Sep
14
2011

John Franco To Tutor Parnell

An article by Joe D

The NY Post reports that former closer John Franco will in fact be tutoring Bobby Parnell as soon as this week on the art of closing.

Parnell has struggled mightily since assuming the closer role this season and is 3-6 with five blown saves in ten chances. His ERA now stands at 4.05 with an unsightly 1.596 WHIP in 51.1 innings pitched.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen says:

“The more that Parnell can understand it’s an attitude, that you’ve got to believe that everything is going to work your way and you’ve got to choose your battles, the better he will be,” Warthen said. “I think John Franco can help him in that respect. He’s a good, name guy and I try to use all the people I can.”

The article also says that this could be the first step for John Franco becoming a pitching coach within the organization, something he apparently was jockeying for when Terry Collins was hired as manager.

As for Parnell, it takes more than “stuff” to be a solid closer, and even with his stuff the numbers are simply not that good. You don’t want your closer to put runners on base at the alarming frequency that Parnell does.

Franco will try to work on his attitude and developing a mean streak or an intimidating presence, but the fact of the matter is he still needs to pitch effectively above all.

Parnell is 27-years old now and not exactly a rookie you handle with kid gloves.

About the Author: Joe DeCaro

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.

9 Comments + Add Comment

Raylo September 14, 2011 at 2:31 pm

They should have Franco drive him to the airport instead.
86mets September 14, 2011 at 3:24 pm

If memory serves, Johnny wasn’t always the most efficient closer either. I remember many “cardiac” moments when he was trying to close out games. Parnell is young and still relatively new to relief work so getting the “attitude” to close may not come as quickly as we’d like. And as far as having Franco drive him to the airport instead Raylo, do you remember a young, hard throwing righty who struggled even more here than Parnell that the Mets gave up on? A kid by the name of Heath Bell. I say give Parnell a chance, after all, the ’11 Mets are going nowhere anyway.
- Davidthemetsfan September 14, 2011 at 5:45 pm
  
  LOL ill take those cardiac moments if he gives us 424 saves.
Petey Pete September 14, 2011 at 6:12 pm

Oh what a relief! Johnny Franco to the rescue! C’mon for crying out loud, the whole idea of even KEEPING Parnell around makes me want to puke! Wake me up if Franco can get him to pull his head out of hi ass and while he’s at it, teach him a second pitch!
Dan Valis September 14, 2011 at 8:46 pm

ridiculous….natural closers are born with the attitude. You can teach good mechanics, but you can’t teach the killer instinct you need to be a closer.

Parnell is scared and does not have the guts to get the job done. I wish the Mets would stop shoving him down our throats already, banish him to the 7th inning and if he can’t get it done then he’s gone, I don’t care how hard he throws.
baby al September 14, 2011 at 8:21 pm

johnny franco coming back home to the wunderfull wilponzie mob. helping to sell tall tales and brooklyn stories. parnell needs a testicle tranplant more than a tutor or possibly a 40 foot tractor trailor supply of depends. (he can share them with feddye wilponzie).when oh when will the wilponzie family learn the lesson that some of their fans are not as stupid as they know we are? lets bring back leiter so they can evaluate cocky young pitchers music selections …like they did with kazmir.
tlagee September 14, 2011 at 9:57 pm

This news doesn’t surprise me. John Franco has been Jeff Wilpon’s BFF since Franco was rehabbing from surgery and spent the time bad mouthing the players to Jeff.

Obviously, I haven’t been a big fan of JF since then – also his disparaging remarks about Piazza after the Clemen’s beaning that appeared in Torre’s book didn’t help either.

He was a junk ball pitcher who’s slow stuff rarely ended up in the strike zone. He was effective until the other teams started waiting him out. Then he was pretty useless.

How a left handed junk ball pitcher can help a right handed flame thrower is beyond me. I guess we’ll have to ask Jeff Wilpon.
- 86mets September 14, 2011 at 11:20 pm
  
  I guess Armando Benitez was unavailable! LOL
Randy September 15, 2011 at 4:35 pm

Who is going to translate Brooklynese into Southern Drawl?

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