Thumbnails | Next player Penurious: John Franco, who earned save No. 400 on April 14, 1999, looks more effective than ever as he anchors the Mets' bullpen -- a chief reason Shea's tenants are nipping at the Braves for the first time in years. Franco stepped to the microphone and politely thanked everybody for coming, but he really felt like screaming, "Yo, fellas, I ain't dead yet!" To the contrary, Franco was off to the best start of his 16-year career. Through Sunday he had nine saves in nine chances and a 0.87 ERA, and he was anchoring the best bullpen in baseball this season. Yet there he was, standing before a crowd of 33,825 last Saturday, the kid from the Marlboro projects in Bensonhurst, the son of a city garbageman, a loyal Met for 10 seasons who has lived his life by Tug McGraw's rallying cry (You gotta believe), and as John Franco Day festivities concluded, there was not a wet eye in the house. "I have a weird hate-love relationship with the fans," Franco said afterward. "They always boo me until I get three outs, and then they cheer me like crazy as I'm walking off the field. Whaddya gonna do?" -- Tim Crothers Issue date: May 10, 1999 Photograph by Chuck Solomon Sports Illustrated on Baseball | Team-by-Team Reports Rookie of the Year Watch | SI's Inside Baseball Archive

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