The Eastern Stars - Mark Kurlansky [107]
1982
Julio Franco
Julio César Franco was born on August 23, 1958, in Consuelo. He debuted in the major leagues on April 23, 1982, for the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed him as a free agent on April 23, 1978.
Julio Franco had one of the longest careers in major-league history, spanning twenty-five years from April 1982 until September 2007, when he retired at age forty-nine. He maintained an impressive career batting average of .298, getting a hit one out of every three times at bat for twenty-five years. There were many years in which he had a batting average of .300 or above: 1986 (.306), 1987 (.319), 1988 (.303), 1989 (.316), 1991 (.341), and 1994 (.319). His total of 2,586 hits was the highest of any Dominican major-league player.
Franco mostly played shortstop and second base, but he also played first base, third base, left field, outfield, and right field, and he was also a designated hitter. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians on December 9, 1982, and then traded to the Texas Rangers on December 6, 1988. The Chicago White Sox signed him as a free agent on December 15, 1993, and the Indians signed him as a free agent on December 7, 1995. The Milwaukee Brewers signed him as a free agent on August 13, 1997, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on February 19, 1999. On August 31, 2001, the Atlanta Braves purchased him from the Mexico City Tigers. The Braves signed him as a free agent on January 8, 2003, on January 12, 2004, and on December 9, 2004. The New York Mets signed him as a free agent on December 12, 2005, and then the Braves signed him as a free agent on July 18, 2007. He finished out his 2007 season playing for the Braves. In 1990 he was named Most Valuable Player.
Franco was the oldest regular-position (everyday) player in major-league history. From 2004 until his retirement he was the oldest player in baseball and made age records on a regular basis: the oldest player ever to hit a home run, the oldest player to hit a grand slam, the oldest player ever to hit two home runs in the same game, and the oldest to steal two bases in the same game.
Alejandro Sánchez
Alejandro Pimental Sánchez was born on February 14, 1959, in San Pedro de Macorís. The Phillies signed him in 1978. He played outfield, right field, left field, and center field, and was a designated hitter. He debuted in the major leagues on September 6, 1982, for the Philadelphia Phillies and played his final game on May 16, 1987, playing a total of six seasons in the majors. He played for the Phillies from 1982 to 1983. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants on March 24, 1984, to the Detroit Tigers on April 5, 1985, and to the Minnesota Twins on January 16, 1986. He became a free agent on October 15, 1986, and then played for the Oakland Athletics in 1987.
1983
Juan Samuel
Juan Milton Samuel was born on December 9, 1960, in Barrio Restauración. The Phillies signed him on April 29, 1980. He played second base, center field, first base, right field, left field, and third base, and was a designated hitter, but he played mostly second base, with a total of 1,190 games at that position. He debuted in the major leagues on August 24, 1983, for the Philadelphia Phillies and played his final game on September 26, 1998, for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was traded to the New York Mets on June 18, 1989, to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 20, 1989, and to the Kansas City Royals on September 8, 1995. He was signed as a free agent by the Royals on August 6, 1992, by the Cincinnati Reds on December 11, 1992, by the Detroit Tigers on February 14, 1994, and by the Blue Jays, the team with which he finished out his major-league career, on January 16, 1996. In his first four seasons, he was the first player in history to reach double-digit home runs, stolen bases, doubles, and triples. He played a total of sixteen seasons in the major leagues, collecting 161 home runs, 287 doubles, 102 triples, and 703 RBIs, and stealing 396 bases. He was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1984