From college to professional, from baseball to basketball and everything in between, “For the Love of the Game” is an opinionated look at sports throughout the nation and in the St. Louis area. This twice-monthly column discusses topics pertaining to the phenomenon of sports and what they mean to the writer.
Tim Doty
– Copy Editor –
It’s still early, but it may be time to panic. St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa yelled at a press conference following a 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 6. He was angry because reporters kept asking him questions about the struggling offense. Even after an 8-8 record, the offense is not the worst of the ballclub’s problems. The team could just as easily be 12-4 and leading the NL Central. Those four games that could be victories resulted in a blown save in the ninth inning by Ryan Franklin, the Cardinals closer.
The scene is opening day at Busch Stadium. After a go-ahead homerun by Matt Holliday, the Cardinals are winning 3-2. The righty Franklin, deceptively successful last season as he only missed two save opportunities, surrenders a solo shot to Padres centerfielder Cameron Maybin. The Cardinals go on to lose the game in the 11th inning 5-3.
This has happened three more times already this season, both all costing the Cardinals series sweeps or victories. Even with last year’s numbers, if a closer is struggling this much at the beginning of the season, he should be placed as a set-up man until he regains his form. The Cardinals need a better option at closer, if only for a short time.
Remember that Franklin only blew two save opportunities in 2010, but also recall that the Cardinals lost the division to the Reds. Had Franklin made the saves, regardless of how many runs the offense scored, St. Louis would be tied for first. Even after half a month, this would be a significant boost for the team.
The first few games of a 162-game season are in the past, though. The Cardinals can halt any ninth inning worries fans may have by temporarily moving Franklin to a different role. The team wouldn’t need to make a move outside the club, either. There are other in-house options the Cardinals could use. Miguel Batista has already pitched 4.1 scoreless innings and has struck out four. He also saved 31 games for Toronto in 2005. Eduardo Sanchez, 22, is another option for closer. He’s only pitched three innings in his major league career, but eight of those nine outs have been recorded as strike outs.
Maybe Franklin won’t blow another save this season and be a dominant closer. Perhaps, though, he will be the next Jason Isringhausen and make every ninth inning as tense as possible. Some fans may remember Isringhausen being booed by the fans at Busch Stadium near the end of his time with the Cardinals. With the Cardinals currently in a home stand, if Franklin doesn’t shape up, the results may be the same. No one probably wants to be booed by the home crowd. The psychological effects may make the player even worse.
Until he proves he can consistently get out No. 3, Franklin needs to train in the set-up role. Of course, it may be too early to hit the panic button. It’s still early.
