Terry Francona may only be known as the former manager of the Boston Red Sox who broke the World Series draught, but in Tucson he will always be remembered for being an All-American right fielder for the Arizona Wildcats. Now that he is not managing the Red Sox, Francona found some time to come back to the UA and will be honored at halftime of the Arizona-Oregon game on Saturday afternoon.
According to Anthony Gimino of TucsonCitizen.com, Francona will be honored for his induction into the College Baseball Hall Of Fame this past year. Current UA baseball coach Andy Lopez and former head coaches Jerry Kindall and Jerry Stitt, as well as longtime assistant Jim Wing, will be on hand to help pay tribute to Francona as well.
Many fans remember the former manager and current ESPN analyst helped lead Arizona to a national championship in 1980, where he was named the collegiate player of the year for his efforts in right field and at the plate.
The Wildcats will tipoff against Oregon at 1:30 p.m., with the halftime ceremony likely coming an hour or so after the start.