1st MLB Coach From The Bahamas

The 1st MLB coach from the Bahamas is Antoan Richardson; Making Bahamian Baseball History as the first to coach in an MLB game coaching first base on June 14th. On June 14th, 2019  San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy brought in former 2005 Giants 35th round drafted pick, to coach against the Brewers.

Photo by Keith Allison on Flickr

Antoan played major league on two occasions, in 2011 with the Braves and 2014 with the Yankees. Not to mention scoring the winning run on Derek Jeter’s final MLB career hit.

Coaching former teammates

And so as a draft pick of the Giants, Antoan was right at home, coaching some of his former teammates like Pablo Sandoval, Madison Bumgarner, and Brandon Crawford. In addition to a few players whom he suited up with in spring trainings.

Giants Baseball history and the Bahamas

The Bahamas has a rich history with the San Francisco Giants; In 1957 the then New York Giants signed Andre Rodgers the first player from the Bahamas to play at the MLB level. And in 1958 when the Giants moved to San Francisco Andre, Rodgers was member of the team making him an original San Francisco Giants.

Not to take away from Antoan Richardson’s historic moment. With Andre Rodgers’s first Bahamian to play mlb, and Antoan Richardson being the last to play in the major leagues; Antoan worked very hard towards his achievements, from a 35th round pick to major league baseball.

Drafted four times was no small feat, and he spent a lot of time in the minor league system. After he had retired from baseball for awhile, then came this story, the Blue Jays Hire Antoan Richardson As Outfield Coordinator. 

Happy for a new career in professional baseball, his friend and family were delighted over this news, Then came this news, Antoan Back With The Giants. We all said to ourselves okay, this is very interesting.

Making Bahamian Baseball History

On June 14th, 2019 Antoan Richardson became the 1st MLB Coach From The Bahamas, coaching first base against the Brewers.

First base coach #83 Antoan Richardson, Convincing the umpire to call safe. Click on photo for video.

Jeff Francis

Jeffrey was born on April 29th, 1961, in Nassau, Bahamas to Rejoiner Ann Rolle and Jerome James Francis Etienne. Married to Andrea G. Rolle-Francis, they have two daughters; Janae Latoya Francis, a graduate of Allegany College of Maryland, and Jessica Lee Francis a graduate Potomac State College West Virginia University in Kyser West Virginia. Jeffrey was coaching the sport of baseball from 1980 at the age of 18 years old because he loved the sport as a kid. He started listening to the game over the radio out of Miami Florida in the late 60s and in the early 70s started playing the game locally in various local leagues right up to the premier senior league; a league where all of the current Bahamian minor leaguers played. In 1982, Jeffrey had an invite to a three day tryout with the New York Yankees in Hollywood Florida, which was an awesome experience that is lasting a life time memory for him. Jeffrey has been following the Bahamian baseball players in the minor leagues since 1999 with Angelo Burrows, but found greater interest with the signing of Antoan Richardson in 2005. He also writes a year end review on their play on his Facebook page, Baseball Bahamas, and he has a website with the same name. He has a great following and would love to expose the baseball players to a bigger worldwide audience. He has a good relationship with all the players because he personally coached most of them. His favorite MLB Team is the Detroit Tigers from 1969.