Terry Francona’s phone rang in the middle of a news conference at Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday.
The crowd chuckled as the first few bars of Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” blared.
“Hopefully this is a great free agent who wants to go play for the Indians right now,” cracked Arizona baseball coach Jay Johnson, who was seated next to the former Wildcat.
“That was Brad Mills,” Francona joked, referencing his co-worker and former UA teammate. “He wanted to donate another $10 or $15.”
We don’t know who was on the other end of Francona’s cell. We do know that Francona contributed a significantly greater sum to his former school.
The exact figure: $1 million. The donation will go toward the baseball capital projects fund, including an indoor hitting facility that will be named after Francona. His gift is the 32nd seven-figure donation in UA history, interim athletic director Erika Barnes said.
“The first thing I want to say is thank you,” Johnson said. “It’s not just the money. It’s the person. I can’t think of anybody’s name I’d rather have on that facility than Terry. You’re talking about a Hall of Fame person in everything he does.”
The Cleveland Indians manager’s donation comes on the heels of a $1 million matching gift made by an anonymous donor after Arizona’s run to the College World Series finals last year. More than $300,000 has been raised via the matching program, according to a news release.
Construction on the hitting facility will begin this summer, with a goal of being completed by fall. It will be located in the current footprint of the batting cages behind the right-field wall at Hi Corbett. Those cages are only partially enclosed and out of date by Pac-12 standards.
Francona spoke extensively Tuesday about giving back to the university that gave him so much. Francona played for the UA from 1978-80, helping the Wildcats win the College World Series in his final season and winning the Golden Spikes Award. Francona became a coach and manager after a 10-year major-league career. He led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and ’07, and last season guided Cleveland to within one win of its first Series crown since 1948.
“I always wanted to make enough money where I could do something for other people,” Francona said. “It took me a while. I didn’t do it as a player. Now as a manager, maybe I can.
“It feels good to give back because I was given a lot when I was here. I was given my future.”
Francona credited numerous others for his success. Several were in attendance Tuesday, including former UA coaches Jerry Kindall and Jerry Stitt. Seven current players attended the announcement, as did 2016 postseason standout Bobby Dalbec.
Inside pitch
- Arizona is ranked 16th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, which was released Tuesday.
