Fran Healy

Francis Xavier Healy

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 220 lb.
• School American International College
• High School Holyoke High School
• Debut September 3, 1969
• Final Game April 21, 1978
• Born September 6, 1946 in Holyoke, MA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Fran Healy played nine seasons with the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees, accumulating a career .250 batting average with 20 home runs and 332 hits while driving in 141 runs between 1969 and 1978.

Signing with the Cleveland Indians in 1964, Healy debuted with the Kansas City Royals in 1969 after having been selected in the 1968 expansion draft. As the Royals' starting catcher, Healy caught Steve Busby's two no-hitters, against the Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers in 1973 and 1974, respectively. He had spent a couple of seasons as a backup with the Giants in the interval, in 1971 and 1972. He was traded to the Yankees during the 1976 season and was part of the World Series winning team in 1977, backing up Thurman Munson, then was released early in 1978, ending his playing career.

Following his playing career, Healy called radio broadcasts for the Yankees from 1978 to 1981 and later became a broadcaster for the New York Mets from 1994 to 2005. During the 2005 home opener, Healy waited about 9 minutes into a batter's eye malfunction delay to say "There appears to be something wrong with the batter's eye". During those 9 minutes the other Mets broadcasters had been talking about how Pedro Martinez, whose image was currently on the malfunctioning batter's eye, was riling up the crowd by dancing around the front of the Mets dugout. Fran did not make the leap to the brand new SNY in 2006, but continued to work for the MSG Network, hosting The Game 365 for the station.

Healy's father, Bernard Healy played in the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1937-1938. His uncle, Francis Healy played in the major leagues for the New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. Francis is incorrectly listed as his father in some sources.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1977 (he did not play in the World Series)

Related Sites

• Fran Healy at the SABR Bio Project