Tito Francona
Born: 11/4/1933 in Aliquippa, PA, USA
Died: 2/13/2018 in New Brighton, PA, USA
MLB Debut: 1956-04-17 | Final Game: 1970-09-29
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: John Patsy Francona
Biography
Tito Francona was an accomplished Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1956 to 1970. Born in 1933, he made a name for himself as a position player, appearing in 1,719 games throughout his tenure in the league. Francona was known for his solid batting skills, finishing his career with a .272 batting average. He recorded 1,395 hits, including 125 home runs and 656 RBIs, demonstrating his ability to contribute significantly to his teamsโ offensive efforts. Additionally, he showcased his speed on the bases, stealing 46 bases during his career.
Francona's performance earned him one All-Star selection, highlighting his status as one of the notable players of his era. He played during a transformative period in baseball, where the game was evolving, and players were beginning to break away from the traditional styles of play. His contributions on the field and ability to adapt to the changing dynamics of baseball left a lasting impact, and he remains a respected figure in the history of the sport.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1719 | 5121 | 650 | 1395 | 224 | 34 | 125 | 656 | 46 | 544 | 694 | 0.272 | 0.343 | 0.403 | 0.746 | 6861.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | BAL | AL | 139 | 445 | 62 | 115 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 57 | 11 | 51 | 60 | 0.258 | -223.9 |
| 1957 | BAL | AL | 97 | 279 | 35 | 65 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 38 | 7 | 29 | 48 | 0.233 | -381.5 |
| 1958 | CHW | AL | 41 | 128 | 10 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 24 | 0.258 | -130.9 |
| 1958 | DET | AL | 45 | 69 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 16 | 0.246 | -130.9 |
| 1959 | CLE | AL | 122 | 399 | 68 | 145 | 17 | 2 | 20 | 79 | 2 | 35 | 42 | 0.363 | 2880.8 |
| 1960 | CLE | AL | 147 | 544 | 84 | 159 | 36 | 2 | 17 | 79 | 4 | 67 | 67 | 0.292 | 1957.8 |
| 1961 | CLE | AL | 155 | 592 | 87 | 178 | 30 | 8 | 16 | 85 | 2 | 56 | 52 | 0.301 | 1593.1 |
| 1962 | CLE | AL | 158 | 621 | 82 | 169 | 28 | 5 | 14 | 70 | 3 | 47 | 74 | 0.272 | 74.7 |
| 1963 | CLE | AL | 142 | 500 | 57 | 114 | 29 | 0 | 10 | 41 | 9 | 47 | 77 | 0.228 | -524.8 |
| 1964 | CLE | AL | 111 | 270 | 35 | 67 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 1 | 44 | 46 | 0.248 | 668.5 |
| 1965 | STL | NL | 81 | 174 | 15 | 45 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 30 | 0.259 | 181.9 |
| 1966 | STL | NL | 83 | 156 | 14 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 27 | 0.212 | -454.4 |
| 1967 | ATL | NL | 82 | 254 | 28 | 63 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 1 | 20 | 34 | 0.248 | -70.7 |
| 1967 | PHI | NL | 27 | 73 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0.205 | -70.7 |
| 1968 | ATL | NL | 122 | 346 | 32 | 99 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 47 | 3 | 51 | 45 | 0.286 | 1051.6 |
| 1969 | ATL | NL | 51 | 88 | 5 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 0.295 | 143.5 |
| 1969 | OAK | AL | 32 | 85 | 12 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 0.341 | 143.5 |
| 1970 | ATL | AL | 52 | 65 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 0.231 | -208.4 |
| 1970 | OAK | AL | 32 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0.242 | -208.4 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 475 | 394 | 3715 | 271 | 44 | 339 |
| OF | 911 | 844 | 1581 | 34 | 26 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | BAL | 1B | 21 | 8 | 86 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 1956 | BAL | OF | 122 | 103 | 240 | 10 | 6 | 1 |
| 1957 | BAL | 1B | 4 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1957 | BAL | OF | 73 | 61 | 119 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958 | CHA | OF | 35 | 33 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958 | DET | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | DET | OF | 18 | 13 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | CLE | 1B | 35 | 33 | 296 | 19 | 1 | 21 |
| 1959 | CLE | OF | 64 | 62 | 136 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1960 | CLE | 1B | 13 | 7 | 68 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| 1960 | CLE | OF | 138 | 135 | 278 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1961 | CLE | 1B | 14 | 13 | 106 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| 1961 | CLE | OF | 138 | 134 | 289 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 1962 | CLE | 1B | 158 | 156 | 1402 | 127 | 22 | 157 |
| 1963 | CLE | 1B | 11 | 8 | 77 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 1963 | CLE | OF | 122 | 118 | 215 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1964 | CLE | 1B | 17 | 7 | 92 | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| 1964 | CLE | OF | 69 | 59 | 65 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1965 | SLN | 1B | 13 | 11 | 102 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 1965 | SLN | OF | 34 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | SLN | 1B | 30 | 21 | 210 | 18 | 3 | 20 |
| 1966 | SLN | OF | 9 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | ATL | 1B | 56 | 51 | 503 | 32 | 5 | 36 |
| 1967 | ATL | OF | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | PHI | 1B | 24 | 17 | 167 | 14 | 0 | 15 |
| 1967 | PHI | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | ATL | 1B | 33 | 30 | 293 | 10 | 2 | 17 |
| 1968 | ATL | OF | 65 | 64 | 89 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1969 | ATL | 1B | 7 | 5 | 43 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 1969 | ATL | OF | 15 | 15 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1969 | OAK | 1B | 19 | 17 | 158 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 1969 | OAK | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | ML4 | 1B | 13 | 6 | 76 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970 | OAK | 1B | 6 | 3 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1970 | OAK | OF | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 475 |
| Left Field | 543 |
| Center Field | 105 |
| Right Field | 301 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 5th | 102.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1956 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 2nd | 1.0 | 24 | 1 |