Ryan Franklin

Cardinals' Bullpen Comes Through In Big Way

La Russa kept the phone to the bullpen busy last night. It paid off.​Well, it wasn't quite the brilliant matchup of ace starters I think most of us were anticipating, but it'll do. Yovani Gallardo, ace of the Milwaukee Brewers, allowed thirteen baserunners, making it somewhat shocking the Car ... More >>

Cardinals' Bullpen Implodes at Worst Possible Time

Aw, crap! That was our best reliever, too! ​Maybe it's only fitting the Cardinals' bullpen went nova on them at the end, putting another sizable ding in the team's already-faint playoff hopes. After all, the season began with a bullpen implosion, as Ryan Franklin turned into a white dwarf before o ... More >>

Arthur Rhodes: Cardinals Throw More Crap At the Wall

Now tell me that's not a face that inspires confidence. ​The Cardinals yesterday came to terms with the latest in a long, long line of reclamation projects, signing 41-year-old Arthur Rhodes to a contract which will make him the club's new LOOGY. (Left-handed One Out GuY.) The Cards have been dang ... More >>

The End of the Ryan Franklin Era

I'm not gonna lie; I will not miss that beard. ​Oh, thank god that's finally over. Not Ryan Franklin's tenure with the Cardinals, mind you; I have nothing but the utmost respect for the player Franklin was, and plenty of appreciation for the job he did. But the fact is Ryan Franklin lost what ... More >>

Ryan Franklin: The Definition of Insanity

This bullpen management really does make me feel like I'm taking crazy pills. ​You all know that old trope, the one about the definition of insanity, right? You know, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Yeah, there you go. We've all heard it before. Well guess ... More >>

Cardinals Still Struggling to Spell Relief

How come when he says it it's cute, but when I say it it's sexual harassment? ​The Cardinals are currently carrying eight -- count 'em -- eight relievers. So can anyone tell me why, exactly, we all had to watch one of the worst relievers in all of baseball this year blow last night's game?&nb ... More >>

How to Ruin a Roster Without Even Trying

John Mozeliak, left, and Tony LaRussa celebrate their latest brilliant maneuver. ​​Cardinal management has really outdone themselves this time. I've actually been pleasantly surprised by the job Tony LaRussa and Company have done managing the 2011 team to this point, but this is just mind-numbin ... More >>

No Sign of Improvement from Ryan Franklin

commons.wikimedia.org​It was a rough game for the Cardinals last night. The rain delay was not only a pain in the ass, it seemed to completely unhinge Jake Westbrook, who imploded when he took the mound following the unscheduled intermission. Side note: can I just say I'm beginning to really ... More >>

More Bullpen Hijinks in Houston

​You know, it's beginning to feel like pretty much an everyday occurrence, writing something about the current state of the Cardinals' bullpen. I suppose it's understandable, though; the relief situation for the Cards this year is rapidly becoming the single biggest defining characteristic of this ... More >>

Ryan Franklin's Top Ten Excuses For the Matt Kemp Home Run

Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin blew his fourth save opportunity in five attempts Sunday, giving up a two-run homer to the Dodger's Matt Kemp in L.A.'s 2-1 win over St. Louis.Franklin now has an ERA of 11.57 for the young season. Here, then, are the ten imagined excuses he gave to team management and ... More >>

Is The Cards' Bullpen Fixable?

Oh, Billy Mays. We still miss you. ​We all saw the disaster over the weekend in San Francisco. Don't pretend you didn't. The Cardinals' supposed closer, Ryan Franklin, blew two more saves, giving him three on the season in four tries. In both games, the Cards were a single out away from winning be ... More >>

5 Lessons From the Cardinals' First Three Games

All right, listen up, kids. This moderately attractive and no doubt long-dead teacher from Pleasantville is gonna learn you up reeeaal nice. ​One series in the can, god only knows how many more to go in the baseball season. Unfortunately, 2011 hasn't exactly begun in stellar fashion for the Redbir ... More >>

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em: Think of the 2011 Redbirds as your emphysemic, three-pack-a-day uncle

Five Alive! Five New Concepts for Pujols 5 If Albert Leaves

Image viaAlbert Pujols might be running out on us, but Pujols 5 could still survive!​Of course, the big news in St. Louis this week was that the Cardinals and Albert Pujols couldn't come to terms on a new contract before El Hombre's spring training deadline. As you might have heard, the slugger's ... More >>

Does the Cardinal Bullpen Need Fixing?

