Tito Francona

John Patsy "Tito" Francona (November 4, 1933 – February 13, 2018) was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who played for nine teams. He was nicknamed "Tito" by his father when he was a child.

Francona originally signed with the St. Louis Browns in 1952. He spent two seasons in the Browns/Baltimore Orioles' farm system—the franchise relocated to Baltimore and was renamed on September 29, 1953—before leaving to serve two years in the U.S. Army. After his return, he was invited to spring training in 1956 as a non-roster invitee and made the club. He batted .258 with nine home runs and 57 runs batted in, finishing tied with the Cleveland Indians' Rocky Colavito for second place in American League Rookie of the Year balloting, behind Chicago White Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio.

After the Orioles acquired Al Pilarcik during the offseason, Francona lost his starting job in right field and was demoted to the Pacific Coast League's Vancouver Mounties early in the 1957 season. He returned to hit two home runs in a game for the first time in his career on May 19 against the Kansas City Athletics, raising his season average to an even .300.