Ben Francisco
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Louis Benjamin Francisco (born October 23, 1981), is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
, who is currently a major league
scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...
for the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
,
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
,
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
,
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
,
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
, and
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
.


Early life

Francisco is a 1999 graduate of
Servite High School Servite High School is a private, Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized ...
, a Roman Catholic high school for boys, in
Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...
, California where he played on the same baseball team as former Indians teammate
Ryan Garko Ryan Francis Garko (born January 2, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter. In college, he was a catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, San Francis ...
. He later attended and played baseball at
Cypress Junior College Cypress College is a public community college in Cypress, California. It is part of the California Community Colleges System and belongs to the North Orange County Community College District. It offers a variety of general education (55 associate ...
in 2000 and went on to play at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
in 2001 through 2003.


Professional career


Cleveland Indians

Francisco was selected by the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
in the fifth round (154th overall) of the
2002 Major League Baseball Draft The 2002 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 4 and 5. It is featured in Michael Lewis (author), Michael Lewis' 2003 book ''Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Moneyball''. First round selections Supplemental first r ...
. He was called up from the Triple-A
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
on May 1, , and made his major league debut that night as a late-game defensive replacement. On June 29, Francisco got his first
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization i ...
and his first
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
in his first major league start. His home run came leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, helping the Indians to a 2–1, walk-off win over the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based i ...
. Francisco played in 25 games with Cleveland during the 2007 season, batting .278 with three home runs and 12 RBI. Though Francisco had a strong performance during spring training in (.362 average, three home runs, 9 RBI, .617
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
), he was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on March 27. Francisco was recalled on April 22 when
Jake Westbrook Jacob Cauthen Westbrook (born September 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was known as a sinker ball pitcher. Westbrook made his major league debut with the New York Yankees, but was soon ...
was placed on the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
. After a two-game stint, he was optioned back to Buffalo, and recalled again on May 6. On June 5 against the Texas Rangers, Francisco became the fourth Indians rookie since 1948 to record five hits in a game, and the first since
Tommy Hinzo Thomas Lee Hinzo (born June 18, 1964) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians of the Major League Baseball (MLB) for 67 games during the 1987 Cleveland Indians sea ...
in 1987. Francisco ultimately finished the season batting .266 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI in 121 games. Francisco began the 2009 season with a .250 batting average, 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 89 games with Cleveland.


Philadelphia Phillies

On July 29, 2009, Francisco was traded to the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
along with reigning
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
winner
Cliff Lee Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, S ...
, for a selection of top minor league prospects including Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald,
Lou Marson Louis Glenn Marson (born June 26, 1986) is an American former professional baseball catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians, from through . Marson also played in the 2008 Summer Oly ...
, and Jason Knapp. He spent the remainder of 2009 as a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter with the Phillies, playing in 37 games and hitting .278 with five home runs and 13 RBI. Francisco also saw time during Philadelphia's postseason run, going hitless in 11
at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
while recording one
walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
in 11 games. In his first full season in Philadelphia, Francisco batted .268 with six home runs and 28 RBI in 88 games. He recorded his first career postseason hit and run scored in the
2010 National League Championship Series The 2010 National League Championship Series (NLCS) was a best-of-seven playoff series in Major League Baseball’s 2010 postseason that pitted the winners of the 2010 National League Division Series - the overall #1 seed Philadelphia Phillies a ...
, which ended in a series loss to the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. On January 15, 2011, Francisco signed a one-year, $1.175 million contract with the Phillies, avoiding arbitration. Following the departure of starting right fielder
Jayson Werth Jayson Richard Gowan Werth (born May 20, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2002 to 2017. His 15-season career was split among the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, P ...
, Francisco earned a regular spot in the Phillies' starting lineup at the onset of the 2011 season. By midseason, however, Francisco returned to his reserve role. He batted .244 with six home runs and 34 RBI in 100 games. Though limited in play during the second half of the year, Francisco had a clutch performance in Game 3 of the
2011 National League Division Series The 2011 National League Division Series (abbreviated NLDS) were two best-of-five playoffs comprising the opening round of the Major League Baseball postseason, played to determine the participating teams in the 2011 National League Championshi ...
against the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
. In a scoreless game, with
Shane Victorino Shane Patrick Victorino (born November 30, 1980), nicknamed "the Flyin' Hawaiian", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodge ...
on second, the Cardinals elected to intentionally walk Carlos Ruiz in order to face Francisco. After nearly hitting a home run against Jaime Garcia a few weeks earlier, Francisco blasted a 405-foot home run into the Phillies' bullpen. Francisco's home run ended up being the deciding factor as the Phillies defeated the Cardinals 3–2. The Phillies would go on to lose the series to the Cardinals in five games.


