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The MLB schedule overlapped with the summer games. No MLB players were available to compete on the USA Baseball team. So, USA Baseball spent months recruiting prospects comprised of minor league players and journeymen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUltimately, it was an easy decision for me to make,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cI never thought I\u2019d have the opportunity to compete at an international level. I felt confident that following the Olympics I would come back, have a strong showing in spring training and secure my spot in the majors the following year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Franklin boarded a flight and made his way to Australia. For two weeks, alongside dozens of prospective USA Baseball players, he played in exhibition matches in Queensland. He made the final cut of 30 players and would soon be on his way to compete in Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Olympic Tournament<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The main tournament featured eight teams selected from a series of continental qualifying tournaments. The teams met in a round-robin series, facing each other once. The countries represented were Australia, Cuba, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In their first game, the United States faced Japan. The game was tied 2-2 at the close of the ninth inning. Franklin took over the mound for Team USA and threw four shut-out innings and recorded four strikeouts, picking up the win in relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the round-robin series, Team USA lost only one game. The loss came at the hands of Cuba, Olympic gold winners in both 1992 and 1996. In fact, Team Cuba was on a winning streak of 152 games coming into the Sydney Olympics. The team hadn\u2019t lost a game since 1997.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know the Cubans were the heavy favorites,\u201d Tommy Lasorda, Team USA Manager and Hall of Fame Manager for the Dodgers, said in an interview with MLB.com in 2020. \u201cWhen I got the [USA] team, I didn\u2019t know any of them. A bunch of guys nobody had heard of. But they were a bunch of great guys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The world would soon get to know Team USA. The team would enter the knockout round of the tournament alongside Cuba, South Korea and Japan. Throughout the tournament play, Franklin pitched three games. He went 3-0 and not a single hit was recorded against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe key to winning in baseball is always pitching and defense,\u201d Franklin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Gold Medal Game<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After a 3-2 win over South Korea in the semi-finals, the United States faced Cuba in the gold medal game on Sept. 27 in front of a crowd of more than 14,000 at the Sydney Baseball Stadium and television screens across 220 different countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The game opened with Team USA outfielder Mike Neil\u2019s solo home run, which set the tone. Pitcher Ben Sheets maintained the momentum with a shutout against the formidable Cuban lineup. The United States would win the game with a final score of 4-0, ending Cuba\u2019s dominance in Olympic baseball. The game is often referred to as the \u201cMiracle on Grass,\u201d a play on \u201cMiracle on Ice,\u201d the United States\u2019 hockey victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Franklin, life changed quickly after achieving Olympic gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was definitely a catalyst for my career,\u201d Franklin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the International Olympic Committee does not provide monetary rewards, the United States Olympic Committee does provide monetary support to honor the achievements of medalists. Franklin received $25,000 for earning a gold medal, more money than he had made in an entire season in the minor leagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as he had envisioned, Franklin performed well in spring training and won a job in the Mariners\u2019 bullpen. He would appear in 38 games that season. Franklin would go on to play in the MLB for a total of 12 seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt took hard work, dedication. I never gave up on my dreams. There wasn\u2019t a backup plan. I didn\u2019t know what I was going to do if I didn\u2019t make it in the majors,\u201d Franklin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giving Back to SSC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shortly after his retirement from baseball in 2011, Franklin was appointed to the SSC Board of Regents in 2014 by Gov. Mary Fallin. He was reappointed in 2021 by Gov. Kevin Stitt for a second seven-year term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Franklin remains connected to the SSC baseball team. He volunteers his time, imparting the knowledge he gleaned during his career to current players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, as the Paris Olympics kicked off, he dusted off his gold medal, showed it to his four-year-old grandson and told him the story of the \u201cMiracle on Grass.\u201d With any luck, he and his grandson will be watching America\u2019s pastime reclaim its place at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the 2024 Olympics in Paris continue through Aug. 11, viewers around the world tune in as the best athletes in the world compete in a wide range of sports. From rhythmic gymnastics to Greco-Roman wrestling, from fencing to equestrian dressage, it would be easy to assume the most popular sports suited for the summer … Continue reading From Seminole to Sydney: Gold Medalist Recounts Olympic Journey<\/span> ![\"In](\"http:\/\/www.sscok.edu\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Regents-1024x732.jpg\")
Looking Ahead to 2028<\/h3>\n\n\n\n