Old Man Julio retires at age 49

"I understand that my time has passed and the great men and athletes know when to say enough."

Franco hit his last major league home run against Randy Johnson on May 4, 2007. At 48, he became the oldest player to homer in the majors.

The Dominican retired with a .298 average, 2,586 hits and 173 home runs in 23 seasons in the majors with eight teams.

(Source: AJC)

Shame no one could pick him up until his 50th birthday, but I think his endurance says a lot about how he's taken care of himself and how he plays the game. I remember reading a story a few years back that said, "In his first Braves incarnation, Franco had been known to snatch a candy bar from a young player’s hand and throw it in the trash, while delivering a lecture on healthy eating."

I wondered why he never did that to Andruw. Who knows? Maybe the "young player" was Druw. ;)