The Julio Franco sports version of 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon is incredible
(A thread of threads)

The one everyone knows: faced Jim Kaat who also faced Ted Williams

Williams debuted in 1939. Franco retired in 2007. They both faced the same pitcher. Ridiculous.

Baseball-reference goes back to 1871 for pro baseball leagues:
1871 Joe Start debuts
Start faces HOFer Sam Thompson
Thompson teammates with Ty Cobb
Cobb teammates with Lefty Grove
Grove teammates with Ted Williams
Williams faces Jim Kaat
Kaat faces Julio Franco

6 steps

Franco teamed with Ron Reed on 1982 Phillies. Reed played with NBA Pistons in 60s (pictured below with Elgin Baylor). Reed teamed with HOFers Dave DeBusschere and Dave Bing. Played against Wilt and Russell.

NBA began in 1946:
1946 Max Zaglofsky debuted
Zaglofsky faced Red Kerr
Red Kerr faced Ron Reed
Ron Reed teamed with Julio Franco

3 steps to NBA origin

Franco was MLB teammates Kirk McKaskill (drafted by Winnipeg in ‘81 NHL draft - ahead of HOFer Chris Chelios) and Tom Glavine (drafted by LA King’s in ‘85 NHL draft - ahead of HOF Brett Hull)

McKaskill played minor league hockey with NHL alum Claude Larose

NHL started in 1917
1917 HOFer Reg Noble debuts
Noble faced HOFer Dit Clapper
Clapper faced HOFer Gordie Howe
Howe faced Claude Larose
Larose played with McKaskill
McKaskill teamed with Franco

5 steps to NHL origin

Julio was MLB teammates with Brian Jordan on 2001 Braves. Jordan played 3 seasons in NFL - teammates with Brett Favre and played against Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders.

NFL began in 1920:
‘20 HOFer George Trafton debuts
Trafton faced HOFer Dutch Clark
Clark faced HOFer Sammy Baugh
Baugh faced HOFer YA Tittle
Tittle faced HOFer Carl Eller
Eller faced HOFer Joe Montana
Montana faced Brian Jordan
Jordan teammates with Franco

7 moves :(

Misc: Played MLB games against NFL greats Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders.

Franco had a MLB AB versus Mark Hendrickson who played for 4 different NBA teams (and starred in at least one Michael Jordan poster). Mark also surrendered Griffey’s 600th.

Hendrickson is only person with a MLB win, MLB HR, and NBA 3-pointer

18 “active” pitchers (credit to @baseball_ref) faced Franco.

I used a lot of @sports_ref sites for this thread. They are the best @baseball_ref @bball_ref @hockey_ref @pfref

Let’s link @kevinbacon to this, too.
Julio Franco played with Frank Thomas on 1994 White Sox

Franco and Thomas teammates

Frank Thomas was in Mr Baseball with Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck in Killers w/
Martin Mull

Mull in Relative Strangers with
Neve Campbell

Neve in Wild Things with
Kevin Bacon

Thanks to @Donnygloves for the idea

Julio Franco was in 7th inning stretch documentary with Randy Couture

Randy Couture fought James Toney

James Toney fought Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield fought Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes fought Muhammed Ali (James Toney played Joe Frazier in 2001 movie, Ali)