Longtime MLB player and father of Indians manager dead at 84
John Patsy Francona, better known as “Tito,” died Tuesday at his home in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. He was 84.
Francona, the father of Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona, was an MLB All-Star in 1961.
He batted .272 over an illustrious 15-year career, the bulk of it being spent in Cleveland with the Indians.
It's with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of former Tribe great John Patsy "Tito" Francona, father of our current manager Terry Francona. Our thoughts are with the entire Francona family during this time. pic.twitter.com/www63kiltB
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) February 14, 2018
Tito Francona placed fifth in the MVP voting in 1959, slashing .363/.414/.566 in 122 games.
The baseball world took to social media to pay its respects Wednesday:
The #HOF remembers former @Indians All-Star Tito Francona, father of current Indians manager Terry Francona, who has passed away at age 84. pic.twitter.com/y0TL3XIJoF
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) February 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/963807094418808832
Oh man… so sorry to hear this – Tito was Da BOMB in CLE pic.twitter.com/CICDnPtrXu
— Steve Magas (@OhioBIkeLawyer) February 14, 2018
Francona was very proud of his son’s accomplishments: Terry won the World Series twice as manager of the Boston Red Sox.
But one thing Tito never did was take credit for Terry’s successes.
“In the long run,” he told Rich Pasquale in a Cleveland.com interview last year, “if you’re going to play ball, you do it yourself. No one is going to be there with you.”
Francona was a fan favorite when he would travel to watch his son manage the Indians.
“He certainly enjoyed his time coming up [to Cleveland] and talking to people,” Pasquale said. “He always took the time, from what I understood. Time he would take with people when he played, and when he was done playing. He wasn’t just signing his name; he would spend time and talk to people.”
The last game that Tito would attend at Progressive Field in Cleveland would be last year’s American League Division Series.
The Indians beat Yankees in that game in the 13th inning on a walk-off single by Yan Gomes.
Cleveland went on to lose the series to New York.
Francona, who lost his first wife, Roberta, to breast cancer in 1992, remarried and is survived by his second wife, Jean.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Franconas during this difficult time.
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