Julio Franco

At 65 years old, Julio Franco physical status not available right now. We will update Julio Franco's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Julio César Franco Robles (born August 23, 1958) is a Dominican professional baseball player and mentor who serves as a hitting coach for the Korea Baseball Organization's farm team.

He spent the majority of his playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB), making his way into the major leagues in 1982 and then 2007 (at that time, he was the oldest active big league player).

Franco also spent two seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and one season in the KBO during that stretch. Although Franco was an All-Star and had above-average hitting records throughout his career, he is best known for being the oldest regular position player in MLB history.

Before being overthrown by Vladimir Guerrero in 2011, Franco was the all-time hits leader among Dominican-born players until surpassed in 2011.

He made his MLB debut for the Philadelphia Phillies as a shortstop.

Franco spent a long career as a shortstop, second baseman, first baseman, and designated hitter.

Early life

Franco was born in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic. He lived in Consuelo, San Pedro de Macor's, a poor neighborhood 50 miles east of Santo Domingo, as an infant. He attended Divine Providence School in Consuelo.

Personal life

Franco is a practicing Christian. "I've been a Christian for 15 years," he said in a 2005 interview with the Baptist Press, "I want to play until I'm 50 years old." I know that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and I want to keep my body healthy. Discipline and obedience, I think, is the key to it."

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Minor league career

Franco, who was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies union as an amateur free agent, migrated to the Rookie-level Butte Copper Kings on April 23, 1978. He had a batting average of at least.300 in each of his five minor league seasons. Franco was promoted through the Philadelphia minor league system each year, winning the Class AAA Oklahoma City 89ers in 1982 and batting.300 and hitting 21 home runs in 120 games.

Early MLB career

Franco debuted in the major leagues in 1982 and appeared 16 games for the Philadelphia Phillies, starting in 1982. Franco was part of a five-for-one trade between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cleveland Indians in December. In exchange for Manny Trillo, George Vukovich, Jay Baller, Jerry Willard, and Franco, the Phillies received a highly regarded prospect Von Hayes.

Franco was banned from the Indians for two games after arriving at the ballpark but then left before the game began. Franco left due to a personal illness, according to Indians boss Pat Corrales, but he said he had left without permission and that he had already been warned after missing a game in 1985.

In every season from 1986 to 1989, Franco reached over.300. From 1983 to 1991, he stole over 20 bases per season. He went from shortstop to second base in 1988, winning four straight Silver Slugger Awards. Franco batted with the heaviest bat allowed in a long whip-like swing. Franco converted the American League in grounding into double plays twice and was in the top-ten in the 1980s seven times, thanks to his batting style. He ranks seventh on the all-time list in ground-ball double plays and has just over 300 points.

Franco was traded from Cleveland to the Texas Rangers in December 1988, who were in dire need of an everyday second baseman. Pete O'Brien, the Rangers' first baseman, and two prospects, Oddibe McDowell and Jerry Browne, were given back by the Rangers. Rafael Palmeiro, the Rangers' first baseman, had been acquired the day before, and The New York Times announced that Franco's lineup might have allowed him to bat fifth, potentially raising his number of runs batted in (RBI).

Franco was selected to all three of his All-Star teams in 1989, 1990, and 1991, and he received the Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award in 1990. Franco went to bat against Rob Dibble of the Cincinnati Reds in a 90 All-Star game. Franco hit a 101 mph fastball to the right-center field fence for a double, bringing the game's only runs.

Franco had his first 200 hits in 1991 and captured the American League batting championship. Wade Boggs, a future baseball Hall of Fame member, had a nine-point average, which was nine points higher than his.341 average. Franco's time as a middle infielder came to an end last season, after only 34 more games at 2B for the remainder of his career. Franco later said that the injury made him realize the importance of taking care of his physical health. He spent 1993 as a designated hitter before deciding to become a free agent and signing with the Chicago White Sox.

Career statistics

Franco played in 2,527 games over the course of 23 major league seasons, with 1,288 runs, 407 triples, 173 home runs, 1,194 bases on balls,.417 on balls, and a.417 slugging percentage. He had a.978 fielding percentage in his career, playing mainly at shortstop, second, and first base. He batted.224 (22-for-98) in 31 games, with nine runs, two home runs, six RBI, and six walks.

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Awards and highlights

• Three-time All-Star (1989–1991)
• MVP All-Star Game (1990)
• Led American League in batting average (.341, 1991)
• Led AL in singles (156, 1991)
• Second in the AL Rookie of the Year selection (1983, behind Ron Kittle)
• 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
• 4,000 Professional Hit Club: Has compiled over 4,200 hits in his 26-year professional career, making him one of only eight known players with at least 4,000 professional hits (the others being Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Jigger Statz, Stan Musial, Derek Jeter, and Ichiro Suzuki. Jake Beckley and Sam Crawford may also have hit 4,000, but data for some of their minor league seasons is missing.):
  • Major League Baseball: 2586 (through end of 2007 season)
  • Minor Leagues: 618
  • Mexican League: 316
  • Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball: 286
  • Dominican Winter League: 267
  • South Korea's Korea Baseball Organization: 156
  • United Baseball League: 6
  • TOTAL: 4,235
• 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. He is the only MLB player known to have hit a home run with his grandson in attendance.
• 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.
• If he was really born before 1958, then Franco may hold MLB records for oldest to steal a base and oldest to appear in the postseason.