Julio Franco, born August 23rd, 1958, became the oldest player in the majors to hit a home run last week. A feat that is amazing, and proves alot about Franco, because he is doing something no one else has ever done.
Today, April 26th, was no different. With his team deadlocked at foyur and two men on, Franco pinch hit in the top of the eighth. After getting the base hit that drove in the two men previously on, Franco was still not finished. What happened next may be more amazing than even the home run he hit. He stole Second. The 47 year old stole second to put himself into scoring position. A move that worked well because the next batter, David Wright, hit a double that drove Franco in. Now I did not see the actual stolen base, it may have been a gimme or something odd that occured, but I don't care. At 47 years old the guy still has the potential to hit home runs, come up with clutch hits, and yes.....he can even steal a base or two.
His home run last week gave his team a one run lead, and today his performance helped his team take a three run lead late in the game. On a team filled with young stars such as Wright and Jose Reyes, Franco is proving that he can still be a valuable asset to a team with championship aspirations.
Note* This article was written before that other ageless wonder, Barry Bonds, pinch hit for Steve Finley and hit a two run blast off of Billy Wagner in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game. Whoever was saying Barry Bonds is finished might want to print a retraction. A bottom of the ninth home run of one the best closers in the game signals that this guy is far from done.