John Franco
From BR Bullpen
John Anthony Franco
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 10", Weight 185 lb.
- College St. John's University
- High School Lafayette High School
- Debut April 24, 1984
- Final Game July 1, 2005
- Born September 17, 1960 in Brooklyn, NY USA
[edit] Biographical Information
John Franco, a Brooklyn native, was traded to the Mets on December 6, 1989 with Don Brown by the Cincinnati Reds for Randy Myers and Kip Gross. He was a high school teammate of Benny Distefano, who never got a hit off of him in the majors.
Franco made an immediate impact for the Mets, saving an NL-leading 33 games in 1990. John earned a spot on the NL All-Star team and was the NL Rolaids Relief Award winner for his performance. Despite pitching for some very bad Met teams in the 1990's, Franco was consistently one of the few bright spots on the team, saving 20 or more seven times from 1990 until 1998.
John remained the Mets' closer until the middle of 1999 when a finger injury put him on the shelf for two months. During this time, Armando Benitez took over the reins as the Mets closer, pushing Franco to a setup role. In 2000, for the first time in nearly 15 years, the Mets made it to the World Series. Franco picked up the Mets' only win of the series with a shutout 8th inning in Game 3.
In 2002, John missed the entire season due to Tommy John surgery. At the age of 42, many believed the lefty's career was over. Franco came back the next year (2003) and posted a 2.62 era in 38 appearances. After the 2004 season the Mets and Franco parted ways, ending his 15-season tenure with the team. Franco left as the team's all time leader in appearances (695) and saves (276).
Franco played the 2005 season with the Houston Astros and retired after being released on July 2. He ended his career with 1119 games pitched - the second highest total ever, and 424 saves, placing him third on the all-time list, and first among left-handers.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 4-time NL All-Star (1986, 1987, 1989 & 1990)
- 3-time NL Reliever of the Year Award Winner (1988, 1990 & 1994)
- 2-time NL Rolaids Relief Award Winner: (1988 & 1990)
- 3-time NL Saves Leader (1988, 1990 & 1994)
- 30 Saves Seasons: 8 (1987-1991, 1994, 1997 & 1998)
[edit] Records Held
- Saves, left-hander, career, 424
