The Franco-Files # 13 (6/29-7/5)
in which we track the exploits of Julio and John Franco, baseball's two oldest players. They are both named J. Franco. Don't forget that.
A quiet week for our heroes: no bombastic acts of screaming-loud heroism, nor ignominious acts of grating failure. Just a lot of sitting around, waiting by the phone, waiting for someone to call them up and tell them they're not alone.
Of course you're not alone, Julio and John! You are heroes! See in the sand over there, where there is only one set of footprints? It is there that we, baseball fans at large, carried you.
As surely was Laverne' s best friend do we check in with Julio first.
Julio
Julio's month of June was positively scorching. Without having the numbers handy, we'll guess that he hit something like .420 over the course of 69 at-bats. It was really impressive. Will Julio's July follow suit? Well, our sources here at GPC inform us that Julio means "July" in some other language (probably Latin, the dominant language spoken while he was growing up). So, chances are good that Julio will have a great July! Bet on it!
Last week, Julio appeared in four games,startingg just one. In this start (on June 29th), Julio went 1-5 with a walk and a run scored in a 13-inning 6-5 loss to the Marlins. This game was notable for Julio only in that it was the longest one he played in from start to finish. The six plate appearances were a season high, as were the five pitchers he faced.
Playing 13 innings on the 29th must have worn Julio out for the rest of the week, as the rest of his appearances were in the role of pinch-hitter. But they were all successful. On the 30th he smoked an RBI double (in a losing effort), on the 2nd he singled and scored (in a losing effort), and on the 3rd he hit an RBI ground-out. Seeing as how the Braves won this game by a run, Julio's RBI groundout could be seen as the most important moment of the game. Who cares what else happened?
For the week, Julio went 3-8 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBIs. His average is up to a very healthy .281 for the year. As a pinch-hitter he is now hitting a scorching .348 (8-23).
Oldest Pitcher Faced (week): Al Leiter, Marlins, 39 (85 cumulative years in that match-up).
Oldest Pitcher Faced (year): Roger Clemens, Astros, 42.
Youngest Pitcher Faced (week): Ryan Madson, Phillies, 24 (born at a time in Julio's life when he was still a tough guy. You wouldn't want to have made him mad, son. Madson. You gotta stretch sometimes).
Youngest Pitcher Faced (year): Gavin Floyd, Phillies, 22.
Total Pitchers Faced (week): 7, who were a combined 113 years younger than Julio (avg. 16.1 years younger).
Total Pitchers Faced (year): 72, who have been a combined 1179 years younger than Julio (avg. 16.4 years younger).
John
Okay, remember when way up in the intro to this column we said that there were no "ignominious acts of grating failure" for our heroes this week? That was a lie. That was pretty much all John's week was. He only appeared in one game, on July 1st against the Reds. It didn't go well. He entered the game in the 8th inning with 1 out and no one on the 8th inning, his Astros leading 10-4. So he had some breathing room, which is no doubt why he was left in the game to face a season high 6 batters. 6 batters! For John that is like pitching a 13 inning complete game. Hopefully he will not need reconstructive elbow surgery. Here's how John's outing went:
Batter #1: single
#2: Walk
#3: strikeout
#4: single (bases are now loaded)
#5: three-run, bases-clearing double
#6: ground out
So, John was charged with three runs in his 2/3rds of an inning of work. This raises his ERA to a hard-to-look-at 7.20 (his highest ERA since the end of May). Opponents are hitting .343 against him. He has allowed 8 of 25 inherited runners to score.
Looking for a silver lining? How about two silver linings, rapturously melting into one another to form a gold lining? Silver Lining #1: The Astros still won the game, 10-7. #2: That ground out at the end of the inning? That was Sean Casey, who previous to that at-bat had been 4-4 off of John this year. He is now hitting a much more modest .800 off of him.
Oldest Batter Faced (week): Rich Aurilia, Reds, 33 (77 cumulative years in that match-up).
Oldest Batter Faced (year): Rafael Palmeiro, Orioles, 40.
Youngest Batter Faced (week): Ray Olmedo, Reds, 24 (born while John was in the midst of a Farrah Fawcett-inspired nocturnal emission).
Youngest Batter Faced (year): Jose Reyes, Mets, 21.
Total Batters Faced (week): 6, who were a combined 97 years younger than John (avg. 16.2 years younger).
Total Batters Faced (year): 56, who have been a combined 819 years younger than John (avg. 14.6 years younger).
