The Franco-Files Post-Season Edition #3 (10/9)

In which we track the exploits of Julio Franco, the oldest player in the postseason.

Game 4 of the National League Division Series Between the Braves and Astros.

Where to begin when talking about such a monster of a game, which the Braves lost, 6-5, in 18 innings? It was the longest postseason game of all time, one in which Julio entered in the bottom of the eighth inning and still managed to get five at-bats.

Well, that's where we'll begin...from where Julio first appeared. Let's break down the performance of 47-year-old Julio in what turned out to be his final game of 2005.

BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH: Julio enters the game as a defensive replacement for Adam LaRoche, whose
third-inning grand slam was the primary reason that the Braves held a comfortable 6-1 lead. At the time Julio came into the game, the general thinking was that his stint would last one and a half innings as the Braves put the finishing touches on a win that would force a decisive Game 5.

However, Lance Berkman's grand slam with one out in the frame made things a lot less comfortable, bringing the Astros to within 6-5 heading into the ninth.

TOP OF THE NINTH: With two outs and no one on, Julio grounds out to shortstop against 27-year-old Chad Qualls, whom Julio had not faced in 2005. No big deal, right? The Braves were still only three outs away from victory.

BOTTOM OF THE NINTH: With two outs and no one on, Brad Ausmus homers to tie the game at 6-6. Eric Bruntlett then strikes out to end the inning, but the damage has been done. Julio, the Braves and the Astros are going into extra innings!

TOP OF THE 11TH: With two outs and runners on second and third, Julio has the chance to be the hero. Facing the 28-year-old Brad Lidge, whom he had singled against in Game 3, Julio grounds out to second base to end the inning and the Braves' threat.

TOP OF THE 14TH: Andruw Jones walked to start the inning, so Julio comes to the plate with one goal and one goal only: to advance Jones to second base. Facing 27-year-old Dan Wheeler, who retired him on a ground ball to second in Game 3, Julio lays a bunt down the first-base line. Wheeler thinks it may go foul, so he watches it...and watches it...and accidentally kicks it into fair territory as he waits for it to go foul. So Julio ends up with something better than a sacrifice bunt, he ends up with an infield single that put runners on first and second with no one out!

Jeff Francoeur then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Jones and Julio at second and third, respectively. The Braves had a great shot to take the lead. However, after Ryan Langerhans was intentionally walked to load the bases, Brian McCann struck out and pinch-hitter Pete Orr (in a rare not-replacing-Julio-on-the-basepaths appearance) grounded out to end the inning.

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

TOP OF THE 16TH: With the Astros' bullpen depleted, manager Phil Garner is forced to turn to none other than 43-year-old Roger Clemens, baseball's oldest pitcher, to finish the game in his first relief appearance since 1984.

And who better than Julio, the game's oldest player, to be the first batter to face Clemens? We here at GPC were loving this moment, especially after Julio was deprived of the chance to bat against Clemens in Game 2. Unfortunately, Clemens won the battle. After working the count full, Julio was called out on strikes on a pitch that he considered to be out of the strike zone. This made the normally mild-mannered Julio livid, as he turned around and gave home-plate umpire Gary Cederstrom a piece of his mind. Check the picture at the top of this post.

TOP OF THE 18TH: Rematch! Batting with a runner on first and one out, Julio once again goes head-to-head with Clemens, a batter-pitcher battle with 90 cumulative years of life experience. Roger wins again, as Julio pops out harmlessly to shortstop Jose Vizcaino.

BOTTOM OF THE 18TH: Batting with one out and no one on, Chris Burke (who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the bottom of the 10th) launches a homer into the seats in left fieldto send the Astros to a 7-6 win. The Braves are eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the fourth straight season in which this has occurred.

Julio's Performance (game): 1-for-5
SERIES: 2-for-9 (.222)
CAREER POSTSEASON (1996 with Cleveland, 2001-05 with Braves): 22-for-94 (.234), 2 homers, 5 RBIs. The only time Julio has been a part of a winning postseason series was in 2001, when the Braves beat the Astros in the Division Series before losing to Arizona in the NLCS.

And there it ends. Thank you for following Julio with us this season, he'll be back next year, so will we!