Julio Franco #14

Julio Cesar Franco graduated from Divine Providence High School (San Pedro de Macoris) in 1978 where he played baseball and basketball...Became a United States citizen in October 1991...Hobbies include weightlifting, swimming, yoga, pilates and basketball...Was honored with the Milton Richman You Gotta Have Heart Award at the New York Chapter of the BBWAA Dinner on Jan. 27, 2007.

2006

When the season began, Franco joined a Opening Day roster that included two players, David Wright and Jose Reyes, who weren't even born when he made his Major League debut in 1982 with the Phillies. Franco ended the season as the oldest player in the game's history to hit a home run after he smacked a two-run, pinch-hit homer at the age of 47 years, 240 days on April 20 against the Padres. Franco also celebrated his 29th professional season with a career-high five RBIs on Sept. 30 and, at 48 years, 38 days, became the oldest player since 1957 to collect five or more RBIs.

2005

Led Atlanta with 14 pinch-hits...Collected his 2,500th career hit on July 30th vs. Pittsburgh with a second inning single off Mark Redman...Became the second oldest player to triple in a game on June 28th at Florida...Nick Altrock was 48 years old when he tripled for Washington in 1924...Broke his own records as the oldest player to hit a grand slam and passed Tony Perez as the oldest player with a pinch-hit home run with his eighth-inning, pinch-hit grand slam on June 27th at Florida (off Valerio De Los Santos)...Registered his first multi-stolen base game since July 17, 1994 and the 24th of his career on July 16th at Cincinnati...Cracked two home runs (both off Eric Milton) and drove in three runs on June 18th at Cincinnati...Broke Carlton Fisk's record as the older major leaguer to have a multi-home run game...Had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning of Game Three of the Division Series vs. Houston.

2004

Posted the highest batting average (.309) in major league history for a player 43-or-older (minimum of 100 at-bats)...Had 16 RBI as a pinch-hitter, the most by a Brave since Keith Lockhart's 18 RBI in 1997...Led the team with 15 pinch-hits...Belted his first career pinch-hit home run on May 6th vs. San Diego (off Brian Lawrence)...Became the oldest player (45 years, 269 days) to hit a pinch-hit home run...Walloped his seventh career grand slam on June 3rd off Philadelphia's Josh Hancock, becoming the oldest player (45 years, 284 days) to hit a grand slam, breaking Carlton Fisk's mark...Drove in 57 runs to snap Pete Rose's record for RBI (25) by a player 45 years or older...Notched his 2,400th career hit on June 29th off Florida's Dontrelle Willis...Batted .385 (25-65) with 14 RBI in August...Played in three games in the Division Series vs. Houston.

2003

Hit .351 (33 x 94) vs. LHP, .339 (19 x 56) with RISP and .336 (36 x 107) on the road...Begins 2004 with a .300 career BA after hitting .290 in 2003...Hit safely in 33 of 38 starts (.317, 45 x 142), including 20 of last 23 (.346, 28 x 81)...On DL Aug. 17-Sept. 1 with fracture of left middle finger...2003 POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Division Series (Chi.): Had a solid series, appearing in four games hitting .500 (4 x 8) with a double and a run scored...Went 3 x 4 with a run scored in Game 4, a 6-4 Atlanta win...Went 1 x 2 with a double in Game 5.

2002

Started 69 games at first base, sharing the position with Matt Franco...Hit .312 (62 x 199) in last 72 games, starting June 15...RBI vs. Mets June 6 was the 1,000th of his career; finished season with 30 for 1,022 in career...Had a 9-game hitting streak May 24-June 5 (15 x 37, .405, 8 R, 5 2B, 6 RBI), including a 4-game multi-hit streak May 28-June 1 (2, 2, 2, 3)...Triple at Texas June 9 was his first in majors since 1997 with Cleveland...Had an RBI in four straight games (May 28-May 31) after having 1 through first 37 games (84 AB)...Hit in six different spots in the order (2nd through 7th)...2002 POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHTS: Division Series (SF): Went 2 x 5 with a run and an RBI in Game 3...Started all five games at first base, hitting .182 (4 x 22) with 2 runs, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.

2001

Signed by the Braves out of the Mexican League because of his gaudy hitting numbers...Had 16 hits in last 44 AB (.364) for Atlanta to raise his BA from .239 on Sept. 22 to .300...Also surprised many with superior glovework and quickness at first base...Hit .400 (10x25) vs. LHP...Hit .438 (7x16) with RISP...Hit a Mexican League best .437 with 18 homers and 90 RBI in 110 games in the regular season and .477 (21 x 44) with 3 HR and 13 RBI in 13 playoff gamesb&Led Mexican League in hits with 178, a .497 OB%, and a .678 SLG% during the regular seasonb&His homer Sept. 5 at Milwaukee was his first in majors since Sept. 24, 1997, with Milwaukee vs. KC off Tim Belcher b&Homered in consecutive games Sept. 28-29 against the Mets.

