Franco established himself as an All-Star player with the Cincinnati Reds before spending the majority of his career with the New York Mets.

"[5] Throughout his six seasons with the Reds, Franco was a successful closer, winning the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1988.

On May 11, 1996, in a game against the Chicago Cubs, the Mets held "John Franco Day" to celebrate his 300th career save.

In the fifth inning, a brawl that cleared both benches and bullpens resulted in Franco being ejected from the game, along with eight other players.

Injuries caused Franco to miss the 2002 baseball season, but he made a successful recovery from surgery and returned in June 2003.

In January 2005, he was signed to a one-year deal with the Astros, at the age of 44, making him at that time the oldest active pitcher in Major League Baseball.

[5] His son J.J. Franco, who was drafted by the Mets out of high school, attended Brown University, where he played as an infielder.

There was no suggestion that he committed any crimes but his behavior was a violation of Major League Baseball rules forbidding contact with known criminals.