Press Box:
The Newest Knuckleballer
by Sam Rubin

July 20, 2001

 
New Haven Ravens pitching coach Dave LaPoint has come to know a lot of people during a baseball career that included twelve seasons in the major leagues, one as a pitching coach in the Dominican Winter League, one as an agent, two as a general manager/manager/pitching coach with an independent league team, and now two seasons as a coach in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. But only two of those people have gone on to earn the respect of being known as his adopted sons.
Lance Franks is one of those people.
The 25-year old righty first worked with LaPoint at Double-A Arkansas last year, where he and former teammate Kevin Crafton earned their "adoptions" with their approach to the game. While the title is used jokingly by teammates, it's clear that the sentiment behind it is genuine.  
"He's been very valuable for two years in what roles we need," LaPoint said of Franks. "He's been a closer in his career, he's been a starter. That's the best thing about him -- he doesn't need a lot of preparation. He'll take the ball no matter what the role is. He's not a guy that's going to complain about not starting. He'll just go out and throw."
Like any pitching coach, LaPoint appreciates a player who quietly goes about the business of getting batters out whenever asked. But what he saw from Franks one day earlier this season really opened his eyes. He saw Franks' knuckleball -- which he had never used in a game -- during some pre-game warm-up throws.
"I was goofing around, and [catcher Chris] Martine was still down there behind home plate [in the bullpen]," Franks recalled. "I said 'Here, catch this' and I got on the mound and threw one. LaPoint was there. That night, he was like, 'If you get in, throw it a couple times.' I did come in that night and ended up throwing it two times and got two strikeouts on it."
And thus a knuckleballer was born. Franks quickly integrated the pitch into his repertoire, aided by a move from the bullpen into the starting rotation as the Ravens were beset with injuries. While the return of righty Nick Stocks and lefty Les Walrond may mean a return to the 'pen for Franks, his new pitch has definitely changed the way he's viewed around the game.
"This could be a ticket to the big leagues," LaPoint notes. "It's happened to a lot of different guys. He's got a good one. He's was ahead of [other knuckleball throwers Steve] Sparks and [Tom] Candiotti and [Tim] Wakefield in their careers. They didn't learn it until they were 27, 28, 29 years old. He's got age on his side right now."
Franks also has LaPoint on his side, a factor he and the rest of the pitching staff love.
"It's awesome," he noted. "He's got big league experience ... He's been around; he knows pitching; he knows baseball. The past two years, I've learned so much now I can go on and pass it on."
Even LaPoint admits, though, that Franks is on his own in many ways when its comes to his new pitch. While LaPoint can help with elements like arm angle and other pitching fundamentals, there are things that can only be learned from other knuckleballers. That's one of the reasons why Franks just got a tape of Sparks' performance last week against the Cardinals.
"I'm sure he'll study that stuff," LaPoint said. "He's a hard worker. Nobody loves the game more than Lance does, so if there's something he can do to improve himself he'll do it."
And Franks is also willing to help others improve as well. In addition to adding the knuckleball to his pitching arsenal, he's added the duty of keeping up the team's on-line player column as well. While Alex Eckelman continues to write the "Memo from the CEO", Franks will debut the column based on his nickname -- "Corn Dogg's Corner" -- on Monday July 23.

Ask the Ravens!:
Lance Franks

Full Name: Lance Marple Franks
Nicknames: Corn Dogg and Franky 
Hometown: Russellville, Arkansas.
Favorite baseball team as a kid:
The Atlanta Braves. 
Favorite baseball players as a kid:
Greg Maddux.

Favorite sport other than baseball:  
Golf.
Favorite food:  
Lasagna.
Favorite television show:  
The Dukes of Hazzard.
Favorite movie:  
Tombstone.
Favorite type of music, and favorite singer: 
Country and rap; Kenny Chesney.
What I would be doing if I wasn't a baseball player:
Probably coaching. I coached a 10-year old AAU team back in Arkansas.
Highlight of my baseball career thus far:
Last year -- it was my first start in Double-A -- I was pitching against Roy Oswalt, who is with the Astros right now. I was two-for-two off him with two singles.
Best players I have ever played against:
Marlon Byrd of the Reading Phillies. I've had success with him -- I've faced probably six or seven times and he's got one hit off me, but he's fun to watch, exciting. He's probably the best athlete I've played against.
Advice I would give to any young baseball player:
Work hard and set your goals high.
What I need to work on to improve as a player:
I just started throwing the knuckleball a month ago, so I need to work on trying to master the knuckleball -- how to get it to move in and out.

Heat's Franks shuts down Gold Sox

By SCOTT WILSON - Sports Writer, Chico Enterprise-Record

MARYSVILLE - Chico Heat starter Lance Franks ended a season of misery at Bryant Field in convincing fashion Tuesday night.
Franks tossed a one-hitter, just Chico's second win at Bryant Field, and the Heat won their third straight with a 6-0 win over the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox.
Franks (7-2), allowed only a Tony Cosentino first-inning single, did walk three but he struck out five and retired 18 batters in a row from the first through seventh innings. His string ended with a seventh-inning walk to Jaeme Leal, but Franks proceeded to set down seven of the next nine.
Franks, who was spotted four first-inning runs, didn't allow a Gold Sox runner past second base on the night as he threw his first career complete-game shutout.
"Usually when you get those runs early you want to lay back," Franks said. "I've done that before but tonight I didn't do that."
Yuba-Sutter scored 18 runs in its last outing.
"I was just trying to keep them off balance," Franks said. "My change up was working tonight. I used the sinker to get a lot of ground balls and the guys made some great plays."
Chico also ended a series of bad luck in Marysville, winning for just the second time in seven meetings while getting its second complete game in its last three games. Chico pitching has allowed just nine hits over those three games.
"I don't think I've seen a better pitching performance in this league in the seven years I've been here," Heat manager Charley Kerfeld said. "Right now everyone's getting it done. I just right the names in and they get it done."
The Heat backed Franks with a 13-hit attack. Rick Prieto was 3-for-4 while Brad Gennaro, Taber Maier, Jon Macalutas and Buck McNabb each added two hits.
Maier and Kevin Ellis each knocked in two runs and Gennaro scored a pair of runs.
Chico got all it needed in the first with four runs. Prieto singled, Gennaro doubled and Maier lined a two-run single that got the Heat on the board. An RBI groundout by Ellis and a two-out RBI single by McNabb had the Heat up 4-0.
Gold Sox starter Bucky Buckles (5-3) also pitched well after a rough first inning, going 7 1/3 and allowing six runs, five earned, 12 hits while striking out four.
Ray Brown's solo home run in the third put Chico up 5-0, and the Heat added an insurance run in the eighth as Ellis lined his second RBI ground out of the night to knock in Gennaro, who led off the inning with a single.

Notes: Four of the Heat's starting pitchers are in the top 10 in ERA. Jeff Harris leads the WBL with a 2.63 ERA while Scott Navarro and Franks are tied for sixth at 3.61 and newcomer Rick Guttormson is eighth (3.92). ... Harris also leads the Western Baseball League in strikeouts (77), innings pitched (102.2) and complete games (3). ... Brent Husted is second in the WBL in saves with 11.