​Just how concerned should we really be about the Cardinal's bullpen after last night's debacle? Well, ordinarily I would say it was just a single game, and no matter how ugly it was that doesn't change the fact that it was a single game. No need to hit the panic button and do something stupi ... More >>

Game Notes: Cardinals 6, Redlegs 3 -- 7th April 2010

​Well, I think it's pretty clear by now the 2010 Cardinals aren't going to lose a game this year. I can honestly say, after viewing them for two entire games all the way through, this may be the single greatest athletic entity in the history of the world. Move over, '27 Yankees, the Cardinals are ... More >>

Roster Roulette: The 2010 Cardinals team includes some serious question marks

Cards Pitcher Dennys Reyes to Open Casual Family Restaurant

Image via​Stan Musial. Albert Pujols. Ozzie Smith. Dennys Reyes?That's right: The Cardinals pitcher announced this morning that he will join the ranks of current and former Redbirds who have opened restaurants in St. Louis when Dennys's, a casual family restaurant, debuts in Affton this summer."I' ... More >>

The Redbird Relief Race Heading Into the Home Stretch

Coming into spring training, the Cardinals only had a few real holes to fill. Well, perhaps not holes to fill, really, but at least decisions to make on how best to utilize their resources. Ryan Franklin and his awful beard will once again be closing games for the Cardinals this season. The res ... More >>

Cardinals Pitcher Ryan Franklin Dismayed He Can't Bring Guns to Locker Room

Will Albert Pujols and Ryan Franklin still be able to deliver "firepower" despite MLB's new ban on guns? ​You can take the boy out of Arkansas but you can't take Arkansas out of the boy. Case in point: Yesterday relief pitcher Ryan Franklin expressed his disappointment in a new MLB policy that ban ... More >>

Albert Pujols Trades Big Bat for Bigger Gun

​ Pitchers report to spring training next week, and soon "El Hombre" will be gunnin' for 'em.Ryan Franklin looks happy to have Pujols on his side.​ Photo courtesy of (where else?) Wikipedia, keywords: Mk 15 sniper rifle.

Rumor Roundup: Cards Looking at Valverde?

​The latest scuttlebutt on the hot stove wire has the Cardinals apparently interested in the services of Jose Valverde. The former Arizona and Houston closer is reportedly being pursued by a trio of clubs, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports, with the Detroit Tigers seemingly the most likely de ... More >>

The Year of the Collapsing Closer

​When people look back at the Yankees' 2009 World Series Championship (it's going to happen, sadly; get used to the idea), there will be talk of Alex Rodriguez finally breaking through and becoming the clutch genius we all knew he had locked away inside him, or Derek Jeter leading the Yanks to the ... More >>

Cardinals' playoff run cut short, Rock Hill's infamous traffic cop will retire his radar gun; and Up in the Air is good to fly

Ryan Franklin vs. Matt Holliday: Playing the Blame Game

​So the question must eventually be asked, you know. I don't want to have to ask it, and I'm sure you probably don't want to have to try and answer, but the question will not just go away. So here goes. Who was really at fault for the Cardinals ninth-inning, two-out implosion Thursday night? ... More >>

Game Notes: Cardinals 13, Redlegs 0, 1/10/09 -- Carpenter Does it Himself

The Cardinals have had many, many great hitting pitchers in their long and illustrious history. Bob Gibson hit 24 home runs in his career and posted a .751 OPS in 1970. Mark Mulder was a designated hitter during his college career at Michigan State, as was Dan Haren at Pepperdine. Jason Marquis is a ... More >>

An Extension for El Piñata?

