Tony Franklin (baseball)

Last updated

Anthony Wayne Franklin (born June 9, 1950, at Portland, Maine) is an American manager in minor league baseball and a former infielder in the minor leagues. He spent eight seasons as manager of the Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees from 2007 to 2014, and led the Thunder to three Eastern League championships (2007, 2008, and 2013) and two additional division titles (2010; 2012). In 2015, he was named manager of the Pulaski Yankees in Virginia. [1]

Contents

Early life

Franklin graduated from Centennial High School in Compton, California, and attended Los Angeles City College.

Career

Drafted and signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1970, Franklin had a nine-year minor league career in the Cincinnati, Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos farm systems. In his finest season, 1973 with the Trois-Rivières Aigles of the Eastern League, Franklin batted .267 with 27 extra base hits in 116 games. As a player, he was a switch hitter who threw right-handed, and stood 5'10" (178 cm) tall, who weighed 165 pounds (75 kg). During his nine-year playing career, he batted .231 in 2,740 at bats with 13 home runs and 221 runs batted in.

Franklin's managing and coaching responsibilities began with the Baltimore Orioles in 1979 as a coach with their Rochester Red Wings Triple-A farm club. After three years in the Oriole system, Franklin became a manager in 1982 with the Cubs' Short Season Class A team, the Geneva Cubs of the New York–Penn League. After managing lower-level Cub affiliates for five seasons, Franklin moved to the Chicago White Sox farm system, and eventually reached the Double-A level with the 1991–92 Birmingham Barons. Franklin managed with the White Sox organization in 1989–93. He led the 1991 Barons to the Southern League championship where they lost in the league finals. He also managed the South Bend White Sox to the Midwest League championship in 1993.

He was the minor league infield instructor for the San Diego Padres in 1996–2006 and was interim skipper of the 2000 Las Vegas Stars of the Pacific Coast League before assuming his current post with the Yankees' organization in 2007.

Through 2014, his 19-year minor-league managerial record was 1,220–1,117 (.522) with three league championships. On June 2, 2012, Franklin won his 1,000th career regular season ballgame.

In January 2015, the Yankees named Al Pedrique manager of the 2015 Thunder, but noted that Franklin will remain in the Bombers' organization. [2] He was named the 2015 manager of the Pulaski Yankees of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. [3]

Related Research Articles

The following are the baseball events of the year 2003 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1999 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Elia</span> American baseball player and manager (born 1937)

Lee Constantine Elia is an American former professional baseball infielder, who played only sparingly in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox (1966) and Chicago Cubs (1968). Following his playing career, he managed the Cubs (1982–1983) and Philadelphia Phillies (1987–1988), and served as a coach for the Phillies, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners. Elia was hired by the Atlanta Braves as a special assistant to general manager Frank Wren in November, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 in baseball</span> Overview of the events of 1991 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1991 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1982 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1986 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1988 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1979 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1977 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1976 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Gardner</span> American baseball player and manager (1927–2024)

William Frederick Gardner was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his ten-season active career in the major leagues, Gardner was a second baseman for the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox. His only significant time on any team was with Baltimore, where he spent four consecutive full seasons from 1956 to 1959. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.83 m) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg). After retiring as a player, he spent over 20 years as a coach or manager, and managed the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals during the 1980s.

Alexander Peter Grammas was an American professional baseball infielder, manager and coach. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Grammas played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Redlegs and Chicago Cubs. He threw and batted right-handed, and was listed as 6 feet (1.83 m) tall and 175 pounds (79 kg). Grammas's family origins are from Agios Dimitrios, Greece.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1959 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Moss</span> American baseball player and manager (1925-2012)

John Lester Moss was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns for the most significant portion of his career, and was a backup catcher almost all his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Buford</span> American baseball player (born 1937)

Donald Alvin Buford is an American former professional baseball player scout, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1963 through 1972, most notably as the leadoff hitter for the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1969 to 1971 and, won the World Series in 1970. He also played for the Chicago White Sox and played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league from 1973 to 1976. Buford also played as an infielder and was a switch hitter who threw right-handed. In 1993, Buford was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.

The following are the baseball events of the year 2007 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Majeski</span> American baseball player (1916-1991)

Henry Majeski was an American professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1955 for the Boston Bees/Braves (1939–41), New York Yankees (1946), Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox (1950–51), Cleveland Indians (1952–55) and Baltimore Orioles (1955). He was known as one of the best fielding third basemen of his era, setting a major league single-season record for third basemen with a .988 fielding percentage in 1947.

James Franklin Stewart was an American Major League Baseball utility man and scout. During his active career, he appeared in 777 MLB games for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros over ten seasons between 1963 and 1973. He was a switch hitter who threw right handed, and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 165 pounds (75 kg).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Hyde</span> American baseball player and manager

Brandon Michael Hyde is an American professional baseball manager for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hyde had previously served as the bench coach, director of player development, and first base coach for the Chicago Cubs, and as a bench coach and interim manager for the Florida Marlins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garrett Cooper</span> American baseball player (born 1990)

Garrett Nicholas Cooper is an American professional baseball first baseman and right fielder in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox. Cooper was an All-Star in 2022.

References

  1. "Pulaski Yankees Announce 2015 Managing Staff". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  2. milb.com 2015.01.08
  3. Leventhal, Josh, ed. (2015). Baseball America 2015 Directory. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN   978-1-932391-56-5.
Preceded by Trenton Thunder manager
2007–2014
Succeeded by