Bradley’s Buzz: Is it time to bid adieu to Frenchy?
Francoeur on the way out?
Last week Mark Bowman, who covers the Braves for MLB.com, speculated openly about the need for the Braves to upgrade their outfield and that Jeff Francouer could soon be on an outbound plane. Included was Bowman’s sobering appraisal: “The Braves aren’t going to get much in return for Francoeur. But they need to at least explore the possibility of moving him before they reach a point during the offseason when they might non-tender him and get absolutely nothing in return for a former top prospect.”
Note the “ouch” phrases: “Aren’t going to get much” and “non-tender him” and, worst of all, “former top prospect.”
About Mr. Bowman: He’s a good guy and a good reporter. He’s not given to flights of fancy. (Unlike, say, me.) If he’s broaching the topic on MLB.com, it stands to reason there’s chatter ongoing within the Braves’ organization. And that might not be a bad thing. As much as I like Francoeur, I think we’re approaching the point where it makes sense — for both parties — to take divergent paths.
Loading ...Bowman suggested Texas might be a destination for Francouer, given that the Rangers have had immediate success with Andruw Jones. (Heck, Francoeur is already working more closely with Rudy Jaramillo, the Rangers’ batting coach, than with Terry Pendleton.) Me, I’d just as soon the Braves never again mess with Texas, trade-wise. But maybe that’s just me.
Are you ready for some football?
Esteemed former colleague Mark Schlabach presents his updated preseason Top 25 on ESPN.com, and he has Georgia Tech (No. 15) rated one spot ahead of Georgia (No. 16). That sounds about right for the latter but too low for the former.
In a companion piece, Schlabach analyzes how each of his ranked teams can improve its standing. He says Tech needs to throw the ball better and Georgia needs to run it more. Me, I suggest the Bulldogs might tighten up the ol’ D as well, but again … maybe that’s just me.
As for Georgia’s opening-game opponent: Schlabach has Oklahoma State ranked No. 10, and Matt Hayes of Sporting News Today lists the Cowboys among his four teams on the rise. OSU, Hayes avers, has “three legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates.” But you know the old saying: Give Willie Martinez eight months to prepare …
The Falcons need outfielders … er, linebackers!
Writing for ESPN.com’s Insider, Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders — an outsider on the inside; is that even allowed? — counts the Falcons’ outside-linebacking crew as No. 9 on his list of unfilled roster holes. (Link requires registration.) Writes Barnwell: “They wrapped Band-Aids on the problem with converted safety Coy Wire and former Jacksonville middle linebacker Mike Peterson, who will be 33 and hasn’t played outside since 2002. Those aren’t solutions. They’re prayers.”
It’s almost time for Don Waddell to do another draft
And, according to Gare Joyce on ESPN.com, the Thrashers will spend the fourth overall pick on Evander Kane (requires registration), a center from Vancouver of the WHL. This sounds OK to me, center being a key hockey position and all. But I still haven’t gotten over the Falcons’ failure to draft Evander “Ziggy” Hood, and I fear the presence of another Evander on the Atlanta sports scene would only deepen my depression.
My personal issues aside, here’s a capsule rundown of Kane from Hockey’s Future. And below, from NHL.com via YouTube, is a video feature.
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282 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
May 25th, 2009
4:13 pm
At his age, I don’t know that anyone much wants Garret Anderson.
Shamus Thacker
May 25th, 2009
4:14 pm
I agree with not dealing with Texas. Not even a kiss on the cheek after molesting us last time.
Shamus Thacker
May 25th, 2009
4:17 pm
Only people who want Garret Anderson around at this point are his wife and momma.
mudcat
May 25th, 2009
4:18 pm
Trade Frenchy? Sounds like the same idiots who said Mark DeRosa was a bust!
Fred
May 25th, 2009
4:21 pm
Francouer sucks. The reason why Jaramillo is such a good hitting coach is because of steroids. Maybe Frenchy can go to Tejas and get on the juice like every other player they have had there for the last decade.
