Julio Franco, 56, is now playing baseball in Japan
Julio Franco, 56, will serve as a player/manager for the semi-professional Ishikawa Million Stars in Japan.
Julio Franco is still playing baseball. Think about that for a moment. Julio Franco, whose professional debut in the minor leagues was back in 1978 (37 years ago), is going to be suiting up for another season. This will be the fifth decade the former Major League Baseball All-Star has played in. On Tuesday, he signed a contract to be a player/manager for the Ishikawa Million Stars, a semi-professional team in Japan.
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Franco will be turning 57 in August. Apparently, he has yet to get that memo. Then again, when you are the oldest player in MLB history to hit a home run in a regular season game (he did so at 48 in 2006), you tend to brush aside criticism. He won a batting title in 1991, while playing for Texas, and retired from the majors in 2008, with his last game appearance during the 2007 season.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Franco is looking to become a manager within Major League Baseball at some point. Should he want to bring that desire to fruition, there are plenty of teams that will likely give the guy a look. It is not every day you find a man that has been playing the game on and off for nearly 40 years, and with significant experience at three different positions; shortstop, second base, and first base, in addition to time as a designated hitter.
Currently, it is unknown just how much playing time Franco will actually receive in Japan. However, the 2015 Baseball Challenge League season provides spectators with the chance to see a player with more than 4,200 career hits across all levels of professional baseball, along with a passion for the sport that has rarely been matched.
One last thing. Albert Pujols, three time National League MVP, nine time all-star, and owner of 520 career home runs, is nearly two years younger than Julio Franco’s playing career alone. We will leave you to take that one in.
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