When the Cardinals signed Ryan Franklin to a one-year, $1 million contract in 2007, he was supposed to be a fallback plan for the team's starting rotation. Without ever starting a game for St. Louis, Franklin was then moved to the bullpen in a setup role for then-closer Jason Isringhausen.It's a role Franklin then took over for himself in 2008, and has been pretty good at since, earning a place on the National League All-Star team in 2009 before finishing the season with 38 saves. He's having another successful season in St. Louis after signing a two-year contract extension last summer, but even if he continues to pitch well, once that contract ends after 2011, Franklin says he plans on hanging up his spikes.
"I think I owe it to my family," Franklin told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I've missed a lot of things that have been going on. I don't want to miss a lot more.
"If I wasn't able to provide for my family and we weren't going to be OK to the extent that either my wife or I would have to continue working, then I should play more. But I'm financially sound. I don't see having to keep playing for that reason."
Of course, Franklin did go on to say that "someone is going to have to throw some serious money at me" to convince him to keep pitching after 2011, so he didn't close every door.
Franklin has converted 12 of 13 save opportunities for the Cardinals so far this season.
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