Why the hell is Don Waddell still employed. Lord knows, Atlanta has seen some wretched personell men, but Waddell has got to be the worst. The fact he is still employed is the worst indictment of the joke of an ownership group that the Spirit is.
Ted
May 25th, 2009
4:27 pm
LOL – you’d think someone calling another person an “idiot” or a “moron” would know the difference between “your” and “you’re”.
4 players/prospects for Holliday would be a massive overpayment, especially as he’s a Boras client and will be a FA after this season. He has a career OPS outside of Coors around .800 – making him better than what we have but definitely not worth 4 players.
As for Francoeur, I agree on him needing a fresh start. All the talk in the off-season about being more patient/selective and he walking less than he did the two previous years and he’s seeing a career low # pitches/PA. He’s obviously not listening to TP and/or Bobby and when you’ve tuned out your coaches, it is time to go.
Mike S
May 25th, 2009
4:30 pm
LOL, how ironic would it be if Frenchy were traded to Texas in a trade that brings Andruw back to Atlanta.
Bill
May 25th, 2009
4:37 pm
Let’s make a bet. Jeff’s batting average would go up forty points if he’d put his golf clubs in permanent storage. His swing is more reminiscent of Tiger Woods than Chipper Jones.
dap01
May 25th, 2009
4:48 pm
If the Braves aren’t going to get anything in return, why don’t they send him to AAA and let him earn his way back. He has talent. Who cares if he sulks, let him learn how to play
marseilles mutt
May 25th, 2009
4:59 pm
Keep JF for at least until after the all star break. Last I heard the Braves were winning. Have a great day and thank a real Hero/ Idol, a military veteran.
MB- Thought you could only be “are who you are” if you were Popeye.
Keep the faith guys; 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 ain’t too shabby. It’s a long season.
Terence More
May 25th, 2009
5:07 pm
Francoeur is only 25 years old. Give him time all ye Bill James wannabees. He’s a career .270 hitter and he’s hitting .265 right now. LOL. He’s a gamer and he’s going to be a great player. Possibly a Hall of Famer. I’ll remind you idiots in 20 years that you said he wasn’t going to make it.
braveshater
May 25th, 2009
5:25 pm
They trade players like Jermaine Dye, Elvis Andrus, Jarrod Salty, just to mention a few, but keep Jeff francour around to tear down the team for three years now. The Braves suck, its only right.
BugKiller
May 25th, 2009
5:34 pm
Mark, when will you and anyone else see that is time (past time) for Bobby Cox to go?
I have been adamant for years that if the Braves had a half-competent manager during the 1990’s, they’d be swimming with 2 or 3 more of those gangly flag trophies.
In baseball, talent wins you divisions, but it’s managers (BAD managers) who sink your chances in October. And Cox is the single worst postseason manager in baseball history, and it is historical fact that bares this out.
Look at the mess that’s been made of the Braves. Not only has Cox sunk the Championship chances of some of the most talented ball clubs ever assembled by the true genius (Schuerholtz), but he has yet to prove he can take an average team and make them better.
If anything, his bumbling in the dugout makes an average team WORSE. He refusal to change his style of managing in postseason destroyed Atlanta’s championship dreams, and now, his refusal to adapt to steriod-free baseball (small ball) is destroying any chance his team has now to compete with the Mets and Phils, who seem to be begging Atlanta to stay in a three-team race for the division with their uneven play.
Bobby Cox must go. So too, does Terry Pendleton. What the hell does Pendleton do, anyway? None of the hitters listen to him. Chipper and McCann go to their dads. Francouer goes to TEXAS. And all the while, instead of actually doing anything, Pendleton keeps the same cavalier, hands-off approach to coaching that Cox used with Andruw Jones for years until it was too late: “He’ll be fine. He’ll come out of it. He’ll get his swing. Waaah waaah, wah wah wah waaah.”
