John Franco was born and raised in Brooklyn and played for Lafayette HS, winning the PSAL City Championship. Franco was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 in the 5th round of the amateur draft. Before reaching the major leagues, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Franco was a star reliever for much of the next two decades. Franco debuted with the Reds in 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).
In 1989, at the age of 29, he was traded to the Mets. 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 the team captain, and remained the closer. 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.
Class of 2008