The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame has announced that 2015 Pan American Games gold medalist Jeff Francis is the lone inductee elected to the Class of 2022.
He will be inducted alongside the 2020 inductees, including former Baseball Canada alumnus Justin Morneau and World Series winners John Olerud and Duane Ward, on 18 June.
Francis started 217 Major League Baseball (MLB) games as a left-handed pitcher in an 11-year career. He spent eight MLB seasons with the Colorado Rockies and played for the Oakland A's, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.
The 41-year old pitched 215.3 innings and combined 72 wins, going two digits for three straight years, 2005, 2006, 2007. His best season was 2007, with 17 wins.
Francis also represented Canada in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
"I was so excited to get the news from the Hall of Fame of my induction," said Francis in a Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame news release. "When I see the list of people and players that I will be joining on the walls in St. Marys, I'm honoured and humbled to be considered to be on that level. I consider this not just a recognition of my achievements in the game, but of the coaching, mentorship, and support I've received from so many other people."
"On behalf of Baseball Canada and its provincial members, I’d like to congratulate Jeff and his family on this wonderful achievement of enshrinement into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame," said Baseball Canada CEO Jason Dickson. "Jeff realized a dream of many young Canadian ball players in reaching the major leagues while also representing his country on the international stage including a memorable gold medal performance at the 2015 Pan Am Games."
