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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Frank Francisco has proved to Texas Rangers he’s ready

Frank Francisco has started each of the past three years for the Texas Rangers in the minor leagues.

This year Francisco will start the season as the man in the bullpen, entering the season entrenched as the team’s closer.

It’s a task Francisco isn’t taking lightly.

“I don’t want to be comfortable like I’ve got my job,” said Francisco, who has five career saves. “I’m going to go out there and do what I can and give whatever I can every day. I want to earn this job.”

sptaylor Posted: March 19, 2009 at 03:43 PM | 33 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: rangers

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1. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: March 19, 2009 at 03:53 PM (#3108421)

Is this the dude that threw the chair?

2. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: March 19, 2009 at 03:56 PM (#3108426)

Is this the dude that threw the chair?

Yes. Luckily, my fantasy league counts that as a stat, so, along with his saves, Francisco could be a sleeper pick.

3. xbhaskarx Posted: March 19, 2009 at 04:28 PM (#3108489)

Has there been an uptick in chair-throwing in modern American sports?
Beane, Francisco, Bobby Knight...

4. aleskel

Posted: March 19, 2009 at 04:57 PM (#3108543)

dammit, I was hoping I could be the first in this thread so I could post *throws chair*

5. Steve Sparks Flying Everywhere Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:33 PM (#3108611)

The story of why he threw the chair is pretty interesting.

6. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:35 PM (#3108614)

The story of why he threw the chair is pretty interesting.

Tease.

7. Steve Sparks Flying Everywhere Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:40 PM (#3108626)

I heard that somebody in the stands was making fun of Francisco Cordero because one of his kids just died. When someone told Francisco what the guy said, he flipped out and threw the chair.

8. fgill1 Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:55 PM (#3108645)

Francisco threw the chair because the heckler started razzing Doug Brocail about Brocail's stillborn child.

9. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:00 PM (#3108651)

Wow. You need an odd combination of (1) willingness to research details about obscure players' lives and (2) being totally and completely heartless in order to heckle someone about that.

That fan would probably fit right in around here.

10. Crispix Attacks Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:02 PM (#3108653)

There's no conclusive evidence that being heckled about a stillborn child affects a player's performance. Guys who get to the majors are already guaranteed to be able to tune those things out, otherwise they never would have made it. Chemistry between fans and players is meaningless.

11. Petuniaviles Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:39 PM (#3108701)

The heckling fan was a fire chief or something along those lines, as I recall, and Frankie's chair-missile hit the guy's wife in the face. They sued.

12. xbhaskarx Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:49 PM (#3108718)

Whatever, the A's won the game.

13. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:54 PM (#3108722)

The heckling fan was a fire chief or something along those lines, as I recall, and Frankie's chair-missile hit the guy's wife in the face. They sued.

If what's been reported here is true, they guy deserved it. Unfortunately, "he deserved it" is not a valid defense under the law. It should be though.

14. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: March 19, 2009 at 07:30 PM (#3108747)

You need an odd combination of (1) willingness to research details about obscure players' lives and (2) being totally and completely heartless in order to heckle someone about that.

For that reason I find it impossible to believe until I see that the guy testified in court to having said those things.

Unfortunately, "he deserved it" is not a valid defense under the law.

Sometimes it is, isn't it? Isn't provocation sometimes a defense?

15. Crispix Attacks Posted: March 19, 2009 at 07:33 PM (#3108751)

His wife didn't deserve it, but he was using her as a human shield so Francisco had no choice.

16. Petuniaviles Posted: March 19, 2009 at 07:35 PM (#3108753)

Shoot the hostage!

17. SoSH U at work Posted: March 19, 2009 at 07:36 PM (#3108754)

That incident produced a rather memorable thread. Perhaps the highlight (or lowpoint) of the Backlasher-Treder feud, if I'm not mistaken.

18. RJ in TO Posted: March 19, 2009 at 07:39 PM (#3108757)

Unfortunately, "he deserved it" is not a valid defense under the law.

Sometimes it is, isn't it? Isn't provocation sometimes a defense?

Provocation could be a defense for Brocail, but I have a hard time believing that it'd work for Francisco.

