Just as pitchers and catchers were reporting to their respective spring training destinations in either Arizona’s Cactus League or Florida’s Grapefruit League, the baseball world received news that no doubt clouded the usual excitement of the start of a new season. Tito Francona, a 15-year Major League Baseball veteran and father of current Cleveland Indians manager Terry, passed away on February 13 at age 84.
Although his son has become better known thanks to various championships and World Series pennants, Tito really enjoyed a better career on the field. In addition to being a solid left-handed hitter and center fielder or first baseman, Tito also had quite a few distinctions regarding his tenure in the majors.
For one thing, he was traded twice for Larry Doby, the first black player to appear in the American League. The Baltimore Orioles sent Francona to the White Sox in 1957, and two years later the Detroit Tigers sent him to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Doby once more.
In addition, Francona was the last amateur free agent signed by the St. Louis Browns, who acquired him in 1953. The following season that organization became the Baltimore Orioles.
Another interesting detail is that his real name is John Patsy Francona, which leaves him as the only player in the history of the game to have had that unusual middle name. Fortunately, he and his wife chose not to give that name to their son Terry, who followed in his father’s shoes when he became a major league player.
As part of the team that during the 1969 season had been the Seattle Pilots, Francona was the first player released by the Milwaukee Brewers. His last at-bat was during that 1970 season against the Oakland Athletics’ Catfish Hunter, who struck out him on five pitches.
More than a decade before 1959 for the Indians, Francona had the highest batting average in all of baseball. Its 363 c! Lip was ten points higher than Harvey Kuenn, who was credited with the batting title because Francona was 24 plate appearances away before qualifying.
Despite playing for nine different teams during his fifteen-year career, Francona never made the postseason. However, Tito experienced the World Series 47 years after his retirement, when he made the ceremonial first pitch in the 2017 Fall Classic between his son’s Cleveland Indians club and the Chicago Cubs.
