Everything about Julio Franco totally explained
Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic
|debutdate=
April 23
|debutyear=
|debutteam=
Philadelphia Phillies
|finaldate=
September 17
|finalyear=
|finalteam=
Atlanta Braves
|stat1label=
Batting average
|stat1value=.298
|stat2label=
Hits
|stat2value=2,586
|stat3label=
Home runs
|stat3value=173
|teams=
While Franco was an All-Star and posted above-average hitting statistics throughout his career, he's best known for being the oldest regular position player in Major League history. Franco is the all-time hits leader among Dominican-born players. He made his debut on
April 23,
1982, as a
shortstop for the
Philadelphia Phillies. During his long career, Franco has seen significant time as a shortstop,
second baseman,
first baseman, and
designated hitter.
Early career
As his career started, Franco was part of a controversial
1982 five-for-one trade between the
Philadelphia Phillies and the
Cleveland Indians. The Phillies received highly-regarded prospect,
Von Hayes, in exchange for
Manny Trillo,
George Vukovich,
Irusha Peiris,
Jerry Willard, and Franco.
Franco hit over .300 in every season from 1986 to 1989. He also averaged over 20
stolen bases per season from 1983 through 1991. When he switched from shortstop to
second baseman in 1988, he won four straight
Silver Slugger Awards. Franco bats with a long whip-like style swing with the heaviest bat allowed. Because of his batting style, Franco twice led the
American League in grounding into
double plays and was in the top-ten in that category seven times in the 1980s alone. He is seventh on the all-time list in ground-ball double plays and has just over 300.
After the 1988 season, Franco was traded from Cleveland to the
Texas Rangers for an established player,
Pete O'Brien, and two prospects,
Oddibe McDowell and
Jerry Browne.
With Texas, Franco was named to all three of his
All-Star teams: in 1989,
1990 and 1991, and he won the
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award in 1990. In the 1990 All-Star game, Franco came to bat in the 7th inning against
Rob Dibble of the
Cincinnati Reds. Franco drove a 106
mph fastball to the right-center field fence for a
double, scoring the only runs of the game.
In 1991, Franco had his only 200-hit season and won the
American League batting title. His .341 average was nine points higher than that of
Baseball Hall of Famer
Wade Boggs.
1992 was the only injury-plagued season of Franco's career; it limited him to 35 games and ended Franco's time as a middle infielder. He spent
1993 as a designated hitter before opting to become a
free agent and signing with the
Chicago White Sox.
Strike and baseball abroad
In
1994, Franco had already hit 20
home runs for the only time in his career and was on pace to reach 100
runs batted in for the only time in his career when the remainder of the season was canceled by the
1994 Major League Baseball strike.
On
December 28,
1994, Franco signed to play in
Japan with the
Chiba Lotte Marines in the
Pacific League. Chiba Lotte had the best season in its history in
1995, and Franco won the Japanese equivalent of the
Gold Glove Award as a first baseman.
After the 1995 season in Japan, Franco came back to the
United States after signing back on with the Cleveland Indians, where he was a fan favorite. In
1996, he batted .322 with 76 RBIs even in an injury-shortened season, and played in his first post season. In August of 1997, the Indians released him. Franco quickly signed with the
Milwaukee Brewers.
In
1998, Franco was back in Japan playing for Chiba Lotte. The following year, he returned to
North America, in the
Mexican League with a .423 average in 93 games (and also a
strikeout in his only Major League
at bat with the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays). In
2000, Franco was back in
Asia but, this time, in
South Korea to play for the
Samsung Lions. He returned again to the Mexican Leagues in
2001, before returning to the Major Leagues.
Return to the Majors
In
September 2001, Franco was a 43-year-old who had just one major league at bat in the previous four seasons. Despite his lengthy absence, the
Atlanta Braves, after seeing his success in the Mexican League, purchased his contract from the
Angelopolis (Mexico City) Tigers. Franco played well defensively as a first baseman and was a good hitter against
left-handed pitchers. The Braves re-signed him after that season and each of the next three.
On
December 8,
2005, at age 47, Franco signed a two-year contract with the Mets.
In
2004, Franco passed
Cap Anson as the oldest regularly playing position player in Major League history. (A few regularly playing pitchers, including
knuckleballers
Phil Niekro and
Hoyt Wilhelm, were older than Franco, and a few non-pitchers, like
Minnie Miñoso and
Jim O'Rourke, appeared as publicity stunts at old ages but didn't play regularly).
Franco has been the
oldest player in the major leagues since
2004. He is the only active player who was born in the
1950s. On
April 20,
2006, pinch-hitting with one out in the eighth inning against the
San Diego Padres, Franco hit a go-ahead two-run home run, becoming the oldest player in Major League history to hit a home run. Franco hit a three-run homer on
September 30, 2006, in Washington to extend his own record. It was one of three hits in the game for Franco, who fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Franco yet again bested himself on
May 4,
2007 when he homered into the swimming pool at
Chase Field against
Arizona Diamondbacks lefty
Randy Johnson - a game in which he also stole a base.
