Welcome to UnforMETable, an Amazin’ Avenue Audio show that looks back on less heralded, more obscure Mets players from the past.

Matt Franco pursued a career in one of the two great passions of his family—not acting, like his uncle Kurt Russell—but baseball—also like Russell, who had an early career in minor and independent league ball.

Franco would make it further than his uncle—or his grandfather before him—enduring a long road in the minors before MLB debut with the Cubs in 1995. But it was with his trade to the Mets in 1996 that Franco would find his home, as the primary pinch hitter for some successful late 90s Mets teams.

Franco’s patience at the plate and clutch bat would deliver often in a pinch—never more memorably than in the Subway Series against Mariano Rivera in 1999.

As always, you can listen or subscribe to this and all of our wonderful Amazin’ Avenue Audio podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, or listen wherever you get podcasts.

If you’ve got an idea for a player to be featured on UnforMETable, let us know in the comments.

Make sure to follow Rob on Twitter (@WolffRR), and you can now follow the show, too (@unformetable). Tune in next week for another tale from the Mets’ past.

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