Juilo Franco, 3000 hits, and the HOF

gregmo32

There are two parts to my question.

First, if Julio Franco somehow hangs on to reach 3000 hits at the age of 50, will he be voted into baseball's Hall of Fame?

Second, if you had a vote under that scenario, would YOU vote for him?

I thought this would be an interesting conversation starter...

kuhlmann

MLB hits he will never make it. i think he has like 2566. lucky if he makes 2600 this year.

as far as the hall of fame. maybe but no way on the first try.

Volver

Simple answers here

No 3000 hits
&
No Hall of Fame

gregmo32

Please ASSUME for the sake of the question that he has already gotten 3000 hits at the age of 50 and answer accordingly.
(My interest actually has very little to do with Julio Franco, but more the extent of the mystique of baseball's "Magic Numbers.")

MantleMarisFordBerra

I think 3000 hit is still a "magic number" and still gets you into the Hall, just like 300 wins. 500 HRs on the other hand, no longer has the "magic". Franco, while a good, maybe even very good player, has 0% shot at the hall w/o 3000 hits, but if he were to get there, yeah, you gotta put him in. I know it's funny, how come he doesn't get in w/ 2,900 hits but does at 3,000, but such is the mystique of the "magic numbers". Don't believe me? Ask Bert Byleven. He knows allllll about it.

jad22

I think that is a really interesting question. What if Buckner had reached 3000, I wonder if he would have been elected. He was fairly close to
as well. Franco is a career 299 hitter. I just don't think he was ever dominant enough to make it.

Volver

Assuming 3000 hits - no he still does not get in. Maybe he would with the VC

Edited to say - the last time he had over 100 hits was in 1997 - so a long shot indeed, but would be cool

kcballboy

If he got to 3,000 at 50, I think he might get in as being an ambassador of the game by playing for so long. It would be a huge story as he got closer to 3,000 and would get a ton of attention. But I don't think he would be elected based on statistical merit.

dallasactuary

My respect for HOF voters is so low that I will answer "yes", I think they would actually put Julio Franco in the HOF.

Now, as low as my respect for the voters is, I still find it difficult to insult their intelligence enough to say that they might have put Bill Buckner in the HOF if he had managed to hang around for his 3000th hit. Surely, there are limits to even their stupidity.

onlyanumber

It makes you wonder--Franco played four seasons outside of MLB, either in Japan/Asia or Mexico. If he had those four years in MLB, would he be at 3000 now?

It's pretty much a given that Biggio will get to 3000 and Bonds is not too far off either. But guys like Franco and Steve Finley are still lingering around. Give them enough years getting 60-100 hits a year and they could do it.

Outside of Pete Rose, you have Rickey Henderson and Palmeiro as the only other 3000 hit men who aren't in the hall. Rickey will make it, Palmeiro has some awful big clouds over his head. After them, the next in line in career hits not in the Hall is Harold Baines at 2866 and then guys like Rusty Staub and Al Oliver. I don't think anyone here really feels Staub or Oliver are HOFers...but what if they lasted long enough to 3000?

3000 is still magical, and it may be a player like a Julio Franco or a Steve Finley that erases the magic from that number.

CDsNuts

I think he should get in based on the fact that he got 3000 hits with that ridiculous batting stance. But seriously, if a guy is playing at 50 and reaches 3000 hits, he turns into a "feel good story" and becomes an ambassador for the game. Kind of like how Buck O'Neill was genuine in his love for the game and was always nice to people and told great stories- he will get in on that coulped with a decent career in the Negro Leagues.

I think if you change Don Sutton's few dominating seasons into average seasons (but still give him 300 wins), I think you have the closest comparison to Franco's career. Is that enough to get in? I think most would argue no. A lot of people don't think Sutton should get in on his true merits. Without a few truly stellar seasons, I don't think Franco should be in but might get in anyway.

Lee

80sToyguy

He would be the second player (after that cheat-scum Palmeiro), to get 3000 and NOT get in, there is no way.
Jay

brewtown

He will not ever make the Hall! He has been playing to long and has not done anything that shows he is at the top of his postion at any point in time.

gregmo32

It is kind of crazy that if he had played in MLB in those "missing years" he would have well over 3000 hits by now.

grote15

No way Franco is even close to 3,000 hits or the Hall. At this stage in his career, if he gets 40 hits in a SEASON it's a lot, so no way. There are a ton of good hitters between 2,500 and 2,800 hits that never got more than a handful of HOF votes, and Franco will be one of them.

BobaFett72

I think he might get in.. heck phil rizzuto is in the hall of fame lol.
If he can get in, anyone can get in


seriously. I have always loved Julio Franco and he is still a capable hitter and in tremendous physical shape.

Rowdyturner

<< <i>It is kind of crazy that if he had played in MLB in those "missing years" he would have well over 3000 hits by now. >>



The way he played from about '95 to now does not suggest if he had played full seasons during those years he would have reached 3,000 more like he'd be around 2900 at best. He had some nice years for a contact hitter back in the late 80's early 90's so to say he never had great seasons is uncool. Batting .341 in a full season is no easy task. If he somehow were to have 3,000 hits you'd have to assume his other stats would be better and he'd be closer to 200HR 1300RBI 450 2B 300 SB which together with a .300 lifetime average and 3,000 hits, yes I think he would be HOF material, like just scraping in depending on who he was against that year. This year would not be good considering Biggio and Maybe Clemens might retire, but next year if he were to reach 3000 and retire, I don't see anyone else of great fame retiring at the end of next year, save maybe Bonds. But who the hell knows how long Maddux/Glavine/Johnson plan to linger on. Maddux pitching in San Diego might last for 5 years who knows. He might make a run at 400 wins.

Rowdyturner

What really pisses me off about the Franco thing is he gets a roster spot but Rickey Henderson a guy who would love to still be playing and could provide just as good pinch hitting or running skills as Franco has no job. Even though Rickey was batting about .200 in '03 when he was forced to retire he could still get on base at about a .360 clip which is par with Franco. He also stole 25 bases in 2001 when given the full time chance so clearly he wasn't ready to hang it up.

My friends and I agree if we ever win the Lottery and buy the Royals first thing we'll do is hire Rickey to be the leadoff hitter. Sure he might only hit .220, but I guarantee if he managed to play over 130 games he's scoring 90 runs and stealing 30 bags which is better than a lot of leadoff guys now. Also he might be the first ever DH leadoff hitter, but hey he loves setting records.