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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Braves' 'old man 1 Franco still going strong at 46
By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -
Julio Franco was hanging out
in the Dominican Republic
during the offseason, enjoy
ing life with his family. Then, that
familiar urge struck.
“I got bored,” Franco said. “Well,
I thought to myself, I might as well
start playing a little winter ball.’”
So he did. And now, baseball’s
oldest player is back at spring
training with the Atlanta Braves,
GOAL
From page 1B
returning.
“We haven’t gained any
speed,” Bailey said, “but the
key to our success is hard
work. We may not be the
most skilled or fastest, but
we’ll work hard.”
The Demons are averag
ing three goals a game, but
in two of their wins, they
gave up three goals.
Bailey said his team is hit
ting only 4 percent of its
shots on goal. He wants that
average to improve to at
least 20 percent.
“We have too many people
waiting for two or three guys
to take the shots,” Bailey
said. “If you have the oppor
tunity, take the shot. Don’t
wait for someone else to do
it.”
In a region that includes
Hardaway, Northside,
Central and Westside,
“Hardaway is a big threat,”
Bailey said. “They beat
Houston County in a tour-
Warner Robins' Laura
Palkovic passes the ball
around during a practice
at the school Monday.
HHJ/Joe Sersey
FRESHMEN
From page 1B
made varsity, but Hunt said
they’ve asked to play junior
varsity to get more playing
time.
“They’ll get plenty of play
ing time with the varsity,”
Hunt said. “Everybody will
get playing time, we have
that much depth.”
If there is a concern, it is
at goalie. Jenny Drain took
over this season after play
ing back up as a freshman
last year. She has two shut
outs, but even Hunt grudg
ingly admits that Drain
hasn’t been truly tested yet.
“My girls have been play
ing so well, I don’t think
Stockbridge got off a shot,”
Hunt said.
Drain’s first test should
come March 11 against
Hardaway, a school that
Falcons release three veteran defensive players
The Associated Press
FLOWERY BRANCH -
The Atlanta Falcons cleared
about $5 million in salary
cap room Monday by releas
ing three veterans from their
defense.
Defensive tackle Ed
Jasper, who has said he
showing no signs of slowing down
at age 46.
Retirement isn’t even on the
for Franco, who wants to
play until he’s 50. There was noth
ing in his performance last season
that would indicate it’s time to
trade in his bat for a rocking chair
- Franco batted .309 with six hom
ers and 57 RBIs, sharing first base
with a guy young enough to be his
son, 25-year-old Adam Laßoche.
“We have to set goals that we
think can reach,” Franco said after
Monday’s workout. “I think that
Warner Robins boys soccer 2005
March
3 *at Central (BCSC) 5 p.m.
5 vs. Peach County 2 p.m.
8 vs. Upson-Lee 5:30 p.m.
11 *vs. Hardaway 6 p.m.
15 *vs. Westside 4:30 p.m.
18 vs. Houston County 5 p.m.
April
2 at Tift County 3 p.m.
11 vs. Griffin 5:30 p.m.
13 *at Northside 4:30 p.m.
15 3-AAAA Tournament TBA
‘denotes Region 3S-AAAA game
nament.
“Westside should be much
improved. Northside is
always tough. Rusty Lane
is an excellent coach. He’ll
have them ready.”
After a tough sub-region
schedule, the Demons then
have to face teams from 3N.
“Our biggest goal is to
get home field,” Bailey said.
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always has a strong team.
Central, Northside and
Warner Robins girls soccer 2005
March
3 *at Central (BCSC) 5 p.m.
8 vs. Upson-Lee 5:30 p.m.
11 *vs. Hardaway 6 p.m.
15 *vs. Westside 4:30 p.m.
18 vs. Houston County 5 p.m.
24 vs. Rutland 5:30 p.m.
25 at Dutchtown 6 p.m.
April
2 at Tift County 3 p.m.
5 at Perry 5:30 p.m.
6 at Peach County 6:30 p.m.
11 vs. Griffin 5:30 p.m.
13 *at Northside 4:30 p.m.
15 3-AAAA Tournament TBA
‘denotes Region 3S-AAAA game
might retire, 10-year vet
eran defensive tackle Travis
Hall and safety Cory Hall
were released.
“These are always hard
decisions when they involve
players who had a lot to do
with our success last season,
but for salary cap purposes,
one’s reachable.”
Surely if he makes it to 50, he’ll
be ready to do something else,
right? Not necessarily.
“We’ll see,” Franco said, a mis
chievous look in his eyes. “You
never know what might happen.”
Even back in his native country,
Franco hears many of the same
questions he gets while playing for
the Braves.
“How can you still be doing
this?”
“What in the world are you
doing?”
“Teams aren’t used to play
ing on a big field like Tanner.
We’ll wear down teams we’re
playing against there.”
Henry County, Upson-Lee
and Stockbridge are the class
of that league. Stockbridge
has started the season 3-1.
“The top five in AAAA are
just as good as the top five in
AAAAA,” Bailey said.
Westside make up the rest of
the sub-region.
we needed to make these
moves at this time,” said
Falcons general manager
Rich McKay.
“Once the cap settles down,
I would not rule out the pos
sibility of one or all of these
guys being back with us as
part of the 2005 Falcons.”
SPORTS
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A pair of Northside pitchers warm up during a practice at the school Feb. 23.
PITCHING
From page 1B
a good defensive catcher
and did a good job with the
bat.”
Shane Scott and Jonathan
Broadie are after the first
base job, but Adam Smith
has a lock on second.
“He does a good job,”
Kinsler said of second-year
starter Smith. “He gets to
balls others can’t.”
When he isn’t pitching,
Bowen will play short. He’s
coming off a .390 season
that included 11 home
runs.
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Franco always gives the same
answer: He’s playing for a higher
power, which decided to use him as
a conduit to show that anything is
possible.
While he grew up in a religious
family, the message didn’t really
take hold until he was 31 - and
already had the reputation as
someone who played just as hard
off the field as he did on it.
“I never wanted to make a com
mitment and give myself to God,”
Franco said. “I made a mistake.
I should have done it when I was
Felcon has a shot as his
back up at that position,
when Bowen pitches.
Felcon and fellow sopho
more Barnard are both bat
tling for the third base slot.
They both played JV last
season and look to make a
difference this year.
Heath Spears started
at center field last season
and will start there for his
senior season as well.
Junior Brad Horne
and sophomore Andrew
Holleday are vying for the
left field position since
Perry Rotary Club
I>M?
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2005 ♦
a little kid. It didn’t happen that
way, but here I am today, serving
the best way I can.”
Hitting coach Terry Pendleton,
who’s two years younger than
Franco but retired sifter the 1998
season, said the secret to his lon
gevity is simple: hand-eye coordi
nation.
“His is better than a lot of 20-
year-olds,” Pendleton said. “When
Julio goes bad, it will be because
of his eyes. It’s not going to be
because of his physical strength. It
will be because he can’t see.”
senior Jonathan Carter will
be starting in right.
Hardaway and Warner
Robins are the only teams
Northside has played from
its new 3S-AAAA region
schedule.
“Hardaway played for
the 5-A championship two
years ago,” Kinsler said.
“They’re traditionally a
power house.
“Our region as a whole
will be like us,” he added.
“Hardaway is always pow
erful, the rest of the sub
region is wide open.”
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