The remarkable Julio Franco

While watching the game last night, it struck me what an amazing story Julio Franco is. Has it been somewhat undercovered nationally? The guy is 48 and getting big-time minutes for a probable World Series team ... are we just queezy about age-related feats because of what we've learned the last few years? I've yet to see a definitive Franco feech, and you'd think his story would be fascinating. The guy was playing in 1982!

You'd have to go back to like Jack Quinn in the '30s to find someone this old playing this well.

Hell, Bob Gibson was the oldest guy in the National League when he was 39.

 

Steroids.

Julio is on the juice.

 

yeah, prune juice.

 

Well, that can be listed as a performance enhancer of sorts.

 

Franco is the last major league professional athlete older than me.

:'( :'( :'( :'(

 

There's a good bit of stuff on the Web about Franco and his regimen (do a Google search for julio franco diet). I think Rick Reilly did something on him a few years back.

This was from August...
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-franco082306&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Also...
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/01/sports/baseball/01mets.html?ex=1298869200&en=7f336ca9b512ea4e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

 

Not trying to pile on, starman, but that will be a kick in the head for me when that happens

 

Julio Franco, Kenny Rogers and Odibe McDowell were supposed to lead the early-90s Rangers to the Big Dance.

 

Later, when the team was floundering as usual, gold-chain-laden Oil Can Boyd was hastily signed.

 

not mcdowell, sierra. mcdowell left the rangers in the '80's.

 

I have his rookie card. It's from the Honus Wagner tobacco card series. ;D

 

He's got a way to go before he's in Gordie Howe's longetivity league. He played 32 seasons of top-level pro hockey between 1946 and 1980 and retired at age 52.