LAKELAND, Fla. — With each passing transaction this winter, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Franklin’s rank within a rebooted Cardinals bullpen moved another year or two away from the average age. Gone is Russ Springer. Gone is Jason Isringhausen. Still relatively new to this whole relieving thing himself, Franklin enters this season as mentor, sage and the longest-tenured consistent member of the Cardinals bullpen.

That role he was ready for.

But there’s another role the Cardinals may ask the camouflage-crazy Oklahoma native to handle, at least early on during this season. Franklin is the Cardinals’ on-call closer. If a closer-by-committee approach to the ninth inning is the plan entering the regular season, then Franklin will likely get a lot of the close calls. Kyle McClellan would slide in to handle the setup role and Jason Motte/Chris Perez could work their way into more saves by dousing fires earlier in the game. Franklin is viewed by the Cardinals as the steadying presence in the bullpen. Not the fireballer that the two youngs guy and not the seasoned closer that, say, Isringhausen was. But a starter, converted to the bullpen when he became a Cardinal before 2007 and found a niche in the eighth inning.

He took his turn closing in on the rapid-fire questions from The P-DQ:

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Advice from a parent that stays with you …

Always work hard.

South Park or The Simpsons?

Neither

Memorable Christmas or holiday gift that you received was …

We only got like one present each Christmas.

Word or phrase you use too often is …

Uh.

Favorite superhero?

Superman

Best baseball movie?

The Natural

Your greatest achievement is …

Winning the Gold Medal with Team USA in 2000 at Sydney Summer Games.

Your current State of mind?

Angry. No, I’m kidding. Content.

Favorite ballplayer growing up?

Nolan Ryan

First car?

1986 Toyota Celica

Current car?

Which one? Ford F250

Place you’ve got to visit before you die is …

Go to Europe. I want to go to Paris.

Who would be in your Fave Five?

My wife, my mom, my dad, my father-in-law, my brother.

Most embarrassing song on your iPod?

I don’t have any. All of my songs are good songs.

Movie you stop to watch when it’s on TV?

Urban Cowboy

Sing in the shower or in the car?

Definitely in the car.

You know you’re in the minors when …

When you’re riding buses for longer than 5 hours.

I tune out when people talk about …

Negativity.

Your greatest extravagance or indulgence is …

My camouflage collection of clothes. I’ve got more camouflage than anybody.

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Previous P-DQ: Adam Wainwright … CC Sabathia … Skip Schumaker … David Wright … Brian Barton … Ryan Ludwick.

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