Yes, Cox and Pendleton are being compared to the teacher in Charlie Brown. They need to go.
Maybe the Braves can bring in the Texas hitting coach as their new manager.
As for Willie Martinez, you could give him two years, and he’d still suck more than a fat kid trying to drink a milk shake through a tiny straw.
RANDOM STUPIDITY
May 25th, 2009
5:36 pm
Coach , your stupid. The Braves don’t need Matt Holliday. So what if he’s made the all-star team the last three years, the guy sucks. Holliday’s only got a big right handed bat and the Braves don’t need one of those. I’m telling you, the Braves don’t need a three time silver slugger on the team!!!
Supes, you da man! The Braves are gonna win the world series just as they are!
taxman kenneth
May 25th, 2009
5:39 pm
You mentioned that Texas may be a good fit for Frenchy. I am sure Texas will take him since the braves won’t expect nothing in return like they got in the Tex giveaway. If the braves were fools enough to give the farm away for Tex you can’t blame Texas for taking them up on it. I bet they will laugh all the way to the world series this year thinking about how crazy and dum that trade was for the braves to make.
Terence More
May 25th, 2009
5:42 pm
Hello? Hello????
Granted Francoeur is NOT red hot right now but he IS LEADING the Braves in hits AND RBI’s. You can look it up.
Some of you fans need to move back to New York! Mark short tool Bradley too!
Calvin Smythe-Withers
May 25th, 2009
5:49 pm
“LOL – you’d think someone calling another person an “idiot” or a “moron” would know the difference between “your” and “you’re”.”
That means they are migrating over from the DOB blog. Don’t worry they’re harmless.
I think that other guy has it right about Frenchy, “he’s a dumb.”
Chipper was in the lineup today but asked to be scratched. I presume it was his toe that needed scratching. Now, the bases are loaded for McCann. Will we see a shift? Ha!
Francoeur could never put the ball in play like McCann did just now.
Terence More
May 25th, 2009
5:51 pm
“Couldn’t get anything in return for Francoeur”? Dude, all 30 teams would be interested in Jeff Francoeur. He’s 25 years old and though not red hot yet, he IS leading his team in fielding percentage, hits and RBI’s. The only people that have a problem with Francoeur are the New York media wannabees on here. Mark Steinbriner Bradley included.
Glad the Atlanta Braves run the Atlanta Braves.
rainman
May 25th, 2009
5:51 pm
Mark — it’s good to see ya mixing it up a little with multi-topic updates and info. Nothing like job security to get the creative juices flowing.
You have several interesting subjects today:
As to the Francoeur situation — I don’t have the answer, but it saddens me to go from being so high on the Braves aquiring Frenchy to the current state of uncertianty. All I know is that I have followed Jeff very closely since his Parkview team whipped my son’s Harrison team in the state championship in football. It was played at their stadium on a rainy night and I still remember the music of Guns & Roses – ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. Anyhow, I regress, I just hope everything works out fine for Jeff and the Braves.
As to the Falcons — Assuming Lewis, Peterson, and Moore or DeCoud have quality years, the defense is still in need of another vet at OLB and CB. For now, I’m gonna keep my mouth shut and see what TD and Smitty think about these positions.
On the subject of college football — I do think Tech can have a very strong team this year. CPJ has some options to re-tool the defensive line that may suprise some people, and the rest of the defense (linebackers and secondary), will absolutely be better. On the offense, it’s nice to have a veteran QB and more quality running back than they know what to do with, but the key to a BCS bowl may lie in their ability to make the passing game a threat.
Calvin Smythe-Withers
May 25th, 2009
5:53 pm
I married a Withers and took her name. Had I been stubborn like Francoeur I would not have landed a beautiful heiress wife. I can be Smythe-Withers and be happy with it. Francoeur looks like crap at the plate. Who’s happy with that? Or, as they say on the DOB blog, whose happy with that?
aswingruber
May 25th, 2009
5:53 pm
And Frenchy strikes out with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 6th. How appropriate after reading your column MB… He sux. Ship him out.
