assistant for the Cleveland Indians in 2001. He then served as a bench coach for the Texas Rangers (2002) and Oakland Athletics (2003).

Managing the Boston Red Sox (2004–2011)

Francona as a manager for the Boston Red Sox in 2011

In 2004, the Boston Red Sox hired Francona as their manager. That year, he led the Red Sox to an amazing season. They had the second-best record in the American League. In the playoffs, they faced their big rivals, the New York Yankees, in the 2004 American League Championship Series. The Red Sox were losing 3-0 in the series, which meant the Yankees only needed one more win to advance. But the Red Sox made an incredible comeback, winning four games in a row! This was the first time in MLB history a team won a playoff series after being down 3-0.

After that historic win, the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in the 2004 World Series. This victory ended 86 years of waiting for Red Sox fans, as it was their first championship since 1918.

Francona led the Red Sox to another World Series title in 2007. They swept the Colorado Rockies in four games. Francona is the only manager in baseball history to win his first eight World Series games. He is also one of only two managers to lead the Red Sox to two World Series titles.

Francona managed the Red Sox until the end of the 2011 season. He finished his time with Boston with a great record, winning 744 games and losing 552.

Managing the Cleveland Indians / Guardians (2013–2023)

Francona signing autographs during the 2016 World Series

On October 6, 2012, Francona was hired as the manager of the Cleveland Indians. In his first year, he helped the team improve a lot, winning 92 games. He was named the American League Manager of the Year in 2013.

In 2016, Francona led the Indians to win their division. They made it to the 2016 World Series, where they played against the Chicago Cubs. The Indians took a 3-1 lead in the series, but the Cubs made a comeback and won the last three games. Francona was named American League Manager of the Year for the second time in 2016.

The 2017 season was another strong one for Cleveland. A major highlight was a 22-game winning streak from August 24 to September 15. This was the second-longest winning streak in MLB history and the longest ever in the American League! During this streak, the Indians were incredibly dominant, scoring many more runs than their opponents.

In 2021, Francona stepped away from managing for the rest of the season due to health issues. He had also missed most of the 2020 season for similar reasons. Despite these challenges, he returned in 2022.

In 2022, Francona led the team (now called the Cleveland Guardians) to another division title. He won his third American League Manager of the Year award that year. On October 3, 2023, Francona announced he was stepping down as manager, again due to health issues.

Managing the Cincinnati Reds (2025-present)

On October 4, 2024, Francona was hired as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, signing a three-year deal.

Managerial Record

Terry Francona has had a long and successful career as a manager. Here's a look at his regular season and postseason records:

Life Outside Baseball

Francona married Jacque Lang in 1982. They have four children: a son named Nicholas and three daughters, Alyssa, Leah, and Jamie. Nicholas played college baseball and was even drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Alyssa and Leah both played softball for the University of North Carolina. Jamie graduated from the United States Naval Academy.

Terry Francona's mother, Roberta, passed away in 1992, and his father, Tito, passed away in 2018.

Images for kids

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  Francona with the Cleveland Indians in 2016

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  Francona as a manager for the Boston Red Sox in 2011

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  Francona signing autographs during the 2016 World Series

See also