Julio Franco - Return To The Majors

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.

Franco was talking in the weight room in August 2003 with Jason Marquis, when he leaned on the wrong stand at the wrong time and inspired an 80-pound weight to roll over his finger, breaking it. "When the weight started to roll," Franco said, "I said, 'Uh-oh.'"

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 did not play regularly).

On December 8, 2005, at age 47, Franco signed a two-year contract with the Mets.

Franco had been the oldest player in the major leagues from 2004 to 2007, and was the last 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 was 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, marking 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 - his 31st in pro baseball - 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.

Franco was announced as the manager of the Mets rookie level team in the Gulf Coast League.