Jason Isringhausen Headed Back to Closer Role For the Cardinals

Well it's official. Jason Isringhausen will re-assume the closer's role from the struggling Ryan Franklin in a move more out of desperation than anything else to get this Cardinals bullpen back on track. Dave Duncan made the announcement on Monday from Atlanta, in what could only be considered a whisper out of Cardinals camp. The question becomes, will Izzy restore this bullpen's pride and be able to get the job done? While Dave Duncan said that Izzy has looked much better in recent outings, it isn't necessarily a question of ability, rather than of mental fortitude. It has been no secret that no Cardinal reliever has been able to shut the door on opponents in the past, but this year has struggled mightily to say the least. The person who this announcement probably hurts most is Ryan Franklin, the Cardinals shamed set-up man. Franklin blew save after save, leading the Cards on an emotional nightmare that resulted in a five game slide and losing six of seven before pounding the Atlanta Braves ... (link)