John Franco, Former NY Mets Reliever, Inducted into Team’s Hall Of Fame

John Franco, a former MLB relief pitcher who spent 14 of of his 20 seasons as a pro with the New York Mets, was inducted Sunday into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“It means a lot to me,” The NY Daily quotes Franco as saying of his HoF induction. “Growing up in Brooklyn and rooting for the Mets as a kid and always dreaming about playing for your favorite team… and now being in your favorite team’s Hall of Fame with guys that were my heroes – the (Tom) Seavers, the (Tug) McGraws, the Tommie Agees, the Bud Harrelsons — to be on the wall with those guys, it means an awful lot to me. It’s humbling and I’m very honored.”

Franco, a 4-time All-Star who finished his career with an NL record 1,119 pitched, joined the Mets in 1990 after a trade from Cincinnati and stayed in New York until 2004.

While with the Mets, the crafty left-hander racked up a club-record 276 saves and pitched a total of 695 games. His 14 seasons with the team makes him the second-longest tenured player in Mets history, behind Ed Kranepool.

After the Mets, Franco signed a one-year deal with the Houston Astros. He was released from the team in 2005, marking the end of his baseball career.

Over the course of his 21-year baseball career, John Franco put together a win-loss record of 90-87, struck out 975 batters and held down an ERA of 2.89. His 424 career saves ranked second in major league history when he retired, and remain the most by a left-hander.

The NY Daily writes that among the former Mets in attendance for Franco’s induction were former inductees Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Ed Kranepool and Harrelson. Former teammates including Al Leiter, Todd Zeile, David Cone and Bret Saberhagen also were on the field for the pregame ceremony.