Fred
May 25th, 2009
5:56 pm
aswingruber…I was just excited that he did not hit into a DP…I was really quite excited that he just struck out, as I have come to expect the worst when he comes up in an important spot…
Calvin Smythe-Withers
May 25th, 2009
5:59 pm
Bases loaded. One out. Francoeur goes down swinging. If we forgive that, never forget that he swung at a ball in the dirt like he was trying to drive it to the ocean. Contact may have brought in a run. As it is, he struck out pitifully and the pitcher walked the next batter and walked in a run.
Does anyone on the bench correct such behavior? We seem to see it over and over again.
Delta made the best call on Francoeur. What are the Braves waiting for?
CB
May 25th, 2009
6:01 pm
Frenchy has go to go. The strike out with bases loaded sealed it for me. It would be in his and the Braves best interest to LET HIM GO, he has no value
jordanM
May 25th, 2009
6:02 pm
Isn’t Jim Edmonds still a free agent? I wouldn’t mind at all seeing him in the outfield. This is coming from one of the biggest Francouer fans there is. What do you think Mark?
MIKE lump
May 25th, 2009
6:02 pm
eminem in center is much worse than frenchy… 3 more strikeouts today! last one with the bases juiced.. speaking of… put him back on the juice!
jordanM
May 25th, 2009
6:03 pm
also, schafer might need to go back to the minors for a bit and get some more patience at the plate, that last strike out with the bases loaded looked awful
MIKE lump
May 25th, 2009
6:07 pm
major franklin should feel safe around the bottom of our line up they can’t hit anything with a baseball bat.
lawton
May 25th, 2009
6:09 pm
braveshater, francouer was suppose to be the new chipper jones, the marketing man, thats why they kept him around. francouer is really a sympton of a bigger problem with the braves, the lack of hitters that can manufacture runs. if they dont hit it out of the park, which they seldom do, its a wrap.
Don
May 25th, 2009
6:15 pm
I would like to see Francoeur traded to Texas so he can join the other top Braves prospects there. I feel sure he will do as the others have done since escaping Atlanta. Getting away from Turner Field seems to enhance careers. Please trade him to Texas. Maybe you can rent another temporary like Teixeira.
Fred
May 25th, 2009
6:29 pm
How about Frenchie wimping out going after that fly ball in the corner.
Everyone has realized how inept he is at the plate, but we are still being sold a bill of goods that he is more than just a mediocre outfielder, which he isn’t.
Braves Fan
May 25th, 2009
6:32 pm
Why would anyone even think about trading JF if you cannot get anything in return. I would think about sending him down for 2 or 3 months(Which should have happened last year). If Jeff doesn’t havea good attitude about it and doesn’t try to improve his game, get almost nothing for him then. But don’t do it now. We saved enough money on JS to keep him on the Farm for a few months. Do that and we will see what we have, We have not improved the rest of the team a whole lot with the players that have been brought in, other than the pitchers. At this point the whole outfield could stand some improvement.
Shoe
May 25th, 2009
6:38 pm
Mark: I was just implying that we release anderson, not trade him. If we don’t want him for OUR outfield, who would?!
Supes
May 25th, 2009
6:40 pm
“Coach , your stupid. The Braves don’t need Matt Holliday. So what if he’s made the all-star team the last three years, the guy sucks. Holliday’s only got a big right handed bat and the Braves don’t need one of those. I’m telling you, the Braves don’t need a three time silver slugger on the team!!!
Supes, you da man! The Braves are gonna win the world series just as they are!”
How about laying off the crack there?
Like other have pointed out, you wanna trade 4 players for a 3 month rental who is in a decline (compared to his ALL STAR YEARS), go ahead. I’m just glad Frank Wren knows better than that!
