The element of surprise is gone when it comes to baseball.

Joe Torre shows an astonishing degree of loyalty and admiration for a guy with a 12.27 ERA:

"I thought he pitched well last night. He had one bad pitch."

Again, with the "one bad pitch" nonsense. I can understand if Torre wants to defend his player, but I don't think that's what he is doing. I think he seriously believes Franklin only threw one bad pitch.

(Wayne Franklin actually described the pitch to Blalock it as the worst pitch he has ever thrown.)


"We used him in key situations."

Yes, this much is true. Franklin kept failing in key situations, but you kept using him.


"But you make a bad pitch and it negates all the positives that came on with the first three hitters. But that's the nature of the game.''

Let's examine all the so-called "positives" of the first three hitters:

The first hitter singled (one bad pitch). The second hitter singled (two bad pitches). Franklin then fell behind 3-0 to Teixeira before getting the miracle double play on the 3-0 pitch and putting Buck Showalter one step closer to the insane asylum.

The next batter hit a homerun (three bad pitches).

That's at least three bad pitches, even if the pitch to Blalock was, like, the worst pitch in the entire history of Wayne Franklin's life.

Seriously. You guys don't even know what a great pitcher I am. That was the only time that ever happened to me:

"It's not like I don't belong here. It's disappointing," Franklin said. "The element of surprise is gone when it comes to baseball."