Jeffrey William Francis (born January 8, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. He is an inductee of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Early life Francis attended Burnsview Junior Secondary School and North Delta Senior Secondary School in North Delta, British Columbia. After playing for the North Delta Blue Jays of the B.C. Premier Baseball League, the highest calibre junior league in British Columbia, Francis went on to pursue a major in physics at the University of British Columbia while playing for the UBC Thunderbirds. Professional career Colorado Rockies Francis was selected in the 1st round (9th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. Along with Adam Loewen, who was selected at fourth overall in the same draft, the two received much publicity as they were drafted higher than any other Canadian baseball players up to that time. Francis was signed by Greg Hopkins. In 2004, Francis was named Minor League Player of the Year by both Baseball America and USA Today, becoming the first player in Colorado Rockies organizational history to win either of the awards. He became the fourth player to be honoured in the same season by both publications, joining Andruw Jones (1995–1996), Rick Ankiel (1999), and Josh Beckett (2001). Combined between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Colorado Springs, Francis went 16–3 with a 2.21 ERA and .194 average against in 24 starts. He struck out 196 batters in 154.2 innings pitched, for a ratio of 11.4 per nine innings. He had more strikeouts than hits (108) and walks (29) combined. 2004: rookie year Francis made his major league debut on August 25, , against the Atlanta Braves, losing the 8–1 decision. He pitched five innings, allowing six runs (on three home runs), walking one, while striking out eight hitters. He earned his first career victory on September 5, 2004, against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, tossing 5 scoreless innings in a 5–2 victory for the Rockies. Francis finished the year with a 3–2 record, with a 5.16 ERA. 2005 In 2005, Francis was a mainstay in the rotation, pitching in 33 starts for the Rockies. Although he finished with a 14-12 record, his ERA was 5.68 and his WHIP was at 1.62 while