Toronto Blue Jays

On December 12, 2011, Francisco was traded to the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
in exchange for minor leaguer Frank Gailey.


Houston Astros

On July 20, 2012, the Blue Jays traded Francisco,
Francisco Cordero Francisco Javier Cordero (born May 11, 1975) is a Dominican Republic, Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, C ...
,
Asher Wojciechowski Randall Asher Wojciechowski ( ; born December 21, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees. Early life Wo ...
, David Rollins,
Joe Musgrove Joseph Anthony Musgrove (born December 4, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates. Musgrove was born i ...
, Carlos Pérez, and a
player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
(
Kevin Comer Kevin James Comer (born August 1, 1992) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Career Comer is a native of Shamong Township, New Jersey, and attended Seneca High School in Tabernacle Township, New Jersey. Toronto Blue Jays The ...
) to the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
for
J. A. Happ James Anthony Happ (born October 19, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He won the World Series as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, and was an Major League Basebal ...
,
Brandon Lyon Brandon James Lyon (born August 10, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and New Yor ...
, and
David Carpenter David Joseph Carpenter (born May 6, 1930), also called the Trailside Killer, is an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered various people in the San Francisco Bay Area between 1979 and 1981. He was Capital punis ...
.


Tampa Bay Rays

On August 31, 2012, the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
acquired Francisco for a player to be named later. He finished the 2012 season hitting a combined .240 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 82 games with Toronto, Houston and Tampa Bay.


New York Yankees

On January 21, 2013, Francisco signed a minor league contract with the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. The Indians released him on March 11. On March 11, 2013, Francisco signed a minor league contract with the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. He was added to the Yankees'
Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
roster. He was used as the
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
against left-handed pitchers but struggled drastically batting .103 in the month of April. Francisco was designated for assignment on May 26, and was released from the team on June 3. He hit .114 with four runs scored, a home run and RBI in 21 games.


Lancaster Barnstormers

On June 8, 2014, Francisco signed with the
Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Stormers (formerly known as the Lancaster Barnstormers) is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner l ...
of the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...
. He was active for the Barnstormers next game the following day against the
Camden Riversharks The Camden Riversharks were an United States, American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey, from 2001 to 2015. They were a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, then unaffiliated with ...
. In 57 games for Lancaster, Francisco slashed .242/.303/.390 with six home runs, 27 RBI, and four stolen bases.


Rieleros de Aguascalientes

On December 15, 2014, Francisco signed a minor league contract with the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
. On March 15, 2015, he was released by the Diamondbacks. On May 8, 2015, Francisco signed with the
Rieleros de Aguascalientes The Rieleros de Aguascalientes (English: Aguascalientes Railroaders) are a professional baseball team based in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes that competes in the Mexican League. Established in 1975, the Rieleros have won the Mexican League cha ...
of the
Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...
. In 14 games for Aguascalientes, he batted .244/.346/.267 with no home runs and five RBI. Francisco was released by the Rieleros on May 24.


Post-playing career

In 2016, Francisco was hired by the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
as a scout. In 2022, Francisco was inducted into the
Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame The Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame was started by the Buffalo Bisons organization in 1985 to honor former members of the Buffalo Bisons (1878, 1887–1888), Buffalo Bisons (1879–1885), Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970), Buffalo Bisons (1890), B ...
, in recognition of his three seasons with the
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Francisco, Ben 1981 births Living people African-American baseball players Akron Aeros players American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cleveland Indians players Cypress Chargers baseball players Dunedin Blue Jays players Houston Astros players Lake County Captains players Lancaster Barnstormers players Los Angeles Angels scouts Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Major League Baseball outfielders Mexican League baseball right fielders New Hampshire Fisher Cats players New York Yankees players Philadelphia Phillies players Rieleros de Aguascalientes players Servite High School alumni Baseball players from Santa Ana, California Tampa Bay Rays players Toronto Blue Jays players Tucson Padres players UCLA Bruins baseball players 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen Anchorage Glacier Pilots players