SAN DIEGO – During Julio Franco’s postgame interview session Thursday night, Billy Wagner barked out something.
“How does it feel to be the oldest living human being to ever hit a home run?” the Mets closer asked.
Franco is indeed the owner of the record now, thanks to his clutch blast in the Mets’ 7-2 triumph over the Padres at Petco Park.
With the Mets trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning, the reserve bashed a pinch-hit two-run homer off San Diego’s Scott Linebrink.
Franco, who turns 48 in August, was 47 years and 240 days old when he left the yard.
Before Thursday, Franco’s previous homer was Aug. 13, 10 days before he turned 47.
Thursday’s homer was one of the biggest hits of the Mets’ season.
Even with Franco’s veteran influence, Willie Randolph apparently expects such accomplishments from his ageless reserve.
“He’s a guy that needs to come through for us big time with big RBIs like that,” Randolph said.
“He’s a tremendous competitor and he got a nice ball to hit [on Thursday] and really got us going with a big two-run homer. So everyone needs to be big in the clubhouse.
“That’s what teammates are all about. But Julio’s here to produce for us like he did [Thursday night].”
Franco’s at-bat Thursday was his eighth trip to the plate this season, and all have been as a pinch hitter.
As he strode to the plate, he had gone 1-for-6 with a single and a walk, hitting .167. His only hit was April 5 against the Nationals.
But with Xavier Nady on second base and the Mets down a run with one out in the eighth, Franco drilled a 332-foot shot to right.
Franco was most pleased by the fact the Mets were able to get the victory.
“If I hit the home run [Thursday night] and we lose the ballgame, the record is still broken, but that’s not what we came here for,” he said.
“It’s great that I broke the record and I set a new record and that we won the ballgame.
“Because we lost two games in a row and [San Diego’s Jake Peavy] was throwing a great game, and we lost 2-1 [Wednesday], it wouldn’t [have been] good to lose 2-1 [Thursday].
“Even if you hit a home run, you lose the ballgame, the mission wasn’t accomplished.”
Franco was signed in the offseason to a two-year deal for $2.2 million after spending five years with the Braves.
He hit .300 with three homers in 25 games in 2001, his first season in Atlanta, and never had a bad season statistically for the Braves.
Franco, now in his 22nd year in the majors, has collected 2,523 career hits, and entering this season ranked 78th in major-league history with 2,521.
His homer Thursday was his biggest knock for the Mets. And as Wagner knew, it was a record-setting one.
mark.hale@nypost.com
40 love
The Mets’ Julio Franco, 47, became the oldest player in major-league history to hit a homer when he went deep against the Padres on Thursday night. >
Here’s a look at the players with the most career home runs after their 40th birthdays (since 1900):
1. Carlton Fisk 72
2. Darrell Evans 67
3. Dave Winfield 59
4. Carl Yastrzemski 48
5. Stan Musial 46
6. Hank Aaron 42
7. Andres Galarraga 39
tie Hank Sauer 39
tie Ted Williams 39
10. Graig Nettles 37
11. Harold Baines 36
tie Edgar Martinez 36
13. Reggie Jackson 33
14. Willie Mays 32
15. Rickey Henderson 31
16. JULIO FRANCO 30
Source: Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia
