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 July 25, 2025)
Batting average	.274
Home runs	16
Runs batted in	143
Managerial record	2,004–1,722
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), known as "Tito", is an American professional baseball manager. 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.

Francona also played in MLB from 1981 to 1988. He played for teams like the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers. As a manager, he led the Boston Red Sox to two World Series championships in 2004 and 2007. He also led the Cleveland Indians to the American League pennant in 2016. Francona holds the record for most wins as a manager for the Indians/Guardians.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Francona was born on April 22, 1959, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. His father, Tito Francona, was also an MLB player. Terry grew up in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, and played baseball for his high school team.

College Baseball Star

Francona attended the University of Arizona. He played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats baseball team. In 1979, he represented the United States at the Pan American Games.

The Arizona Wildcats won the 1980 College World Series. Francona was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He also won the 1980 Golden Spikes Award, which goes to the best amateur baseball player in the U.S.

Playing Career in MLB

The Montreal Expos picked Francona in the first round of the 1980 MLB draft. He was the 22nd player chosen overall. After playing briefly in the minor leagues, Francona made his major league debut with Montreal on August 19, 1981.

He mostly played as an outfielder in his first year. He helped the Expos win a playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Later, he played more at first base. He was known as a "contact hitter," meaning he hit the ball often but didn't hit many home runs.

The Expos released Francona after the 1985 season. He then signed one-year contracts with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers. He played his last MLB game on April 19, 1990. In 10 seasons, he played 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, striking out one batter.

Coaching and Managing Career

After his playing days, Francona became a coach. He spent several years with the Chicago White Sox organization.

Early Coaching Roles

In 1991, he managed the Sarasota White Sox, a rookie league team. In 1992, he managed the South Bend White Sox. From 1993 to 1995, he managed the AA team, the Birmingham Barons. In 1993, his team won the Southern League championship. Francona was named Manager of the Year for the Southern League.

He also managed in the Dominican Winter League, winning a championship in 1995–96. In 1996, Francona became the third-base coach for the Detroit Tigers.

Managing the Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000)

In 1997, Francona was hired as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had been struggling, and under Francona, they never finished higher than third place in their division. His best record with the Phillies was 77 wins and 85 losses in 1999. He was fired after the 2000 season.

After leaving the Phillies, Francona 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).

Leading the Boston Red Sox (2004–2011)

Francona as a manager for the Boston Red Sox in 2011

The Red Sox hired Francona to manage their team in 2004. He led them to a great season, finishing with 98 wins and 64 losses. As the American League wild card team, the Red Sox swept the Anaheim Angels in the Division Series.

In the 2004 American League Championship Series, the Red Sox faced their rivals, the New York Yankees. They fell behind 3-0 in the series, meaning the Yankees needed just one more win to advance. But the Red Sox made an amazing 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.

The Red Sox then swept the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in the 2004 World Series. This was their first championship since 1918, ending 86 years of waiting for Red Sox fans.

In 2007, Francona led the Red Sox to another successful season. They won their division and swept the Angels again in the Division Series. After a tough ALCS against the Cleveland Indians, where they came back from a 3-1 deficit, the Red Sox won and advanced to the 2007 World Series. They swept the Colorado Rockies in four games, winning their second World Series title under Francona.

Francona is the only manager in MLB 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.

On June 2, 2009, Francona earned his 500th win as Red Sox manager. On July 23, 2011, he got his 1,000th career win as a manager. However, the Red Sox had a difficult September in 2011, losing a big lead for a playoff spot. After the season, the Red Sox decided not to extend Francona's contract. He finished his time with the Red Sox with 744 regular season wins.

Managing the Cleveland Indians / Guardians (2013–2023)

Francona signing autographs during the 2016 World Series

Francona was hired as manager of the Cleveland Indians on October 6, 2012. In his first season, the Indians improved greatly, finishing with 92 wins. On November 12, 2013, Terry Francona was named the American League Manager of the Year.

In 2016, Francona led the Indians to win their division. They swept the Boston Red Sox in the Division Series. On October 19, 2016, Francona's Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays to reach the 2016 World Series. They won Game 1 against the Chicago Cubs, extending Francona's World Series record to 9-0. However, the Cubs came back to win the series in Game 7. On November 15, 2016, Francona was named American League Manager of the Year for the second time.

The Indians had another strong season in 2017. 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. In April 2019, the Indians extended Francona's contract.

In 2021, Francona stepped away from the team for the rest of the year due to health issues. He had dealt with a blood clotting issue in 2020 and had toe surgery in 2021.

Francona returned for the 2022 season. He became the longest-serving manager in MLB with the same team. He also became the all-time leader in wins for the Indians/Guardians. In 2022, Francona led the Guardians to win their division again. He won the 2022 American League Manager of the Year award, his third time receiving this honor.

On October 3, 2023, Francona announced he was stepping down as manager, again due to health reasons.

Managing the Cincinnati Reds (2025–present)

Francona was hired as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds on October 4, 2024. He signed a three-year deal with the team. On July 13, 2025, Francona earned his 2,000th major league win when the Reds defeated the Colorado Rockies. He became the 13th manager in MLB history to reach this milestone.

Managerial Record

Broadcasting Career

After leaving the Red Sox in 2011, Francona worked as a baseball analyst for Fox Sports. He also joined ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball telecast in 2012. He contributed to ESPN.com and their Little League World Series coverage.

Personal Life

Terry Francona married Jacque Lang on January 9, 1982. They have four children: a son named Nicholas, and three daughters, Alyssa, Leah, and Jamie. Nicholas played college baseball and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Alyssa and Leah played softball for the University of North Carolina. Jamie graduated from the United States Naval Academy.

Francona is known for chewing tobacco during games. He and Indians' bench coach Brad Mills have been best friends since college. They have coached together on several teams.

Health Challenges

Francona has faced several health issues during his career. In 2005, he was hospitalized with chest pains. He has also dealt with pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs) and painful knees. These issues have led to circulation problems.

In 2017, Francona missed several games due to feeling lightheaded. He had a procedure called a catheter ablation to fix an irregular heartbeat. Because of his recovery, he had to miss the 2017 MLB All-Star Game, where he was supposed to coach.

Francona missed most of the 2020 season and all of the postseason due to a blood clotting issue. In 2021, he stepped away from managing for the rest of the season to focus on his health and recovery.

See also