Franco covers the diamond with style

Tony Altobelli

Talk about a free spirit.

Costa Mesa High baseball player extraordinaire Carlos Franco is about

as smooth as a peeved porcupine on the baseball diamond, but man, he’s

sure fun to watch.

At Saturday’s South County Showcase, Franco was given the ultimate

present from Corona del Mar Coach John Emme. The PCL head coach allowed

Franco to play every position on the field.

“My Coach (Kirk Bauermeister) called me on the phone and I thought I

was in trouble or something,” Franco said. “He said that Coach Emme was

going to offer me an opportunity to play all the positions and I was

surprised. I was really looking forward to it all week long.”

Why do it, Coach Emme? “I love the kid and I thought it would be a

perfect going-away present for him,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed playing

against him during his career and he’s a great kid.”

The fun started during infield-outfield warmups. After his stint in

right field, Franco became one of the biggest second baseman in

infield-outfield history, but pulled it off rather well, despite leaving

before the slow-roller drill.

Franco’s day began in right field, where he perhaps scared hitters

into not hitting the ball toward him by playing a step shy of the warning

track.

After an uneventful stint in center field in the second inning, Franco

finally got to showcase his talents in the third inning from left field.

Irvine’s Travis Otott drove a shot down the left-field line. Franco

“motored” after the ball and fired a strike to the cutoff man, who

attempted to nail a runner trying to score, but the runner was safe.

Otott tried to get greedy and go to third, but Estancia’s Brent Davis

fired a strike to third to retire Otott and gave Franco an outfield

assist.

Franco showed his endless humor during his first trip to the plate.

Perhaps generously listed at 230 pounds on his Daily Pilot Athlete of the

Week baseball card, Franco showed some savvy by attempting a bunt, much

to the chagrin of Emme.

“I told the players, ‘Whoever tries to bunt in this game is an idiot,’

” Emme said. “I think that was for me.”

Franco went 0 for 3 at the plate, so perhaps a bunt wasn’t a bad idea

after all. But anyway, back to his defense.

Now in the infield, things really got interesting for Franco. Irvine’s

Chad Hazlett tried to coax Franco up from deep third base with a bunt

fake, but Franco didn’t buy it. On the next pitch, Hazlett proceeded to

bunt down the third-base line where Franco scampered after the ball.

Hazlett hit the bag about the same time Franco got to the ball, but his

form looked good.

Franco’s inning at shortstop was his biggest concern coming into this

game. “I didn’t want to go out there and embarrass myself,” he said.

“Playing short was a killer. I’m glad I survived.”

Not only did Franco survive, but he managed to record a putout by

catching a fly ball.

Franco became a game saver at second base. With the PCL leading, 3-2,

and the tying run on second, Laguna Hills’ Justin Hallenbeck hit a sharp

grounder up the middle, but Franco went horizontal, knocking the ball

down and keeping the tying run from scoring. “It just kicked off my

glove,” he said, proudly. “All I wanted to do was turn a double play

while I was out there with my buddy (Estancia’s Armando Ortiz), but we

never got the opportunity.”

After a quiet inning at first, Franco put on the “tools of ignorance”

and headed behind the plate.

No runner stole second on Franco, despite his three-hopper to center

field during warmups.

“Perhaps they were scared,” he said afterward.

Perhaps the most mind-boggling fact of Franco’s day: He played the

entire game without wearing a protective cup, not even when he was

catching. I guess that explains why Franco wasn’t within a zip code from

a pitch that came up a little short.

“I was worried the umpire was going to get hit,” Franco said. “I’m

glad he survived the inning with me. I’ve never worn a cup in my life.”

Finally, in the ninth inning, Franco, who had five saves for the

Mustangs this season, attempted to protect the PCL’s 6-3 lead on the

mound. After allowing a single to Woodbridge’s Brian Martinez, Franco got

the next two hitters before facing Irvine’s Jon de Vries, the man-child

who was drafted in the third round in this week’s MLB draft.

“Man, that guy is huge,” Franco said. “All I wanted was that guy not

to take me out of the park.”

Fortunately for Franco, de Vries didn’t ruin his day and only

one-hopped the fence for an RBI double. Two batters later, Franco got out

of the jam and earned the save.