Sure, he hasn't actually pitched like a piñata this year, but it's just too good a nickname to stop now. ​Apparently, Joel Piñeiro really wants to stick around with the Cardinals a while longer. He has reportedly told his agent to get a deal done that will keep him here if at all possible.&n ... More >>

Ryan Franklin and Trever Miller Both Get New Contracts

baseball-almanac.comFace of a future LOOGY: Trever Miller early in his career with the Tigers.​The Cardinals certainly are being proactive this season, aren't they? Not only did the Cards give Ryan Franklin the new contract the two sides had apparently been discussing for some time, they also ... More >>

Ryan Franklin to be Extended; No Word Yet on a Beard Extension

Ryan Franklin and the Cardinals are very close to an extension of his contract, one which would make his 2010 option year official and add on an additional season. Actually, it seems the two sides have been close on this for the better part of a week now, making me more than a little curious as to w ... More >>

Game Notes: Astros 4, Cardinals 3 08/27/09 -- An Ugly Loss

failblog.org​-- I hate Brian Moehler. A lot. It never fails to irritate me when the Cardinals get shut down by some journeyman pitcher, and it happens every single time they see Moehler. Somehow, he has still never lost to the Birds, despite being an incredibly mediocre pitcher overall. Hell, take ... More >>

Game Notes: Cardinals 3, Trolley Dodgers 2 17/08/09 - The Best Day Ever

A couple of years ago, back when Charlie Haeger was floating around between Triple A and the majors with the White Sox, I was really hoping the Cardinals might check into acquiring him. At the time, it didn't look as if Chicago had a whole lot of use for him, and I thought he would make a great pick ... More >>

Jaime Garcia On the Comeback Trail

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak was down in Florida last night to watch Jaime Garcia pitch. Could the youngster be in the bigs this season?​One of the Cardinals' best pitching prospects - probably the best, actually, at least until Shelby Miller signs - took another step last night in his attempt to re ... More >>

Welcome to St. Louis, Manny

Ramirez​I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the reception of one Manfred Ramirez. (I wish his name really were Manfred. That would be awesome.) Manny was, of course, quite roundly booed every time up in last night's game between the Cardinals and Dodgers, and really, I don't think anyon ... More >>

All-Star Game Opening Ceremony Highlights for the ADD-Addled

Did the sweeping music of the All-Star game's opening ceremonies lull you to sleep? Did the "All-Stars Among Us" video bore you to tears, or just cause you to change the channel? Did all that talking by MC Joe Buck aggravate you? If so -- but you still want to catch up on a bit o' baseball history t ... More >>

"La Russa Becomes The First Manager to Think for the Cycle"

blogs.seattleweekly.comThat's the line one of the best baseball writers on the planet, the Seattle Times' Larry Stone, uses to talk up the intelligence of the animal rights activist formerly known as Cards manager Tony La Russa in his always-hilarious "Power Rankings" column.Stone happens to think p ... More >>

Cardinals Post-Game Notes: April 16, 2009

Just a couple of quick impressions from the Cards' first contest of the year against the Chicago Nine.  

Ryan Franklin's New Beard Must Be Stopped

Okay, the time has come for someone to put their foot down, and that foot is me. Something has got to be done about that thing on Ryan Franklin's face.  I don't know what the fuck it is, or exactly what Franklin thought he was going for when he started trying to cultivate it, but this has ... More >>

Young & Restless: Will 2009 finally be a breakthrough year for top Cardinals prospects?

Playing Like a Cardinal in 2009

A couple of days ago I received a very nice email, from a man who works in the Cardinals' Fan Development Office (I assume that's what used to be referred to as marketing), passing along a link to the Cards' new batch of advertisements for 2009. They're using the Play Like a Cardinal theme agai ... More >>

Watching Cardinals' Bullpen is Second-Worst Pain Ever

Joe Mather a Bright Spot in a Frustrating Season

The Case for Kyle McClellan as the Cards Closer

Cards: Another Day, Another Bullpen Collapse

Heartbreaking Loss in D.C. Could Have Been Avoided

It Hurts to Say It: The Case for Lance Berkman for MVP

Cards Blog: Wainwright should have received the 'W'

Cards Blog: Wainwright should have received the 'W'

Tough Times Ahead for Cardinals Pitching

Tough Times Ahead for Cardinals Pitching