Booking John Franco

John Franco Biography

Former American baseball player John Franco was born in 1960 in Brooklyn, New York. Before Franco grew up to become one of the New York Mets most notable players, he grew up in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, learning to play baseball from his father, who encouraged his interest in the sport. After graduating from high school, John played baseball for St. John’s University, garnering the interest of major league teams.

In 1981, John Franco was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers for the amateur draft. But he traded to the Cincinnati Reds only two years later as a traditional relief pitcher, known for his fastball. John spent six seasons with Cincinnati, bringing the Reds to four successful seasons in which they finished second. In 1988, John was recognized with the Relief Man of the Year Award, and then one year later he was traded to the New York Mets.

Franco remained with the Mets for another fourteen seasons, rising to team captain and leading the league in saves for multiple seasons between 1988 and 1994. Career highlights for Franco include: 4-time All-Star (1986 – 1990); More than 1000 games pitched; l975 strikeouts; and 424 saves, bringing him to the number four spot in major league history, the greatest number for any left-handed pitcher in the league.

Although now retired, John Franco is still an icon in American baseball. He recently threw the ceremonial first pitch at his alma mater’s game against Georgetown in 2009. In 2012, he was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of fame. Following in his father’s footsteps, Franco’s son, J.J., was recently drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2014.