Description: 1986 John Franco Pitcher New York Mets World Series MLB Major League Baseball Metal Street Sign John Franco Freeway Statue of Liberty Image 4 Holes in Corners for Hanging Used Condition 30” Wide x 9” Tall 1/4” Thick Metal Weighs 3 lbs. 6 oz. John Franco John Anthony Franco (born September 17, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed relief pitcher between 1984 and 2005. Franco established himself as an All-Star player with the Cincinnati Reds before spending the majority of his career with the New York Mets. He ended his 21-year career with one final season with the Houston Astros. John Franco Born: September 17, 1960 (age 64) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. Batted: Left Threw: Left MLB debut April 24, 1984, for the Cincinnati Reds Last MLB appearance July 1, 2005, for the Houston Astros MLB statistics Games pitched 1,119 Win–loss record 90–87 Earned run average 2.89 Strikeouts 975 Saves 424 Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata Teams Cincinnati Reds (1984–1989) New York Mets (1990–2001, 2003–2004) Houston Astros (2005) Career highlights and awards 4× All-Star (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990) 2× NL Rolaids Relief Man Award (1988, 1990) 3× NL saves leader (1988, 1990, 1994) New York Mets Hall of Fame Franco's 1,119 career games pitched is a National League record, and ranks fourth in major league history. His 424 career saves ranks seventh all-time in major league history (ranking second when he retired), and remains the most by a left-hander. For 15 of his 21 seasons, he played for the New York Mets, serving as team captain in his final years with the team. Franco was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2012. Franco was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 8, 1981, in the 5th round of the amateur draft. Before reaching the major leagues, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on May 9, 1983, with Brett Wise for Rafael Landestoy. Landestoy batted under .200 before retiring the following year while Franco was a star reliever for much of the next two decades. Franco debuted with the Reds on April 24, 1984. Franco was a traditional relief pitcher with a "90-mph fastball and a change-up that breaks away from a righthanded batter like a screwball." Throughout his six seasons with the Reds, Franco was a successful closer, winning the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1988. He helped the Reds finish second four seasons in a row (1985–1988). On December 6, 1989, at the age of 29, he was traded with Don Brown to the Mets for Randy Myers and Kip Gross. He remained with the Mets organization until the end of the 2004 season. During his time with the Mets, he won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1990, became team captain, and remained the closer until 1999, when he moved to a setup role for new closer Armando Benítez. He led the league in saves for the 1988, 1990, and 1994 seasons. He reached the postseason for the first time in 1999 and the World Series in 2000. On May 11, 1996, in a game against the Chicago Cubs, the Mets held "John Franco Day" to celebrate his 300th career save. In the fifth inning, a brawl that cleared both benches and bullpens resulted in Franco being ejected from the game, along with eight other players. Injuries caused Franco to miss the 2002 baseball season, but he made a successful recovery from surgery and returned in June 2003. He signed a one-year contract for the 2004 season. He finished with a 2-7 record with 36 strikeouts and a 5.28 ERA in 46 innings. In January 2005, he was signed to a one-year deal with the Astros, at the age of 44, making him at that time the oldest active pitcher in Major League Baseball. On July 1, 2005, Franco was designated for assignment, and he was subsequently released, which proved to be the end of his baseball career. Career accomplishments Pitching record: 90-87 Saves: 424, fifth most in major league history behind, Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Francisco Rodríguez, and the most for any left-handed pitcher. Strikeouts: 975 ERA: 2.89 Innings pitched: 1245+2⁄3 Games pitched: 1119 4-time All-Star (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990) 3-time NL Save Leader (1988, 1990, 1993) Postseason record: 2-0, one save, 1.88 ERA in 15 postseason appearances New York Mets 3rd team captain (2001–2004)
Price: 265 USD
Location: New York, New York
End Time: 2025-01-07T17:12:33.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
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Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money back or replacement (buyer's choice)
League: Major League (MLB)
Player: John Franco
Size: 30” x 9”
Color: Green & White
Product: Sign
Gender: Everyone
California Prop 65 Warning: n/a
Event/Tournament: World Series & Regular Season
Brand: Unbranded
Sport: Baseball
Officially Licensed: No
Pre & Post Season: World Series
Capacity: 30” x 9”
Team: New York Mets
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States