Although Terry Francona has taken countless spins around the block, there still is a first time for everything.
When Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night, it was the first time a Francona-managed team has been no-hit in his career, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Lang. Francona’s streak spanned 20-plus seasons and 3,146 games. It was the third-longest in MLB history, trailing Bucky Harris (3,661 games) and Walter Alston (3,610), Lang noted, citing the Elias Sports Bureau.
Francona has managed in the big leagues since 1997, spending four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, eight with the Boston Red Sox and eight-plus with the Indians.
The Athletic’s Jayson Stark highlighted how long it has been since Francona managed a game that even featured a no-hitter.
“Weirdly, Francona actually hadn’t seen a no-hitter thrown for or against one of his teams in 13 years! Last no-hitter pitched for him: Jon Lester, on May 19, 2008,” Stark wrote.
It goes to show if you stick around MLB for long enough, you’re bound to witness even the rarest of occurrences eventually.
