Comments on: Cardinals release former closer Ryan Franklin

By: grizz2202

grizz2202 — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:36:13 +0000

Baseball Heaven doesn’t tolerate a closer with the stats listed above. And when said closer bashes the fans for having the stats listed above (as he did in April), it turns into Baseball Hell for him.

We’re not the “nicest” fans in baseball, we’re the best. If you play well, you get cheers. If you play poorly, you get cheers. If you play poorly for an extended period, and you’re not hurt, and you malign the fans, damn right you’re gonna get the crap booed out of you.

By: cintiphil

cintiphil — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:13:50 +0000

Well, this is bad news for the Central division and the Reds. TLR has finally woken up and let Franklin go fishing. As long as he was on the bench, we had a chance to face him in the ninth and a good chance to pull one out! Now we won’t have that opportunity.

By: hank10

hank10 — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:41:19 +0000

This cannot be correct. Booing in “Baseball Heaven”? The place where the “best” baseball fans of all-time reside? What in the name of Scott Rolen is going on here?

By: cptnew1

cptnew1 — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:26:44 +0000

@ hittfamily. Way to be a grown up.

By: okwhitefalcon

okwhitefalcon — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:54:47 +0000

Nice to see the Cards bewildered bullpen get a rest tonight courtesy of Chris Carpenter. God knows they needed it.

Couldn’t help but laugh about the announcers going bonkers on his pitch count with his next start being Monday against the Reds, I suspect he’ll be ejected nine batters in after he drills Reds probable starter Johnny Queto….

By: xmatt0926x

xmatt0926x — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 01:36:02 +0000

No Monkey, you are totally on point. I remember when Franklin did that when he played for the Phils and he was a total jagoff. He was a nobody who should have counted his lucky stars that he was even in the big leagues and he was just too good to try closing in his mind. Meanwhile he was brutal as a starter and didn’t convert to closer until Daddy LaRussa told him to try it.

By: theolgoaler

theolgoaler — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:42:42 +0000

Franklin did shave his beard... the "billygoat" look began after Franklin had performed a pre-season promo with young bullpenners Chris Perez (now with the Indians) and Jason Motte. The promo showed the three pitchers from behind, with Franklin telling the "young'uns" "You want to pitch like Bruce Sutter, ya gotta be like Bruce Sutter." The next shot showed all three pitchers wearing obviously-fake long, black beards (looking more like Brian Wilson than Bruce Sutter, actually). Franklin made the All-Star team letting his beard grow; he trimmed it this year, when he couldn't get anybody out.

By: hittfamily

hittfamily — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:56:49 +0000

Does the church your parents used to attend have a mirror in its bathroom. If they do, this buffoon has never bothered to look in it. He needs to grab a razor and some holy water and shave those curlies off his chin. Or at least trim it. The dang thing is 3 inches wider on the left than the right.

By: okwhitefalcon

okwhitefalcon — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:40:15 +0000

Last night just amplified the obvious.

Not sure how they’re going to fill the roster spot, no word yet that I know of. Let’s hope they go a different direction than Cleto, the kids got potential but he’s not near ready for the big leagues as shown by his 2 previous outings.

Bautista now Franklin, who’s next on the bullpen hit list?

By: hittfamily

hittfamily — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:05:59 +0000

I had a similiar beard when I was 18 because the only hair that would grow was on my chin. I soon discovered I looked like a d bag though. This poor dude is 40 years old still rockin the “Seniors Rule” look. I wonder if he writes “Class of 2012″ on the back window of his 95 civic. I feel bad for his family.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:05:13 +0000

Yep, making progress. I was hoping Franklin would turn it around and that they were seeing something positive in his side sessions…but last night just looked like batting practice….again.

Unfortunately, the bullpen still sucks….I have some confidence in Boggs, but losing Sanchez really hurts the depth….I think they just need to leave Cleto in the minors for some seasoning, he looks like he could turn into a decent starter, at least, based on his performance in the minors this year….he’s still young.

By: drmonkeyarmy

drmonkeyarmy — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:59:23 +0000

Nobody is saying he is a bad guy. I am just saying he looks like a frat boy wannabe and that he wasn’t happy when the Phillies changed his role. The first comment is a matter of physical perception and I stand by that. You can feel free to disagree and that is cool. You are entitled to that opinion. However, at no point did I slander his name or accuse him of being a somehow evil guy. Chase Utley looks like an angry, stuck up jerk and he is one of my favorite players. The second is a statement of fact.

By: pastortodd78

pastortodd78 — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:51:08 +0000

Is the guy having a horrible year this year? Yes, by far! But we should never stoop to the level of taking cheap shots at the guy. He lives just east of the OKC metro area and from everything I have heard is a great guy. He goes to the church my parents used to attend and his daughter and my niece were in the same kindergarten class. So to take shots at his character is very very low.

By: deathmonkey41

deathmonkey41 — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:21:17 +0000

This should make for many happy posters on the St. Louis Post Dispatch board this week.

By: drmonkeyarmy

drmonkeyarmy — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:20:52 +0000

You know what…I was wrong in my post. The Phillies did make him a reliever…he wasn’t happy about it, however. My mistake….sorry for calling him a clown. He still looks like a frat boy wannabe though.

By: cptnew1

cptnew1 — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:20:28 +0000

Yes, Franklin has been atrocious this year. Sometimes guys just lose it. That being said, his time in St. Louis was mostly positive. This from STLtoday.com:

“In 2009-2010 Franklin converted 90.3 percent of his save opportunities, which was the 7th-best save rate over the two seasons. Franklin had a better save percentage in 2009-2010 than Brian Wilson, Francisco Cordero, Jonathan Papelbon, Billy Wagner, Jonathan Broxton, Jose Valverde, Houston Street and Andrew Bailey.”

That’s pretty impressive in my view, and I wish him well.

By: drmonkeyarmy

drmonkeyarmy — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:10:06 +0000

You are correct sir. There is no middle ground on that subject. You are or you aren’t.

By: nixonotis

nixonotis — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:08:33 +0000

How does one become a “frat boy wannabe?” It seems like one of those things you are or you aren’t.

By: drmonkeyarmy

drmonkeyarmy — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:53:57 +0000

I remember years before the Cards turned him into a closer, the Phillies wanted to do the same thing, because he was a terrible starter for them….better than Eaton but who wasn’t. Anyway, this clown wanted nothing to do with it. He just looks like a dumbass frat boy wannabe.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:53:41 +0000

PL, that is 2 down and 2 to go.