Manufacturer: Donruss
Set: 1985 Donruss Baseball ➡️
Player Name: John Franco
Position/Team: Pitcher for Reds
Card #: 164
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”
Card Values: See Pricing Table Below
John Franco is widely considered the greatest left-handed relief pitcher in National League history. Over a 21-year career (1984–2005), the Brooklyn native became the face of the New York Mets bullpen and one of the most reliable closers of his era.
Cincinnati Reds (1984–1989): Franco burst onto the scene as a dominant young closer, making three All-Star teams and winning his first Rolaids Relief Man Award in 1988.
New York Mets (1990–2004): Acquired in a blockbuster trade for Randy Myers, Franco spent 14 seasons with the Mets. He became the team’s all-time leader in saves and appearances and served as the third captain in franchise history (following Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter).
Houston Astros (2005): He finished his career with a brief stint in Houston, retiring at the age of 44 as the oldest active pitcher in the league at the time.
Some of Franco’s career highlights include:
424 Career Saves: At the time of his retirement, this was the most ever by a left-hander and ranked second all-time behind Lee Smith.
4× All-Star: Selected in 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990.
2× Rolaids Relief Man of the Year: Won the award in both 1988 (Reds) and 1990 (Mets).
Mets Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2012 to honor his longevity and leadership in Queens.
Unlike many closers who relied on 100-mph fastballs, Franco was famous for his “circle changeup.” It had a devastating downward break that mimicked a screwball, forcing hitters to “nibble” at pitches just outside the zone. This finesse style allowed him to remain effective well into his 40s.
Shop current listings for this card on ebay!
Clicking a link to eBay may result in a referral commission being paid if a purchase is made.
Pricing Data For This Rookie Card
➡️ See All 1985 Donruss Rookie Card Prices
Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information. (Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)
DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.
Other John Franco Rookie Cards:
More Rookies From 1985 Donruss Baseball