2000

Played in Korea for the Samsung Lions and batted .327 with 22 home runs and 110 RBI in 132 games.

1999

Made only one appearance in the majors with Tampa Bay on Sept. 22 at Anaheim, striking out in his only at bat...Spent the majority of the year playing for the Tigres of the Mexican League...In Mexico, hit .423 (138x326) with 14 home runs and 77 RBI in 93 games.

1998

Played for Chiba Lotte Maines in the Japanese League...In 131 games, had 141 hits.

1997

Split the season between the Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers after Cleveland released him on August 13...Played in 42 games after joining the Brewers...Stole 15 total bases, his highest total since 1991...Hit .284 with Cleveland, but finished the season at .270 after hitting .241 after being released.

1996

His .364 batting average at home was the second best in the AL...Collected his 2,000th career hit on June 11th vs. Oakland...Cracked his sixth career grand slam on September 1st off Texas' John Burkett...Placed on the 15-Day Disabled List on July 7th with a strained right hamstring...Activated on July 25th...Re-aggravated his hamstring and went back on the DL on August 4th...Activated on August 30th...Belted two home runs on September 12th vs. California (off Shawn Boskie and Greg Gohr)...Toured Japan in November with a group of Major League All-Stars...Hit .315 (5-16) in six games...Played in four games in the ALDS vs. Baltimore.

1995

Spent the season in Japan's Pacific League with the Chiba Lotte Marines who were managed by Bobby Valentine...Signed a two-year contract with Chiba Lotte on December 28, 1994...Had an escape clause written into the contract after the first year...Played mostly first base and won the Japanese equivalent to the Gold Glove Award...Hit .306 (145 x 474) for the Marines with 25 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR and 58 RBI in 127 games...Chiba Lotte finished with a franchise record 2nd place finish.

1994

With the Chicago White Sox he recorded career-highs in home runs (20), RBI (98) and slugging percentage (.510)...Ranked 5th in the AL in RBI, singles (97) and RBI ratio (4.4:1)...Was 6th in the AL in times reached base (205), 7th in multi-hit games (42) and 10th in batting average (.319)...Won Silver Slugger (5th career) Award as DH...Ranked 2nd among AL DH with 85 RBI...Started 13 games in place of Frank Thomas at first...Made first career start at first base on April 14 vs. New York...Appeared in 112 of the Sox 113 games...Hit .364 (36 x 99) vs. LHP, 7th in the AL...Knocked in a career-best monthly 29 RBI in May...Posted 3 of his 6 5-RBI games in '94...Collected 52 RBI in his first 58 games and 34 in the last 40...Homered twice July 18 vs. Detroit, the second time in '94.

1993

As a member of the Texas Rangers, was used exclusively as the DH...Appeared in 144 games after playing just 35 in 1992...Was 3rd on the Rangers in average, hits and doubles while ranking 4th in runs, homers and RBI...Was 2nd among DH in runs and hits...Reached base via a hit or walk in a Ranger record 46 straight games from July 29-Sept. 19...Posted season-high 14-game hitting streak Aug. 14-29...Tied Ranger record with 5 hits May 24 at Cleveland...Pulled his right quadriceps muscle on May 26 at Cleveland and started just 1 of the next 19 games...From June 16 on, was in the lineup for 95 of 98 games...His .307 lifetime average as a Ranger is 2nd highest in club history (Al Oliver .319).

1992

Endured season-long problems with the Patella Tendon in his right knee and appeared in just 35 games, 93 fewer than any other season of his career...Spent three stints on the DL before his season ended on July 9...His .234 average was the worst of his career and 107 points lower than his AL batting title .341 average the previous season...The drop was the 2nd biggest for a defending batting champion in either league since 1940, behind Norm Cash's 188-point decrease from 1961-1962 (.361-.243)...Made first outfield appearance of his career on June 17...Began experiencing pain in the knee in October '91 during winter ball...After the pain was diagnosed as patella tendonitis in January, participated in first 10 day s of spring training workouts before being sidlined on March 4 and was later placed on the DL March 28...Was activated off the DL on April 19 and made first start at 2B on April 22...Went on the DL again from May 2 to June 1...Last appearance on the field was on June 24 and was limited to DH duty thereafter...Last appearance as a pinch hitter was on July 8...Placed on DL July 9 through the end of the season...Underwent surgery by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, AL, on Sept. 8 to remove a small portion of the patella tendon...Only other DL stint in his career before '92 was July 13-Aug. 8, 1987 with a hyper-extended right elbow.

