Guess Franklin's tipping pitches again.

Either that or he still sucks.

I'm so pissed off that I can't stop writing. You know, Salas sucked tonight. And Franklin is awful. But Jake fucking Westbrook is the culprit here. You cannot cough up a 3-0 lead with Lincecum opposing you. You just can't. Nut the fuck up and make some pitches. I don't think I've hated a pitcher more since Todd Wellemeyer in 2009.

Goddammit I hate Skip Schumaker.

forsberg_us wrote:

Guess Franklin's tipping pitches again.

Either that or he still sucks.

C'mon.  I have complained about Franklin worse than most of us, but I think it's not far-fetched to say he is getting back o track, but that 2 innings is too much to ask of him.

delay???

this would be an amazing stroke of luck if we are allowed to pick this game up, tied at the top of the 11th.

"I think it's not far-fetched to say he is getting back o track, but that 2 innings is too much to ask of him."

He was throwing pus down the middle of the plate again, Max.

Sixteen hits to the Giants. LOL.

Good night, fellas. I'm going to light my Westbrook voodoo doll on fire. Have I told you guys lately how much I hate that guy? I really hate that guy.

Max wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

It's not far fetched to expect a major league pitcher to be able to record outs against this putrid Giants lineup.

my bottom line is that, while it sucks to score five earned runs off of lincecum and not win, the disappointment begins with anyone who thinks westbrook is anything other than a bottom of the rotation starter who might keep you in a game and might not.

I haven't seen anyone making excuses for Westbrook. But Westbrook came into this game with a 2.11 ERA in his last 6 starts that didn't include a rain delay. He's been the team's 3rd best starter for more than a month. Having said that, I agree 100% with TK, that he has to nut up and win this one and he didn't do that.

Franklin's only on the team because of a misguided sense of loyalty and a foolish belief that a guy who throws absolute junk with limited control is going to suddenly figure it out. They should have left well enough alone. Franklin got a couple of meaningful outs yesterday and the kool-aid drinkers got to write a feel good story about his perseerverance. They went back to the well and tomorrow the story will be Franklin sucks again.

First, start with the premise that I don't think Franklin's an effective one inning pitcher.  But even if that's your premise, then he's still wasting roster space because his role isn't that of a single inning pitcher.

Franklin is, at best, the 4th best RH relief pitcher behind Salas, Sanchez and Motte.  Salas is the 9th inning guy.  Sanchez the 8th.  Motte the 7th.  Where does Franklin and his one inning fit?  Answer: it doesn't. 

Even if you assume that Batista is the designated Brad Thompson, long-relief guy, then Franklin is the second long guy. Especially in a game like last night when the game goes into extra innings.  The LOOGYs aren't going to eat innings.  Motte isn't going to eat innings.  Right now that's Franklin's job, and if your premise is that he's only a one inning pitcher then he isn't qualified to do his job.

IMO, Franklin and Schumaker are basically the same guy.  Both are performing in roles for which they aren't qualified, nor are they the organization's best option.  But they're "Larussa guys" who willingly took on their current roles when the team didn't have anyone better, so now it would apparently be "unfair" to remove them.  Never mind that the team has better options.  Never mind that this team is in first place and is in a position schedule-wise to probably bury the opposition within the division over the next 6 or so weeks.  Never mind that neither Franklin or Schumaker will be here next year when their contracts expire and the team elects not to overpay for less than mediocre talent.  For now, let's keep running them out there regardless of the results because ...

forsberg_us wrote:

First, start with the premise that I don't think Franklin's an effective one inning pitcher.  But even if that's your premise, then he's still wasting roster space because his role isn't that of a single inning pitcher.

Franklin is, at best, the 4th best RH relief pitcher behind Salas, Sanchez and Motte.  Salas is the 9th inning guy.  Sanchez the 8th.  Motte the 7th.  Where does Franklin and his one inning fit?  Answer: it doesn't. 

Even if you assume that Batista is the designated Brad Thompson, long-relief guy, then Franklin is the second long guy. Especially in a game like last night when the game goes into extra innings.  The LOOGYs aren't going to eat innings.  Motte isn't going to eat innings.  Right now that's Franklin's job, and if your premise is that he's only a one inning pitcher then he isn't qualified to do his job.

IMO, Franklin and Schumaker are basically the same guy.  Both are performing in roles for which they aren't qualified, nor are they the organization's best option.  But they're "Larussa guys" who willingly took on their current roles when the team didn't have anyone better, so now it would apparently be "unfair" to remove them.  Never mind that the team has better options.  Never mind that this team is in first place and is in a position schedule-wise to probably bury the opposition within the division over the next 6 or so weeks.  Never mind that neither Franklin or Schumaker will be here next year when their contracts expire and the team elects not to overpay for less than mediocre talent.  For now, let's keep running them out there regardless of the results because ...

you're preaching to the choir, fors.  even when franklin was our closer and was converting saves with regularity--an all-star, for chrissake!--i was not convinced that he was our best option, or if he was, that he was good enough.

but franklin has no trade value, never will, and he has no value at all to the team if he can't be a reliable one inning pitcher.  sanchez or salas have trade value, and as much as i like them--i liked ludwick, too--i think that one or both will be made available if that's what moz feels is required.  you're right that we only need three one-inning righties, one of them being the closer, and franklin is currently 4th best.  but if he becomes reliable again, or his version of reliable, or just 'good enough', then that frees up one of the other three for a trade.

Wellemeyer doesn't bug me at all.  Ya know, you claim a reliever who has been DFA by the Royals and decide to let him start games for you, and anything you get is like found money. 

What gets me are the Brett Tomko's, K1p Wells's, Jake Westbrook's.  And even then it's not the pitcher that bugs me but the management.  They go and pay real money for a middle of the road pitcher, expecting a middle of the rotation starter, and then they act all disappointed when he turns out to be a bottom of the rotation pitcher.  Of those three, I think Westbrook is the best by a lot, but we also gave up a lot to get him. 

Overall I am not too worried about starting pitching, though.  Unless we experience more injuries or fatigue, this is shaping up to be the strongest rotation since 2005.