One of the best Canadian pitchers to ever take the mound in Major League Baseball will soon be a Hall of Famer.
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that Jeff Francis will be inducted into the hall this summer. Francis, the only member of the class of 2022, will be inducted at a ceremony in St. Marys this summer. He'll be joined by the class of 2020, which includes former Blue Jays greats John Olerud and Duane Ward, former MLB first baseman Justin Morneau, and longtime Montreal Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet. The class of 2020 ceremony had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
“Jeff Francis is one of the greatest left-handed pitchers to come from Canada,” said Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Board Chair Jeremy Diamond. “He was the ace of the Colorado Rockies on their National League pennant-winning team in 2007 and is considered one of the best pitchers in Rockies’ history. He has also answered the call to play for his country whenever he has been available and is a wonderful ambassador for baseball in our country.”
Francis, who was born in Vancouver, B.C. in 1981 and makes his home in London, was selected in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies, who had the ninth pick in the draft. After parts of three seasons in the minor leagues, during which he was named the Minor League Player of the Year (2004) by Baseball America and USA Today, Francis made his Major League debut with the Rockies in 2004.
His best season was 2007, when he went 17-9 with an Earned Run Average of 4.22 and led the Rockies to the World Series, where they lost to the Boston Red Sox in four straight games. The 2008 season was a tough one for Francis, as he battled shoulder problems that would eventually lead to surgery and keep him out of action for the entire 2009 season.
Following his time with Colorado, Francis went on to pitch for the Kansas City Royals, the Cincinnati Reds, the Rockies again, the Oakland A's, the New York Yankees, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
He announced his retirement in December of 2015.
In addition to Major League uniforms, Francis also wore the red and white of Canada at two international events. He pitched for Canada in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and was part of Canada's gold medal winning team at the 2015 Pan-Am Games.
“I was so excited to get the news from the Hall of Fame of my induction,” said Francis. “When I see the list of people and players that I will be joining on the walls in St. Marys, I’m honoured and humbled to be considered to be on that level. This is not something that is ever in an athlete’s mind during his or her playing days, but in the time since my last days of playing, I’ve become proud of what I accomplished in baseball. I consider this not just a recognition of my achievements in the game, but of the coaching, mentorship, and support I’ve received from so many other people.”
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for June 18, 2022.