This is the best, most funniest baseball writing on the planet.
A quiet week for our heroes: no bombastic acts of screaming-loud heroism, nor ignominious acts of grating failure. Just a lot of sitting around, waiting by the phone, waiting for someone to call them up and tell them they're not alone.
Of course you're not alone, Julio and John! You are heroes! See in the sand over there, where there is only one set of footprints? It is there that we, baseball fans at large, carried you.
As surely was Laverne' s best friend do we check in with Julio first.
Julio
Julio's month of June was positively scorching. Without having the numbers handy, we'll guess that he hit something like .420 over the course of 69 at-bats. It was really impressive. Will Julio's July follow suit? Well, our sources here at GPC inform us that Julio means "July" in some other language (probably Latin, the dominant language spoken while he was growing up). So, chances are good that Julio will have a great July! Bet on it!
Last week, Julio appeared in four games,startingg just one. In this start (on June 29th), Julio went 1-5 with a walk and a run scored in a 13-inning 6-5 loss to the Marlins. This game was notable for Julio only in that it was the longest one he played in from start to finish. The six plate appearances were a season high, as were the five pitchers he faced.
Playing 13 innings on the 29th must have worn Julio out for the rest of the week, as the rest of his appearances were in the role of pinch-hitter. But they were all successful. On the 30th he smoked an RBI double (in a losing effort), on the 2nd he singled and scored (in a losing effort), and on the 3rd he hit an RBI ground-out. Seeing as how the Braves won this game by a run, Julio's RBI groundout could be seen as the most important moment of the game. Who cares what else happened?
For the week, Julio went 3-8 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBIs. His average is up to a very healthy .281 for the year. As a pinch-hitter he is now hitting a scorching .348 (8-23).
Oldest Pitcher Faced (week): Al Leiter, Marlins, 39 (85 cumulative years in that match-up).
Oldest Pitcher Faced (year): Roger Clemens, Astros, 42.
Youngest Pitcher Faced (week): Ryan Madson, Phillies, 24 (born at a time in Julio's life when he was still a tough guy. You wouldn't want to have made him mad, son. Madson. You gotta stretch sometimes).
Youngest Pitcher Faced (year): Gavin Floyd, Phillies, 22.
Total Pitchers Faced (week): 7, who were a combined 113 years younger than Julio (avg. 16.1 years younger).
Total Pitchers Faced (year): 72, who have been a combined 1179 years younger than Julio (avg. 16.4 years younger).
John
Okay, remember when way up in the intro to this column we said that there were no "ignominious acts of grating failure" for our heroes this week? That was a lie. That was pretty much all John's week was. He only appeared in one game, on July 1st against the Reds. It didn't go well. He entered the game in the 8th inning with 1 out and no one on the 8th inning, his Astros leading 10-4. So he had some breathing room, which is no doubt why he was left in the game to face a season high 6 batters. 6 batters! For John that is like pitching a 13 inning complete game. Hopefully he will not need reconstructive elbow surgery. Here's how John's outing went:
Batter #1: single
#2: Walk
#3: strikeout
#4: single (bases are now loaded)
#5: three-run, bases-clearing double
#6: ground out
So, John was charged with three runs in his 2/3rds of an inning of work. This raises his ERA to a hard-to-look-at 7.20 (his highest ERA since the end of May). Opponents are hitting .343 against him. He has allowed 8 of 25 inherited runners to score.
Looking for a silver lining? How about two silver linings, rapturously melting into one another to form a gold lining? Silver Lining #1: The Astros still won the game, 10-7. #2: That ground out at the end of the inning? That was Sean Casey, who previous to that at-bat had been 4-4 off of John this year. He is now hitting a much more modest .800 off of him.
Oldest Batter Faced (week): Rich Aurilia, Reds, 33 (77 cumulative years in that match-up).
Oldest Batter Faced (year): Rafael Palmeiro, Orioles, 40.
Youngest Batter Faced (week): Ray Olmedo, Reds, 24 (born while John was in the midst of a Farrah Fawcett-inspired nocturnal emission).
Youngest Batter Faced (year): Jose Reyes, Mets, 21.
Total Batters Faced (week): 6, who were a combined 97 years younger than John (avg. 16.2 years younger).
Total Batters Faced (year): 56, who have been a combined 819 years younger than John (avg. 14.6 years younger).
This is the best, most funniest baseball writing on the planet.
posted by Ben at 7:45 AM
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