"Then and Now"  with Jimmy Francia
By JOEY WARNER

     Jimmy Francia is the catalyst of a locally established family that came to Mobile in the mid seventies.   The Francia's brought with them a spirit in baseball that has built a tradition in the family.  The dedication that was instilled to Jimmy by his father taught him the leadership skills to continue a successful business and the love his mother provided gave him the ability to share his talents with athletes that are willing to learn.  Jimmy has been dedicated to his entire family by example.  Baseball and business are two things that take a lot of physical and mental conditioning and the Francia family continues to pay the dues it takes to earn success.

Name: Jimmy Francia
Age:  45
Family: Wife, Linda (22 years);  parents, Judy and Don Francia; sister, Donna; brothers, Dean, Joey, David.
Children:  Son, Dominick 16; Daughter, Angela 14.
Education: Graduated from Shaw high school in 1980; graduated from Faulkner State Junior College with AA Degree; graduated from the University of South Alabama in the fall of 1985 with an Education Degree and Business Minor.  
Business: Owner of Francia's Formal Affair at 3730 Airport Blvd. and 28600 U. S. Hwy. 98 in Daphne.
Hobbies: body building, baseball, coaching baseball, golf and personal training.

What was it like growing up in a family that was so sports oriented?  It was great growing up in our family because we all played sports. From my mom and dad all the way down.  My mother Judy played basketball, volleyball and was a speed skater;  my father Don played football; my sister Donna was a cheerleader, gymnast and a diver;  my brother Dean was a gymnast and a diver; my other two brothers Joey and David and myself, played baseball and football.

Describe the neighborhood environment and how things have changed
today? When I was growing up, my buddies and I would have to make our own fun.   It would depend on if it was baseball or football or even hockey season. When I lived in Chicago, we would play for hours. Back then, we would play in an empty field and throw home made bases down and play until dark.  If we only had four players we would close down right or left field, depending on which way you batted and if you hit the ball in to the closed field, it was an out. Kids these days would rather stay in doors and play video games or get on the computer.

What was the major influences your father had on you? your brothers? sister? My parents were a very big influence in my life. My father, Donald T. Francia, has worked very hard his whole life. My dad taught me how to have a great work ethic and that you will never get ahead by having things given to you whether you were on an athletic field or in business. He taught me that when you work hard; things will fall in to place.  

What role did your mother play raising such a sports oriented family? My mother, Judith Ann Francia, was a homemaker that took care of five kids while Dad was working.  Mom was our biggest fan no matter what sport or which child was playing.

Describe your family and the dedication and togetherness that the
Francia's had?  Mom and Dad taught us the importance of having a close family and that we should always stick together.  There is not anything we would not do for each other. Mom spent half of her life carting us kids around to practices or games. We were her life and my mother taught us to always be part of our own children's lives.

When did your family come to Mobile?  Why?  We moved from Chicago to St. Petersburg, Fla.  in 1970 and Dad started his formal wear business.  He was the owner of a Gingiss Formal Wear Franchise, tuxedo rental and sales business. In January 1976, Dad decided to relocate his business to Mobile because of the Mardi Gras season and more high schools for the Prom season.

Describe the business(Gingiss-Francia's Formal Affair) your father managed and what it meant to the community?  Dad's Gingiss Formalwear business was located in Springdale Mall. When all of us kids were little, we thought it was neat to go to work with dad from time to time. My first job was shining shoes when I was about 9 years old. We all worked for dad at some point in time.  In 1989, my dad decided to retire out of the formalwear business. I bought the business and named it Francia's Formal Affair.  My wife Linda, and I took over the business and worked very hard to grow our business. In 1990, we decided to add dresses to our business as well as bridesmaids, prom, mardi gras, and wedding gowns, which were a nice addition to our existing business.  After three years of retirement, dad ran out of things to do so I asked him if he would like to rejoin the family business and he accepted.  Since then, I opened up a store in Daphne and my father runs it.

Explain what it means to be a Francia?   Incredible.  I have the most loving and caring family that someone could ever have.  We are all very close and even though we are spread out now, we still get together on a regular basis and there is not anything we would not do for each other.

What were some of your childhood goals? To be the very best I could possibly be at whatever I was doing. My parents taught me to give 110 percent all of the time. Like most guys growing up, I wanted to be a pro baseball player, get a college degree and own my own business.

Describe your life in baseball growing up?  I played at St. Petersburg high my freshman year in high school. We made it to the state semifinals before losing out. After moving to Mobile, I played football and baseball at Shaw high school. I played for two great coaching staffs led by Charles Levrette in football and Bill McCrory in baseball.  After graduating, I played four years of college baseball and was blessed to have a full scholarship for all four years. My freshman year, I played at Lurleen B. Wallace Junior College and hit .310 with 22 stolen bases.  My sophomore year, I hit .318 with 31 SBs at Faulkner State JC.  Since I moved to Mobile, I always dreamed of playing for South Alabama, our hometown team.  While at FSJC, I went 3-for-4 with three SBs against USA and was recruited by the Jaguars that Summer.  I had a career batting average of .304 for coach Eddie Stanky in 1883 and coach Steve Kittrell in 1984.  I learned more baseball in my last two years of college than I did in my entire life. Coach Stanky was a mastermind in the game of baseball.

Who are some of your teammates that you will never forget? My roommate at USA was Lance Johnson and we are still great friends today.

