Article: John Frascatore Was A Volatile Player, Both On And Off The Field

[Mac]

John Frascatore did not leave the Blue Jays organization with a high opinion of the coaching staff.

Not a year after a fight with pitching coach Dave Stewart, John Frascatore had another quarrel in the minor leagues. It culminated on July 6, 2001, when the organization suspended the pitcher over an argument with Syracuse pitching coach Rick Langford, according to this legendary voiceover guy on TheScore. Frascatore’s response? To call into the Fan 590 and put the organization on blast!

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“I don't know what Gord (Ash)'s problem was and I tried to confront him about it. He tried to tell me nobody wants to trade for you and I can't give you away. I said why can't you release me then?” - John Frascatore

This prompted a response from team president Paul Godfrey, which I only note because he appears to have been caught by the reporter on his way back from lunch. Man, I miss TheScore. When Ash couldn’t find anyone to trade for Frascatore at the trade deadline, the reliever got his wish when the Blue Jays released him.

Ambushed before the shrimp cocktail ever had a chance to settle.

The ordeal would mark the last of Frascatore’s time with the Jays, a fitting end to a somewhat temperamental three-year stretch. It started well when Frascatore came over to the Jays in a trade with Arizona, along with future All-Star and backyard batting stance legend Tony Batista. All it took for Toronto was 37-year-old Dan Plesac, who was not good with the Jays so far that season, managing an 8.34 ERA in 30 appearances. Before Arizona, Frascatore was in St. Louis, where he was the winning pitcher of record for Mark McGwire’s 70^th home run game. He would continue to win in a notable fashion with Toronto.

In his sixth appearance with the team, Frascatore held a 5-5 game with Baltimore together in the tenth, allowing Shannon Stewart to win the game with a single in the bottom half. The two teams were again tied the following night, heading into extras. With two runs already in and Orioles on first and third, Frascatore came in and got an inning-ending double play ball, keeping Baltimore’s lead at 9-7. In the bottom half, the hero was Darrin Fletcher, who hit a three-run home run to give Frascatore his second consecutive win and earn Jesse Orosco an earful from his manager, Ray Miller.

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"The bottom line is, if you're paid to get somebody out, you'd better get somebody out."

Here’s the Fletcher home run (14:02) called by the great Rich Eisen, part of an ESPN SportsCenter highlight compilation by YouTube user greendayrock. The following day was Canada Day, and if you watch past the Fletcher home run, you see the Jays wearing a pretty tame July 1 get-up with red hats and 'Canada' on the player's backs. 3/10. That feels like a disappointing Canada Day jersey era.

 

Frascatore entered the game at the top of the eight, with the Jays down 6-3. The Orioles had a runner on second with one out, but Frascatore pitched out of it, striking out Jeff Reboulet on a full-count pitch to end the frame. The Blue Jays exploded off Baltimore's embattled bullpen in the bottom half. They scored five off three relievers, including a go-ahead two-run single by a red-hot Willie Greene. With Billy Koch closing the door in the ninth, Frascatore had earned his third win in as many days, tying a major league record.

Ray Miller, are we having fun yet? 

Frascatore finished his season in Toronto, posting a 3.41 ERA in 33 appearances. However, his 2000 season got off to a terrible start. On April 15, he gave up four earned runs in a 17-6 drubbing by Seattle. That kicked off a 30-day stretch where he pitched in 13 games and had a combined ERA of 13.06 while surrendering an opponent’s batting average of .408 in those appearances. The worst came on April 18 against the Angels when, in his second inning of work, with the Jays already down 11-4, he was shelled for five runs across six hits.

The season improved for Frascatore, and remarkably, by July, he was pitching to the tune of a 1.98 ERA. The Jays were in Seattle to close the month, and Frascatore found himself in the middle of some old-school baseball. In the April meeting with Seattle, Pedro Borbón hit Mariner John Olerud with a pitch, and the bad blood spilled over. In the series’ third game, after allowing Seattle to tie the game in the previous inning, Frascatore hit A-Rod in the ribs. 

Mariners skipper Lou Pinella took to it how you might think. So, in the series finale, Carlos Delgado got hit by Seattle starter Aaron Sele, and the Jays retaliated by plunking David Bell. Frascatore entered the game in the seventh but remained in the game for the eighth, following a top half that saw Tony Batista hit in the shoulder by a pitch. After Bell popped out to start the inning, Frascatore knocked down Rickey Henderson, who eventually walked. Later in the inning, with the bounties still 2-1 Mariners, Frascatore faced A-Rod and again threw inside, prompting an ejection from home plate umpire Rich Rieker.

In August, after walking a batter in a brief appearance in Arlington, in an apparent rite of passage within the Jays dugout, Frascatore got into it with pitching coach Dave Stewart. Other Jays had to hold Stewart back from going after Frascatore into the clubhouse. Stewart said it was an argument over pitch selection, possibly when they were throwing at other opponents. 

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“John can never have my information again. John knows it all. Let him figure it out. From now on, John Frascatore is a pitching coach for himself.”  - Dave Stewart

Frascatore was designated for assignment after the season but made the team as the final member of the bullpen in 2001. He was demoted after 12 games, and as we’ve seen, he didn’t leave quietly. He signed with the Mets in the offseason but never returned to the major leagues.

Links/References:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaCTuOVWT8M
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1999/07/01/orioles-bullpen-strikes-out-again/30f8070a-9cc0-495f-a9e8-b0c249babfd2/
• https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20000731/4034562/bad-blood-continues-two-blue-jays-ejected 
• https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en-US/anthony-p-bolante/blue-jays-frascatore-ejected-while-arguing-with-umpire-2000-07-30-photo/photograph/asset/7929290
• https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-27-sp-11261-story.html

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[Brock Beauchamp]

Thanks for @Mac for writing this up, I really enjoyed the read!

[Spanky99]

49 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Thanks for @Mac for writing this up, I really enjoyed the read!

Agreed, jogged my memory. 😎

[Grant77]

Is this Mac33 from the old, old forum?

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 minutes ago, Grant77 said:

Is this Mac33 from the old, old forum?

I don't think so but it's certainly possible. They would have to answer to know for sure. I found Mac via a substack they started writing about past Jays players.

[Spanky99]

42 minutes ago, Grant77 said:

Is this Mac33 from the old, old forum?

Nah...

 

[Fideldog]

That was an excellent read. I had forgotten about Frascatore but I always enjoy a trip down memory lane.

[Mac]

1 hour ago, Grant77 said:

Is this Mac33 from the old, old forum?

Different Mac! I have not been around here previously and I am looking forward to being a part of this great Jays community.

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far. I am hoping to have a former Jay profiled here once a week.