On this date (Dec. 27) in 1994, Julio Franco’s tenure with the White Sox officially came to an end when the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League announced that they had signed him.
Franco spent one productive but strike-shortened season with the White Sox in 1994.
The native of Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic hit .319 with 20 home runs and 98 RBIs in just 112 games as the White Sox designated hitter.
At 35, Franco also posted a .406 on-base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage as the Sox went 67-46 and were atop the American League Central when the players walked off the job in August.
Instead of waiting for the work stoppage (which promised to go on for a long time) to end, Franco went to Japan where he spent 1995 and hit .306 for Chiba Lotte.
His absence would leave a hole in the Sox lineup around Frank Thomas they would never really consistently replace until Albert Belle arrived in 1997.