1991

Led the majors with a .341 batting average, 9 points higher than Boston's Wade Boggs...Was the first AL 2B to win the batting title since Minnesota's Rod Carew in 1975...Was the 7th different 2B to win a title and 3rd native of the Dominican Republic (PIT, Matty Alou, 1966, .342 and ATL, Rico Cartty, 1970, .366)...Average was the best in Texas history...Topped AL in singles (156), T3rd in multi-hit games (64), 4th in on-base % (.408), 5th in hits (201), 6th in runs (108) and SB (36)...Established career-highs in average, runs, hits, steals and HR...Was named as the 2B on the AP All-Star Team and on the all-star squads selected by the UPI (4th straight year) and The Sporting News (3rd straight)...Earned 4th straight Silver Slugger Award...Hit .363 in last 122 games...Was 21st AL player in history to collect 100 runs, 200 hits, and 30 SB in the same season...Was selected to his 3rd All-Star Game, but did not play.

1990

Ranked among AL leaders in singles (2nd, 133)...multi-hit games (T5th, 52), runs (6th, 96), on-base & (7th, .383), steals (T9th, 31) and walks (T10th, 82)...Led AL 2B in RBI with 69...MVP of the 1990 All- Star Game at Wrigley Field after going 1x3 with a 2B and 2 RBI...Played on the ML All-Star tour of Japan in November.

1989

Traded to the Rangers on Dec. 6, 1988, in exchange for 1B Pete O'Brien, OF Oddibe McDowell and 2B Jerry Browne...In his first year with Texas, led the Rangers in batting (.316), on-base % (.386) and multihit games (56)...Was 2nd in RBI (92), runs (80), hits (173), doubles (31), walks (66) and steals (21)...Was leading the AL in hitting at .345 on June 23 before batting .289 during the final 79 games...Led the league with a .407 average with RISP...Set club record with 27 GIDP...Made All-Star Game debut, going 1x3.

1988

Led all 2B in batting (.303), runs (88) and hits (186) while ranking among the AL leaders in at bats, hits and triples...Led the Indians in batting, runs, hits, triples and on-base percentage...Had hitting streaks of 22 (7/3-27) and 21 (5/11-6/3) games...His 92 RBI were the most by an AL 2B since Bobby Grich had 101 in 1979...Made switch to 2B after playing SS from 1983-1987.

1987

Finished 8th in the AL in batting average at .319 and ranked 10th in steals (32) and on-base percentage (.389)...Hit .330 in the last 92 games...Led the AL with a .341 average on May 29...On the DL from July 13-August 8 with a hyper-extended right elbow...It was his first trip to the DL.

1986

Was 10th in the AL in batting average (.306) and 2nd on the Tribe in batting, at bats, and hits...Was the first Cleveland player since Earl Averill (1929-34) with three straight 180+ seasons...Had 74 or more RBI for the 4th straight season.

1985

Set career-high with 33 doubles...90 RBI were the most by an Indians SS since Lou Boudreau had 106 in 1948...Posted a then career-best 16 game hitting streak from July 30-August 15.

1984

Ranked 5th in the AL in hits (188), the most by an Indians player since Bobby Avila's 189 in 1954...Tied ML record by participating in 5 double plays on June 5 against Seattle...Hit first career grand slam on Sept. 2 vs. Boston off John Henry Johnson.

1983

Acquired by the Indians on December 9, 1982 from Philadelphia along with 2B Manny Trillo, OF George Vukovich, P Jay Bailer and C Jerry Williard in exchange for OF Von Hayes...Led Cleveland in games, at bats, triples, RBI and steals...Was 2nd in BBWAA AL Rookie of the Year voting to Chicago's Ron Kittle and was named the SS on the Topps and Baseball Digest All-Rookie Teams...Fractured a bone in his left hand on Sept. 23 and missed the remainder of the season. Broke hamate bone in his left hand swinging the bat at New York.

1982

Was recalled from Oklahoma City on April 22 and made major league debut the following day vs. St. Louis...Appeared in 9 games before being returned to the minors on May 7...Rejoined the Phillies on Sept. 1 and played in 7 more games.

1981

Was Eastern League's All-Star SS at AA Reading and was selected as the league's top prospect in postseason vote by managers...Led the league in games and at bats.