Gulf Coast Blues

[Guest Edgy DC]

Julio Franco new GCL manager for Mets:

New York Mets name Julio Franco minor-league manager

by Brian Costa/The Star-Ledger

Monday March 16, 2009, 6:43 PM

Noah K. Murray/The Star-Ledger

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Julio Franco is back with the Mets.

Except this time, he isn't trying to extend his playing career. He's starting a new one.

The team named Franco manager of the rookie-league Gulf Coast Mets on Monday, his first managerial job after 23 years in the majors.

Franco, who seemed determined to play until the next ice age, finally retired last year at the age of 49. He spent 2006 and the first half of the 2007 season with the Mets, finished that year with the Atlanta Braves and finished his career in 2008 with los Tigres of the Mexican League.

In May 2007, at age 48, he became the oldest player ever to hit a home run in the majors with a blast off Randy Johnson.

This was a logical next step for Franco, who spent most of August 2007 working in a player-coach role in the Braves' minor-league system before being recalled to the major-league club in September.