19. Crispix Attacks Posted: March 19, 2009 at 07:40 PM (#3108759)

Yeah, just like Souleymane got expelled even though he claimed to be defending the honor of Louise and Esmerelda.

20. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: March 19, 2009 at 07:56 PM (#3108780)

Sometimes it is, isn't it? Isn't provocation sometimes a defense?

I think it's more of a mitigating factor. I've heard of a "fighting words" defense to simple assault, but never have seen the details spelled out.

What I'm talking about is somebody kills a guy who raped his wife, or molested his kid. You can prove in court he did those things, you walk.

I guess it probably happens sometimes via jury nullification.

21. john printer Posted: March 19, 2009 at 10:19 PM (#3108943)

He won't last as closer...hell before he even throws his first pitch, the pitching coach is telling the next guy to get warm.

22. An Athletic in Powderhorn Posted: March 19, 2009 at 11:48 PM (#3109000)

That incident produced a rather memorable thread. Perhaps the highlight (or lowpoint) of the Backlasher-Treder feud, if I'm not mistaken."

Good times. One of the more interesting threads from my lurking days.

23. Jeff K. Posted: March 20, 2009 at 01:00 AM (#3109018)

That incident produced a rather memorable thread. Perhaps the highlight (or lowpoint) of the Backlasher-Treder feud, if I'm not mistaken.

Oh yes. But I thought, and seem to be proven right by my own post (yay!) in that thread that that was the second thread. The first one was the more epic, no?

24. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:04 AM (#3109057)

Wow, BL and Danny were united for that one thread.

25. Perros Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:10 AM (#3109061)

...she got what she deserved because she married Backlasher.

I'm the innocent bystander
Somehow I got stuck
Between the rock and the hard place
And I'm down on my luck
And I'm down on my luck
And I'm down on my luck

Now I'm hiding in Honduras
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money
The #### has hit the fan

26. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:19 AM (#3109066)

Considering how much time was spent here discussing the merits of the Buenos' case, does anyone know what eventually transpired? How much of a haul did the Buenos make off Frankie?

27. Perros Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:26 AM (#3109070)

Rangers settle Francisco suit

28. A triple short of the cycle

Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:30 AM (#3109072)

One of the more interesting threads from my lurking days.

It was really great - I just spent an hour reading it. I had read the previous post or two on the chair incident, but not that one. Sometimes the discussions on this website just blow me away. Thanks everyone! Now back to lurking...

29. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:38 AM (#3109078)

Thanks Alex.

30. Jeff K. Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:53 AM (#3109084)

It was really great - I just spent an hour reading it. I had read the previous post or two on the chair incident, but not that one. Sometimes the discussions on this website just blow me away. Thanks everyone!

Well, on behalf of Danny, Treder, tDIE, BL, TraderDave, Mefisto, all the rest, but really mostly me, I say "Yep. I'm awesome."

A quick Google (real Google, not the bastard half-breed site search) shows that was the 3rd thread on the incident:

Incident

'Fan, Husband, Defend Heckling, which was only going to blow up with that title

And then the earlier link. What is that, 700 posts between the three? Those were huge threads those days. I wonder what the total digital ink spillage, comments-wise, would be if this happened today.

31. Srul Itza Posted: March 20, 2009 at 04:00 AM (#3109109)

Unfortunately, "he deserved it" is not a valid defense under the law.

Oh, I don't know. People have been acquitted in Texas based on the defense "He needed killing"

32. An Athletic in Powderhorn Posted: March 20, 2009 at 04:41 AM (#3109120)

That's odd. I was sure there was an earlier thread with 400+ posts. Well, one out of two ain't awful. And yes, Jeff, you are awesome.*

*I reserve the right to revoke this if the Rangers finish ahead of the A's again this year.

33. Jeff K. Posted: March 20, 2009 at 02:40 PM (#3109267)

People have been acquitted in Texas based on the defense "He needed killing"

As a born and bred Texan that's more liberal than most Primates from New England, I'd point out that that's basically the entire justification behind the death penalty, once you take away the 'deterrence' angle, which has been fairly well debunked. To note, I'm not against the death penalty in theory, I think "he needed killing" is a perfectly valid concept. My standard for proof would just be stratospherically high along with removing automatic upgrades to capital crimes.

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Frank Francisco has proved to Texas Rangers he’s ready

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