WHY I THINK JULIO FRANCO SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK JULIO FRANCO SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

On April 23, 1982, a tall, thin, 23 year old rookie debuted with the Philadelphia Phillies and went 1-for-4. 25 ½ years later, the same player, a 49 year old veteran, stepped up for the Braves and collected a base hit in his final Major League at bat, driving in his 1,194th career run. 

Julio Franco played for 23 seasons in the Majors and was productive all the way to the end. In 1983, Franco played his first season as a regular as the Cleveland shortstop, batting .273 and swiping 32 bases, good for second in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting. He was remarkably consistent, and batted over .300 every year from 1986 through 1989. In 1988, Franco was moved over to second base to make room for a young Jay Bell and was later to play many games at first base as well. In 1991, Franco’s .341 batting average for Texas led the AL, but after a disappointing 1992 season (35 games, .234 average) and a knee injury, many observers thought that 33 year old Franco was finished. It was only just the beginning. He bounced back with a highly productive 1993 season and was at his best in 1994, when he batted .319 with 20 homers and 98 RBI’s in a strike shortened season. His 98 RBI’s in 112 games would be good for 142 RBI’s in 162 games. In 1995, Franco played in Japan, batting .306, batted .322 for the Indians in 1996, split his 1997 season with two Big League clubs, played another full season in Japan in 1998, and played most of 1999 in AAA, batting .423. He played 2000 in Korea and 2001 in AAA again, this time batting .437. He then spent five seasons with the Braves, again putting up all-star calibre numbers, including a .309 mark in 2004 at the age of 45. He played for the Mets in 2006 and for both teams in 2007 before finishing out his legendary MLB career. All in all, Franco had played in 2,527 Big League games, stealing close to 300 bases, averaging .298, and scoring 1,285 runs. He was a great top of the order hitter (and later cleanup hitter), a fine player even well past his peak, and would be a deserving Hall of Famer. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS (MLB ONLY) 

Games career: 2,527 season high: 160 in 1984 and 1985 

At Bats career: 8,677 season high: 658 in 1984 led AL: 658 in 1984 

Hits career: 2,586 season high: 201 in 1991 

Doubles career: 407 season high: 33 in 1985 

Triples career: 54 season high: 8 in 1983 

Home Runs career: 173 season high: 20 in 1994 

Runs career: 1,285 season high: 108 in 1991 

Runs Batted In career: 1,194 season high: 98 in 1994 

Stolen Bases career: 281 season high: 36 in 1991 

Walks career: 917 season high: 82 in 1990 

Strikeouts career: 1,341 season high: 116 in 1997 

Batting Average career: .298 season high: .341 in 1991 led AL: .341 in 1991 

On Base Percentage career: .365 season high: .408 in 1991 

Slugging Percentage career: .417 season high: .510 in 1994 

Total Bases career: 3,620 season high: 279 in 1991 

Sacrifice Hits career: 19 season high: 5 in 1993 

Fielding Percentage career: .978 season high: .982 in 1988 

Double Plays career: 1,233 season high: 116 in 1984 

Putouts career: 6,249 season high: 852 in 1996 

Assists career: 4,182 season high: 481 in 1984 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-finished eighth in the AL MVP Award voting in 1994, 15th in 1991, and 25th in 1988 

-won five Silver Slugger awards (four at second base) 

-was a three time all-star (career all-star batting average: .333) and the game’s MVP in 1990 with a double and two RBI’s 

-had separate hitting streaks of 22 and 21 games in 1988

-was the all time hits leader among Dominican born MLB players until Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero passed him up 

-stole over 30 bases in a season four times 

-batted .308 with a home run in the 2001 NLDS and homered in the NLCS  

-batted .500 in the 2003 NLDS 

-played over 500 games at first base, over 600 at second, over 700 at shortstop, and over 300 each as a pinch hitter and as a DH 

-was the oldest regular in MLB history 

-was the last active MLB player born in the 1950’s (August 23, 1958) 

-was the oldest player in MLB history to (1) start on Opening Day, (2) hit two home runs in one game, (3) hit a grand slam, (4) steal two bases in one game, (5) hit a pinch hit homer, and (6) pinch run 

-hit two home runs each off of Tom Glavine, Ron Guidry, and Bret Saberhagen and one each off of Randy Johnson, Phil Niekro, Don Sutton, and Jim Abbott