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MLB

Fresno Grizzlies Skipper named Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year

Manager Tony DeFrancesco pioneered a baseball revival in the Central Valley by bringing the city of Fresno their first taste of a championship
By
December 1, 2015

FRESNO, Calif. (Dec 1, 2015) - Baseball America announced that Fresno Grizzlies manager Tony DeFrancesco has been named the 2015 Minor League Manager of the Year. The 52-year-old skipper led the Grizzlies to their first-ever Pacific Coast League and National Championships in his first year with the club, and picked up the first division title for the franchise since their inaugural 1998 season. He becomes the first Fresno manager to receive the award and is now the second Astros minor league manager to earn the honor, with Jackie Moore grabbing the accolade in 2001 for leading then Double-A Round Rock to an 86-54 season.

   "We had [players] who bought into the Astros' system," DeFrancesco stated. "These guys did the work, they took the information we gave them and then they applied it. We led the [Pacific Coast League] in runs (5.6 per game), on-base percentage (.357), walks (606), and we tied in stolen bases (157)."  

   The 2015 Grizzlies only spent only one day below .500, put together a winning record in each month of the season, and became the first club in all of Triple-A Baseball to clinch their division thanks to a 19-1 run to begin the month of August. The impressive stretch began with an 8-1 homestand and concluded with a franchise-tying 11-game win streak. With a regular season record of 84-59, the Grizzlies went on to down El Paso in the opening round of the playoffs, defeat the Round Rock Express for the PCL title and blank the Columbus Clippers, 7-0, in the Triple-A National Championship.  

   The upcoming 2016 campaign will be DeFrancesco's sixth consecutive season as the Astros Triple-A manager, 22nd season as a Minor League Baseball manager, and 32nd overall in professional baseball. He'll begin the season 47 wins shy of 1,500 for his minor league managerial career that includes two Triple-A National Championships, four Pacific Coast League Championships, and 10 Division Titles. 

   "We're incredibly proud of Tony for being recognized with this award," stated Grizzlies GM Derek Franks. "In switching affiliations, expectations were never higher for our franchise and a lot of people thought nothing less than a championship would equal failure. Tony embraced that all-or-nothing attitude and established a baseball revival in the city of Fresno."

   The Phoenix, Arizona native has secured a winning season in 17 of 21 seasons as a skipper, including each of the past four years. He ranks tied for third with Del Crandall for the most championships in PCL history, while his soon-to-be 13th season managing in the circuit will rank him sixth all time in the modern era (since 1958). 

   The defending champion Grizzlies open the 2016 season on the road and play their home opener on Friday, April 15th at Chukchansi Park against the Las Vegas 51s, Triple-A affiliate of the 2015 National League Champion New York Mets. Ticket plans for the upcoming season are currently on sale and can be purchased by contacting a representative at 559.320.TIXS between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.

ABOUT THE FRESNO GRIZZLIES

The 2015 National Champion Fresno Grizzlies, Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, are a member of the 16-team Pacific Coast League and are one of 30 teams in the world playing the highest level of Minor League Baseball. The 2015 season was one of historic proportions for the team and city of Fresno, as the Grizzlies secured their first-ever Pacific Coast League and Triple-A National Championships. Learn about 2016 ticket plans by calling the front office at 559.320.TIXS between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. Visit FresnoGrizzlies.com for more information or follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.