Name some people that have been instrumental in your baseball career? Coach Gene Kickliter in park ball, coach Bill McCrory in high school and coach Stanky and Kittrell in College.

Tell about your brother David and the success he has had in baseball?  What role did you play as an older brother? When David was eight years old, I could tell he was going to be an unbelievable athlete. I was his coach from age 8 to 18 and he was always the best because we spent hours practicing.  He was a great football player but I akways knew he would make his money in baseball.  In high school, David played for two great football coaches in Bob Rutledge and Gerry Strang, and Andy Robbins in baseball at St. Paul's. He had several offers in football and baseball from schools like  Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame and South Alabama. On David's baseball recruiting trip to Alabama, Gene Stallings wanted my brother to replace David "The Deuce" Palmer, who had just graduated from the Crimson Tide.  Stallings said he would allow David to be a two-sport athlete and offered him a full-ride.  David chose to play baseball for Steve Kittrell at South Alabama. He was the perfect Jaguar that was hard-nosed and full of hustle. The Philadelphia Phillies selected David in the eighth round of the 1996 Amateur Draft.
David was a .300 hitter, base stealer and a swift defensive outfielder that moved up in the Phillies Farm System and played in several Spring Training games with the big league team.  After seven years with the Phillies, he played a short stint with the Chicago White Sox.  In 2004, David played in the Italian big leagues and hit .345 with 15 steals, which was good enough to land him the starting job in center field for the National team named "Team Italy," which competed in the pre-Olympic games.  He ended his career playing for San Marino in the 2007 European Cup.  Presently, David is a southeastern scout for the San Diego Padres.  It was great being a part of my brother's life in baseball from his coach to his agent and his promoter.

Describe your role as a travel ball coach? What are your future goals as coach? When my son Dominick was ten years old, I decided to pull him out of the park ball system and start a travel baseball team. This was a way of letting Dominick play against the very best competition. We had a great group of kids and parents for several years.  My goal as a coach is to be inspirational and teach the great game of baseball to young men and youths in order to help them get to the next level. I coached a a Perfect Game 16-year old team last Fall and we played several junior colleges around the area. I took the team to Ft. Myers, FL to the National Perfect Game Top Prospect Showcase. Out of 575 kids participating, five of my players made it to the Top prospect game on Sunday.  Those players were:Dominick Francia (St. Paul's), Patrick McGavin (Spanish Fort), Mason Hutchins (Daphne,) Jacob Hyde and Jarred Brannon (Satsuma).

Tell about your son Dominic and his career in baseball? Dominick started playing t-ball at four years old on a team I coached at Municipal Park.  I have worked with Dominick three or four days a week throwing him batting practice and hitting him fly balls.  Through all the hard work, he now plays for St. Paul's, which has made to the semifinals of the 5A state playoffs each of the last two seasons.  This summer, Dominick is playing for a Top Showcase team from Baton Rouge called the "Louisiana Elite."

Tell about your nephews and the success they are having in baseball? My sister Donna and her husband Randy have two sons that are playing professional baseball.  My oldest nephew, Shaun Cumberland signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays five years ago out of Pace high school in Pensacola. After hitting 17 homers and driving in 98 runs in high A ball last year, he was promoted to AA this season.  Presently, Shaun leads the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League in the Cincinnati Reds organization with 8 home runs.  My youngest nephew Drew, was the 46th pick in the 2007 draft by the San Diego Padres out of Pace HS.  In his first year in pro ball, he hit .310 and earned "Player of the Year" honors.

Tell about and explain why baseball has been so important in the Francia bloodline? The Francia bloodline in baseball has been around for years. Baseball is a huge part of who we are. College and pro scouts always look into the bloodline of a player they are scouting.  The youngest family member of a baseball family usually reaps the benefit from the family members that played before him. With my son Dominick being the youngest, the scouts will have a lot to look at.

When did you get in to weightlifting?  Share some positive things about staying fit and conditioning? I started body building at 21 years old.  After my College baseball career was over I just could not sit still so I found a gym and started working out. I wanted to stay in the best physical shape that I could to set a good example for my brothers.  Body Building taught me discipline and dedication, which has carried over to my business.  In 2000, I placed in the top 1000 of 600,000 contestants in a "Body for Life Contest."  A person that stays in shape has so much more energy than a person that is not in shape.  As a personal trainer and coach, I feel that I should practice what I preach.  

Give some advice to young athletes in academics and athletics? All athletes that want to earn a scholarship must be cleared through the clearing house before taking a recruiting trip.  The clearing house only counts your core classes and your ACT and SAT scores.  You must score 17 on your ACT and a 2.8 in your core classes to be eligible.

Share some of your sports/coaching philosophies? I teach my players to hustle and play as hard as they can.  If a player is wanting to play on the next level, there is no off season. A player gets better when they are willing to put in extra time on their own.

Tell about your own Francia family?   My wife Linda is not only my life partner, she is my business partner. She does a great job managing my business at Francia's Formal Affair. She is over our dress division as well as our employees.  Dominick is 17 and will be a junior at St. Paul's and plays football and baseball for the Saints.
My daughter Angela is 14 and she will be a freshman at St. Paul's this Fall. Angela was just selected to the junior varsity cheerleading squad. Angela's hobbies are competition cheerleading and gymnastics.