With the Mets unhappy with the way things have unfolded down in Triple-A the past few seasons, the organization has decided to begin giving the team a decidedly New York makeover.
That meant purchasing the Syracuse Chiefs to become the team’s new Triple-A affiliate beginning in 2019. It also meant hiring New York native Tony DeFrancesco to be the new manager.
Before embarking on his professional playing and coaching career, DeFrancesco was a local guy through and through. DeFrancesco was raised in Suffern, NY, and he was a star of the high school baseball team. He turned down a chance to sign with the California Angels; instead enrolling at Seton Hall University where he would catch for three seasons.
DeFrancesco’s leaving Seton Hall indirectly paved the way for what would be considered the best stretch in Astros’ history. DeFrancesco’s replacement at catcher would be converted infielder Craig Biggio, who was drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft as a catcher and would go on to become the first Astros player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Biggio and the “Killer Bs” had the best stretch in team history going to their first World Series in 2005.
The Astros are back there with a core that arguably rivals the Killer Bs. This time, DeFrancesco had a more direct impact on the Astros rise to prominence.
Over the past four years, DeFrancesco has served as the manager of the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies. During that run, the Grizzlies would win their first ever championship, and DeFrancesco would be named the 2014 Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year.
This would be the second time DeFrancesco would win a Triple-A championship. As the manager of the Oakland Athletics Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, the team would win the 2004 and 2007 championships. DeFrancesco would also be named the 2003 Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year and Baseball America’s Minor League Manager of the Year.
But Triple-A is not just about winning. It’s about player development. To that end, DeFrancesco is a well regarded manager who could very well be the best in the sport.
Over his managerial career, DeFrancesco’s reputation is that of an analytical manager who not only fosters good relationships with his players, but as one that gets the most out of them.
We have certainly seen that with some of the All-Star Major League players who were managed by DeFrancesco in the Athletics and Astros organizations, including Aaron Harang, Nick Swisher, Andre Ethier, Huston Street, Andrew Bailey, Sean Doolittle, Gio Gonzalez, Josh Donaldson, Dallas Keuchel, George Springer, and Carlos Correa.
He’s also tough when he needs to be. Perhaps, DeFrancesco showed his toughness most in 2015 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He would beat that cancer, and he would return to the dugout to continue being the exceptional minor league manager he is.
Still, like all minor leaguers, DeFrancesco wants to be in the majors. As DeFrancesco would tell The Fresno Bee, “Every guy that sits behind this desk, I’m assuming that’s what their goal is. I had a small window. I got 41 games in, and it was like a dream come true. Hopefully one day I’ll get another shot at it.”
The 41 games he is referring to there was the end of the 2012 season. With the Astros were in a state of upheaval from all aspects of the organization, including ownership, DeFrancesco got his chance to manage. As luck would have it, his first win would come in his native New York against the New York Mets.
During that 2012 season, DeFrancesco would go 16-25 as the Astros interim manager. He would get an opportunity to interview for the job in the offseason finishing a close second to Bo Porter. With the Astros still valuing him, they had him return to Triple-A to manage.
He was with the Astros Triple-A affiliate for five more years, and now DeFrancesco is the Triple-A coach for the New York Mets. Like with the Astros, DeFrancesco will “enjoy the kids and getting guys to the big leagues.” Judging from his minor league career, there are few better at it than him.
