Tito Francona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tito Francona |
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| Outfielder / First baseman | |||
| Born: November 4, 1933 Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died: February 13, 2018 (aged 84) New Brighton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 17, 1956, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1970, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .272 | ||
| Home runs | 125 | ||
| Runs batted in | 656 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Patsy Francona (November 4, 1933 – February 13, 2018) was a professional Major League Baseball player. He was known by his nickname "Tito", which his father gave him when he was a child. His son, Terry Francona, who is a manager for the Cleveland Guardians, is also sometimes called "Tito."
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Early Career with the Orioles
Tito Francona started his baseball journey by signing with the St. Louis Browns in 1952. He spent two seasons playing in their minor league system. This is where young players develop their skills before joining the main team. After his time in the minor leagues, he served in the United States Army for two years.
When he returned, Francona joined the Orioles for Spring training in 1956. He played well enough to make the team! In his first year, he hit for a .258 average with nine home runs and 57 runs batted in. He even tied for second place in the American League Rookie of the Year award voting.
In 1957, Francona's role changed. He became more of a reserve player, meaning he didn't start every game. He was often used as a fourth outfielder or a pinch hitter (a player who bats in place of another). After this season, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox.
Moving to New Teams
Francona's time with the Chicago White Sox was very short. He won the starting right field job after a good spring training. However, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers on June 15, 1958.
With the Tigers, he didn't get much playing time because Hall of Famer Al Kaline was already playing right field. Francona wanted to play more, so he asked for another trade. In March 1959, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians.
Success with the Cleveland Indians
Even though he wanted more playing time, Francona started with the Cleveland Indians as a pinch hitter and utility player. A utility player can play many different positions. But soon, he got his chance to shine!
After a great performance in a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Francona became the starting center fielder. Later in the season, he moved to first base. In 1959, he had an amazing year, hitting .363 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs. His .363 average was very high, but he didn't have enough at-bats to officially win the batting championship.
In 1960, Francona moved to left field. He hit 17 home runs that year. He also led the American League with 36 doubles.
In 1961, Francona continued to play well. He was chosen for the All-Star team for the only time in his career. He finished the season with a .301 batting average, 16 home runs, and 85 RBIs. He was also known as one of the best fielding left fielders in the league.
In 1962, he moved to first base and led the American League in double plays turned by a first baseman. He was involved in a famous play at Fenway Park on June 11. With the bases loaded, Francona yelled to the Red Sox pitcher, which caused the pitcher to balk (make an illegal move). This allowed a run to score! Francona admitted he had yelled to distract the pitcher.
In 1963, his batting numbers dropped a bit. However, he was part of a historic moment on July 31. He hit one of four consecutive home runs in a single inning against the Los Angeles Angels. This was only the second time in baseball history that a team hit four home runs in a row in one inning!
After the 1964 season, Francona was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Later Years and Retirement
With the St. Louis Cardinals, Francona was mainly used as a pinch hitter. He batted .259 in 1965. In 1967, he was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies.
After a short time with the Phillies, he was sold to the Atlanta Braves. He played well in Atlanta, hitting .248 with six home runs in 1967. In 1968, he had a good season, batting .296 with 47 RBIs.
In 1969, a dislocated thumb caused him to miss some time. Later that year, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He finished his career playing for the A's and the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970 before retiring from baseball.
Career Statistics
Tito Francona played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball. Here are some of his career stats:
| Seasons | Games | PA | AB | Runs | Hits | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | Avg. | Slg. | OBP | Fld% |
| 15 | 1719 | 5775 | 5121 | 650 | 1395 | 224 | 34 | 125 | 656 | 46 | 544 | 694 | .272 | .403 | .343 | .988 |
His 1000th career hit happened on April 23, 1964, against Los Angeles Angels All-Star pitcher Ken McBride.
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Tito Francona worked as the director of parks and recreation in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. He retired from this job in 1997. He lived in New Brighton until he passed away at his home on February 13, 2018.
