Rockies Jeff Francis sees first game action since 2008
By John Livingston | March 6, 2010
For Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jeff Francis, the best part of Friday’s spring debut was just getting back on the mound to face live competition.
Francis, who won 17 games in 2007 before struggling through injuries in 2008 and undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder, pitched in his first game since Sept. 12 2008 in a split-squad game against the San Francisco Giants.
Francis was knocked around for four runs, four hits and two walks. This included a big three-run home run to one time Rockie Juan Uribe. Francis struggled with his command and the Denver Post’s Troy Renck said his fastball topped out at just 86 mph.
“I didn’t know where it was going in that second inning,” Francis said. “I know Uribe hit a three-run homer there, but with a 2-0 count I was just trying to find the strike zone. I wasn’t really worrying about him hitting balls over the fence. That’s what he does.”
Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca explained that with more repetition Francis will start realizing the corrections he needs to make in his delivery to better control his pitches.
“He doesn’t feel the adjustments that need to be made. But that will come. His head was dropping, and he was over-striding. It inhibited him from working both sides of the plate,” Apodaca said. “He’s 6-foot-6, and his head drops and he becomes 6-2.”
Francis was aware of some of the mechanical flaws that led to a rough two innings, in which he threw 33 pitches.
“It’s frustrating because I was rushing my delivery, and that’s something I have battled my whole career,” Francis said.
Despite the shaky debut, Francis admitted that it just felt good to get back out there and pitch in live action.
“I always look for results. I am not just out there working on stuff. But after 18 months off, I have to keep it in perspective,” Francis said. “I know I can do better.”
Said Apodaca: “You can’t simulate this. The crowd, all eyes watching, all of Denver watching. It might not happen the first two or three times out there. He just needs more repetition, feeling his body, feeling his delivery.”
Francis will get plenty of opportunities to get a feel for his delivery as Apodaca added that he expects the Canadian to throw about 30 innings this spring. His next scheduled appearance will be next Wednesday when the Rockies take on the Kansas City Royals at Hi Corbett Field.
Thanks to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding for also providing quotes for this story.
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