Roger LaFrançois: The Catcher Who Coached Generations
Roger LaFrançois’s story is more than just a .400 average with the Red Sox—it’s a career of teaching, coaching, and leading in the minor leagues.
Jul 19, 20254.1K Shares166.4K Views
Roger Victor LaFrançois was born on August 2, 1956, in Norwich, Connecticut. He grew up in that area and later attended Eastern Connecticut State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Oklahoma during his college years. During the summers of 1975 and 1976, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Orleans Cardinals and was named a league all‑star in 1976.
Playing Career
Roger LaFrançoiswas drafted in the eighth round by the Boston Red Sox in the 1977 MLB Draft. He spent five seasons playing in their minor league system before earning a spot on Boston’s major league roster in 1982. As a third-string catcher, he appeared in eight MLB games and went 4-for-10 at the plate, finishing with an impressive .400 batting average, including a two-hit game on October 3 that helped the Red Sox win in extra innings at Yankee Stadium. Despite being on the roster for the full season, he had limited playing time behind the main catchers Allenson and Gedman.
He continued playing in the minor leagues through 1984 and even had a final stint in 1985 before retiring from active play. Over eight seasons in the minors, he appeared in 560 games and had a .249 average with 39 home runs and 217 RBIs.
Coaching And Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, LaFrançois began a long coaching career. He first served as rookie‑level manager for the Jamestown Expos in 1988, leading that team to a league title and earning New York‑Penn League Manager of the Year honors. Over the next decade, he managed and coached at many minor league levels, teams such as the Bangor Blue Ox, Pittsfield Mets, Brooklyn Cyclones, Binghamton Mets, Norwich Navigators, and others. His managerial record stands at 122 wins and 113 losses across three seasons.
LaFrançois also worked extensively as a hitting coach in the minor leagues for teams including the White Sox Triple-A affiliates (Vancouver and Nashville), Port St. Lucie Mets, Brooklyn Cyclones, and Norwich Navigators. In 2008, he joined the coaching staff of the Worcester Tornadoes in the independent Canadian–American League as hitting coach.
By 2013–2014, he was serving as the hitting coach for the Palm Beach Cardinals, a Class A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, continuing to contribute his experience in player development.
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