Ben Francisco

Louis Benjamin Francisco (born October 23, 1981), is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who is currently a major league scout for the Los Angeles Angels. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees.

Early life Francisco is a 1999 graduate of Servite High School, a Roman Catholic high school for boys, in Anaheim, California where he played on the same baseball team as former Indians teammate Ryan Garko. He later attended and played baseball at Cypress Junior College in 2000 and went on to play at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2001 through 2003.

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

Francisco was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. He was called up from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons 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 and his first home run 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. Francisco played in 25 games with Cleveland during the 2007 season, batting .278 with three home runs and 12 RBI. Francisco was recalled on April 22 when Jake Westbrook was placed on the disabled list. 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 in 1987. Francisco ultimately finished the season batting .266 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI in 121 games. 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. Following the departure of starting right fielder Jayson Werth, 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. 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 in exchange for minor leaguer Frank Gailey.

Houston Astros On July 20, 2012, the Blue Jays traded Francisco, Francisco Cordero, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins, Joe Musgrove, Carlos Pérez, and a player to be named later (Kevin Comer) to the Houston Astros for J. A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, and David Carpenter.

Tampa Bay Rays On August 31, 2012, the Tampa Bay Rays 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. The Indians released him on March 11.

On March 11, 2013, Francisco signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He was added to the Yankees' Opening Day roster. He was used as the designated hitter 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. 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. On March 15, 2015, he was released by the Diamondbacks.

On May 8, 2015, Francisco signed with the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican League. 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 as a scout.

In 2022, Francisco was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame, in recognition of his three seasons with the Buffalo Bisons.