Hall candidate: Ageless Julio Franco has a unique resume
- Julio Franco played in the big leagues for 25 years and also played in several foreign countries
- At 48, Franco was the oldest player to hit a major-league home run
- Franco was consistent but rarely dominant, making three All-Star teams
(Editor's note: USA TODAY Sports is publishing sketches of the top Hall-of-Fame candidates on this year's ballot. It is an intriguing group, ranging from players with first-ballot accomplishments marred by the cloud of performance-enhancing drugs to unsullied players nearing the end of their 15-year eligibility. The Baseball Writers Association of America will announce Jan. 9 who, if anyone, accumulates the 75% of the vote necessary for induction.)
Name: Julio Franco
Position: Shortstop, second base, first base
Career: 1982 to 2007; Phillies, Indians, Rangers, White Sox, Brewers, Devil Rays, Braves, Mets
Year on ballot: First
Why he should be inducted: Because all Julio Franco wanted to do was hit. And he did, anywhere and seemingly forever. Franco's is a longevity case, much like Phil Niekro on the pitching side. Franco was 48 when he hit his final major-league home run for the Mets in 2007, a record. In fact, he holds 18 of the top 19 spots on the oldest-to-homer list as well as oldest to hit a grand slam and oldest with a multi-homer game.
That last one – the 173rd of his career -- came 25 years and 11 days after his major-league debut.
In between, he won a batting title and five Silver Sluggers, hit .300 in nine seasons, including .309 in 361 plate appearances for the Braves when his was 46. His career hits total of 2,586 is 83rd all-time but that doesn't include enough in Japan and Korea to put him over 3,000, plus another 316 in the Mexican League.
Why he shouldn't be inducted: Because he was consistent but seldom dominant. He made just three All-Star teams and, while his stats were solid as middle infielders go, he was a below-average defender.
Though he played slightly more games at shortstop, his most productive years were at second base and he doesn't match up with most of the Hall of Famers at that position. His career Wins Above Replacement tops only Red Schoendienst and Bill Mazeroski among second basemen in the Hall but Franco is behind many non-Hall of Famers, including Tony Phillips and Chuck Knoblauch.
Numbers don't lie: He was all-time Dominican hits leader until Vladimir Guerrero passed him in 2001, but Franco has 4,164 in his pro career, including the minors, Japan, Korea, Mexico and the Dominican Winter League.
Verdict: Franco was a productive hitter at a more advanced age than anybody else in baseball history, a noteworthy achievement but not one that should grant him a place in the Hall of Fame.