Last RBI man standing question answered...

[JoeDirt]

...from cbssportsline.com...

We come today with candles blazing, cake baking, wishing a big happy birthday to Julio Franco.

Atlanta's first baseman/Fountain of Youth turns 46 years young Monday.

Quick, make a wish.

"I'm going to play until I'm 50," says old man Franco, the oldest semi-regular position player. "Another four years."

He's serious.

"I'm very serious," Franco says. "That's what I hope. That I play until I'm 50."

Say whaaaaat?

"I hope God gives me the strength," he says. "I hope I can accomplish it."

Well, heck. Why not?

This is ridiculous. Guys don't play a productive first base in the major leagues and remain a threat at the plate at 46 (or 48, or 51, or 60, or however the heck old Franco is).

Guys are one with their sofas at 46, surrounded by empty beer cans and potato chip bags, dreaming of high-definition televisions.

At 46, guys don't leap like a kangaroo to glove a high chopper, as Franco did Wednesday night in San Diego against Jay Payton to save an inning with runners on first and second. They don't pounce like a cat from first base to field a bunt and start a 3-6-1 double play, as Franco did against David Wells to earn a major assist in a 6-5 Braves' victory. And they don't knock out three hits in one day, as Franco did during Atlanta's 10-1 romp over Los Angeles on Sunday.

At 46, guys sit on their beds for balance while pulling on their underwear and socks in the morning.

"Pretty amazing," San Diego manager Bruce Bochy says, cringing at the memory of Franco's agility on Payton's chopper earlier in the week. "I was shocked. Even Davey (Lopes, the Padres' first-base coach) couldn't believe it.

"Great genes."

That Franco is still active today is amazing enough.

That he is doing the things he's doing, providing both fuel for another memorable Atlanta run and shade for Adam LaRoche as the rookie breaks in at first ranks as one of the best stories of the year.

"If you had told me I'd be playing until I'm 40, I would have told you, 'You're nuts, you're crazy. You didn't take your pills today?'" Franco says. "All the trials and tribulations, the countries I've played in, and for God to bring me here ... it's amazing.

"But that's baseball. As long as you don't quit, as long as you believe in yourself and have faith in God, he'll reward you. And I think he knows I like to play baseball."

You think?

Franco broke in with Philadelphia in 1982, in a rookie class that also included Don Mattingly, Wade Boggs, Dave Dravecky, Ron Kittle, Frank Viola and Walt Terrell.

He made his name while playing for Cleveland and Texas over the next 11 seasons, winning one batting title (1991) and being named to three All-Star teams.

Since 1995, while keeping his flickering career alive between major league stops, he has played in Japan, Mexico and Korea. When he led the Mexican League in 2001 with a .437 batting average and a .497 on-base percentage (and produced 90 RBI in 110 games), the Braves signed him to help strengthen their playoff drive.

He's grown on them ever since.

"Shoot, he's amazing," Braves closer John Smoltz says. "In this day and age of today's kind of athlete, from the standpoint of knowledge and equipment and technology, he's just the product of a terrific work ethic and exuberance for playing the game. I don't know if I could do it, to be honest with you. But he keeps proving people wrong."

Says Mike Hampton: "There's no quit in him, I'll tell you. He said he's going to play until he's 50, and I think he can do it."

One thing is certain: There's a very good chance that every one of Franco's 24 current teammates will be long gone by the time they turn 46.

"I'll be retired 10 years," says Hampton, 31. "I ain't going to be looking like him, I'll tell you that."

Says outfielder J.D. Drew: "I'll be fishing, probably. Somewhere in a bass boat."

Franco has been around so long that, among others, he's called Bert Blyleven, Goose Gossage, Tug McGraw, Oil Can Boyd and current Boston manager Terry Francona teammates.

"God is the one who gave me the strength," Franco says. "If it was only up to me, I wouldn't be playing. It's a gift. You can't say you're going to do this or you're going to do that. You need some help from above."

Two weeks ago, Franco passed Mickey Mantle on baseball's all-time hit list.

"For a kid coming from the Dominican Republic, who saw Mickey Mantle on TV, I think it's very honorable to pass him," the humbled Franco says.

Last week, he blew past Pie Traynor. Contrary to popular opinion, the two were not teammates. Traynor played for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 1920 and 1937.

But you probably could fool some folks. Franco has been around so long that he became good friends with George W. Bush before he was president -- back when he owned the Rangers and employed Franco. The current president, his wife, Laura, and their twin daughters attended Franco's wedding.

"I think when the season is over, I'm going to go to Washington, D.C., and see him," Franco says. "I was going to go when we were in Baltimore (the Braves were there in late June), but he was in Ireland.

"After the season is over, I'm going to try to go see him and chat a little."

Why not? At 58, Bush is sure to have a lot more in common with Franco than, say, LaRoche, 24.

But it all depends on which part of October Atlanta's season draws to a close. If it ends too soon in October, there might not be anybody home in the White House -- they all might be hot on the campaign trail as the Nov. 2 election nears.

"I'm just going to go for a day," Franco says. "Take the kids, see the Smithsonian, see D.C. I hope he's there, for at least an hour or so, so I can say hello to him."

If not, Franco can always check himself into the Smithsonian and wait.

[ultimate7]

Great article

[T Roogs]

looong article. difficult to read at work. i can't keep the page up for that long.

[Dryden]

Copy, paste to notepad or word, read there.

Always a good technique for long articles @ work.

[fknmclane]

looong article. difficult to read at work. i can't keep the page up for that long.

So don't read it.

[T Roogs]

i chose not to read it

[ultimate7]

looong article. difficult to read at work. i can't keep the page up for that long.

OK this doesn't make any sense, you can't spend 1.5 minutes reading an article about an RBI legend, but you can spend the rest of the day posting meaningless stuff.

[defen]

short attention span?

[T Roogs]

what are we talking about again...posts take me a total of 30 seconds at most...i can't read fast, that would take me 5 mintes to read...i have problems...god help me.

[malnuboy]

I'm sticking to my Canseaco theory on this one, he will return to Major League Baseball

[fknmclane]

what are we talking about again..

We're talking about unchecked aggression.  We're talking about drawing a line in the sand.  Across this line you do not...

[Flood]

...and Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature.  Asian American please.

[fknmclane]

Emilio coming through as always.

[nightwulf]

posts take me a total of 30 seconds at most...

Boy, I'm in shock.

Nightwulf

[ultimate7]

posts take me a total of 30 seconds at most...

Boy, I'm in shock.

Nightwulf

Nicely done

[T Roogs]

posts take me a total of 30 seconds at most...

Boy, I'm in shock.

oh yeah, well i had sex with your wife!

[ultimate7]

I guess you only had about 10 seconds to come up with that one, must be a busy day.

[T Roogs]

once i checked the post, it took about 15

[Dryden]

Julio has only made one error at first base this year.

Kind of tough to make an error when you have no range to speak of...  Gives lots of time to get set.

[T Roogs]

point DRyden