Franco is also the oldest player ever to hit a
grand slam, a
pinch-hit home run, two home runs in one game, and to steal two bases in a game. On
April 26,
2006, Franco became the second-oldest man in Major League history to steal a base, behind only
Arlie Latham, who accomplished the feat in a token appearance at age 49 with the
New York Giants in
1909. On
July 29,
2006, against the Atlanta Braves, Julio Franco became the oldest player ever to pinch run, when he came in for
Carlos Delgado after Delgado was
hit by pitch. On
September 19 2006, a day after the Mets clinched the division title, Franco started at
third base in a game against the
Florida Marlins. This was Franco's first start at the position since his rookie year, an astonishing 24 years between starts at the position.
Franco struggled with the Mets in
2007, achieving just a .200
batting average (in only 50 at-bats in half a season). Franco grew unhappy with insufficient playing time before being designated for assignment on
July 12. He subsequently re-signed with the
Atlanta Braves on July 18 and was placed on the team's active roster. In his first game since re-signing with the Braves, he went 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and received 2 standing ovations in a Braves 10-1 rout of the Cardinals. On
August 1, just 13 days after the Braves signed him, the Braves designated Franco for assignment. He accepted a minor league assignment on
August 8 and was called back up as promised on
September 1.
He declared free agency on
October 29,
2007. Franco began the 2008 season as a first baseman for the Tigres de Quintana Roo (
Cancun) in the
Mexican League.
On May 2, 2008, he officially announced his retirement from baseball to his Mexican league team, the Quintana Roo Tigers. An official announcement was released the next day.
Teams and leagues
Philadelphia Phillies: 1982
Cleveland Indians: 1983-88, 1996-97
Texas Rangers: 1989-93
Chicago White Sox: 1994
Chiba Lotte Marines (Japan): 1995, 1998
Milwaukee Brewers: 1997
Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 1999
Samsung Lions (South Korea): 2000
Angelopolis (Mexico City) Tigers: 2001
Atlanta Braves: 2001-2005, 2007
New York Mets: 2006-2007
Quintana Roo Tigres: 2008
Leones del Escogido: 1980-2008 (Dominican Winter League)
Awards and highlights
3-time All-Star (1989-91)
MVP All-Star Game (1990)
Led American League in batting average (.341, 1991)
Led AL in singles (156, 1991)
2nd in the AL Rookie of the Year selection (1983, behind Ron Kittle and over Mike Boddicker)
Led AL in at-bats (658, 1984)
Top 10 MVP selection (8th, AL, 1994)
Carolina League MVP (1980)
Twice hit over .400 in the Mexican League (.423, 1999; .437, 2000)
Oldest player to hit a Grand Slam (47, 2005, breaking his own record set in 2004 at 45)
Oldest regularly-playing non-pitcher player in MLB history (48)
Second-oldest player to appear in MLB postseason play (48, during the 2006 postseason)
Oldest player in Major League history to hit a home run (48)
Second-oldest player to steal a base (48, during the 2007 season)
Led all Dominican players in MLB history in seasons, games, at-bats, hits, and bases on balls
Has compiled over 4,200 hits in his 26-year professional career:
Trivia
As of 2006, Julio Franco was the only active player to face a pitcher who pitched against Hall of Famer Ted Williams, who retired in 1960. The pitcher is Jim Kaat, who played in the majors from 1959 to 1983. Williams had batted against Kaat the final day of the 1959 season, Kaat's rookie year. Kaat walked Franco in the latter's rookie season in 1982.
Franco was the last MLB player eligible to wear a batting helmet with no ear flaps. He elected to wear a helmet with an ear flap throughout his career.
Franco was the sixth batter that Roger Clemens ever faced, and when the two faced each other on June 15, 2007, they became the oldest batter-pitcher pair in the major leagues since October 1, 1933.
Franco's true birth date is always in question. Although his current reported birthdate is in 1958, many of his early bios and cards have his birthday listed in 1954, and on the roster of the Quintana Roo Tigres, his birthday is listed in 1961.
In 2006 earned the nickname Moses from teammate Billy Wagner according to Sports Illustrated.
Franco attributes his exceptional shape and lengthy career to his disciplined diet, similar to Satchel Paige. He drinks a lot of tea, which he started doing while playing in Japan, and eats fish, vegetables and rice. He doesn't eat desserts and fatty food, nor does he drink soda, coffee or alcohol.
In October 2007, the city of Atlanta became home to the oldest player in both Major League Baseball (Franco), and the NFL (Falcons' kicker Morten Anderson).
Career MLB statistics
Further Information
Get more info on 'Julio Franco'.
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