If you've been frustrated watching Maikel Franco swing and miss at outside pitches he could hit with a 10-foot pole, you are not alone. Pete Mackanin is obviously a member of that club and it continues to influence the manager's thinking when he fills out his lineup card.
Franco, one of the central figures in the Phillies' effort to rejuvenate the franchise, was benched for the second game of the team's series against the Colorado Rockies after looking clueless on strikeouts in his final two at-bats Monday. Mackanin removed Franco from the cleanup spot in the batting order a couple of weeks ago and this was the fourth time in 12 games the manager benched his third baseman.