Ben Francisco

Louis Benjamin Francisco (born October 23, 1981) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has 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

He 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

He was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. He was recalled from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on May 1, 2007, and made his major league debut that night as a late-game defensive replacement. On June 29, 2007, 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, giving the Indians a 2–1, walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.