I never said this current braves team is going anywhere in the post season as currently constructed. How about reading the entire posts? I guess it’d be too much to ask. Much easier to “cherry pick” one liners here and there and take them out of context.
Moving right along…!
RHR
May 25th, 2009
6:58 pm
Wow I agree with everything Supes said in the first post, about everything.
It is hard not to root for a guy like Frenchy, but as a Braves fan, it’s hard not to get frustrated with Frenchy. I think the best thing for his career would be to get out of Atlanta.
No matter if he develops into an average player he will never meet the expectations Atlanta and Braves fans had. After all, we were told from day 1 that he was a Superstar! The Natural! The Next Chipper! instead what we got was a below average (offensively and defensively) RF’er.
SO many people talk about what a great guy he is, and how friendly he is and what a great Christian he is but the fact remains, we don’t need him to be our buddy. We need him to play consistent baseball at the major league level. And so far he’s only shown that he was way overrated from the start and that’s not his fault. Not gonna lie, certain broadcasters, the AJC, Mark Bowman, and the local media in general made me dislike him (as a member of this team) more than I would have if he never got any press. You sold him to us! You told us he was going to be great! And when we boo’ed…you made excuses for him…or were you making excuses for yourselves for over-hyping an unproven player simply because he was a local kid. Hmmmm.
I hope the powers that be in the media have learned as much from the Jeff Francoeur experiment as Jeff himself has learned. Or has he? I wonder if, by his actions when he got sent down and when he took the team to arb, that he believes he’s as big a star as the media wanted us to believe he would be 2 years ago. Anyway…in the future can we please let new Braves PROVE their talent before the media (and the Braves) heaps the attention and super star label on them?
Julia
May 25th, 2009
7:13 pm
It’s you, isn’t it? I’d really like to meet you for a SHRIMP SAMMICH. There is nothing quite like a SHRIMP SAMMICH. I agree with everything you said about Francoeur but I’d send him down tomorrow anyway. I wonder if they serve a SHRIMP SAMMICH in Rome?
Mark Bradley
May 25th, 2009
7:19 pm
Point taken, Shoe.
Jacob
May 25th, 2009
7:21 pm
Maybe we should get another hitting coach, ever think of that?
deja vu
May 25th, 2009
7:22 pm
Is it just me, or does Don Sutton sound hammered every night?
Oh, yeah, get rid of the natural…nobody since Andruw has had more meaningless stat-padding hits and more failure in important situations. He peaked at the SI cover, bail now or be doomed to more years of wishful thinking.
Thunderbull56
May 25th, 2009
7:26 pm
Enough is enough.
Is it just me, or has anyone noticed Jeff,”does not keep his eye on the ball”.?
Is it just me, or has anyone noticed that, the Braves continue to tolerate knuckheads?
Is it just me, or has anyone noticed that “Good Ole Bobby”, ain’t gonna ask anyone to bunt, unless he’s a pitcher?
Is it just me, or is anyone starting to notice why Ozzie wanted shed of Javier?
Is it just me, or is anyone else noticing that our center fielder is maybe, kinda, sorta, not quite just ready?
Me, I have been watching the home team since they arrived.
What I’m seeing now is that,the Latin players have to really excell to get on the field,the WASPs can fail forever, and “Good Ole Bobby”‘ll run ‘em back out there.”Less they’re on IR”.
What’s a shame, is that we have had so many players with unreal potential, that just refused, refused, “To Get It!”
Is it the players fault, or is it the team’s fault?
As much as I’m weary of “Good Ole Bobby”, when all is said and done, I can’t accuse him of not giving way too many knuckleheads, way too many
chances.
Is it just me, or has anyone noticed that intimidation is a no,no, in the Braves reportoire, especially, it’s pitching philosophy?
I could go on and on, and bore and anger those in denial,but they don’t consult me anyhow.
I’m just saying, if you are going to pay people ridiculous amounts of money to play a game, for crying out loud,demand some accountability, on fundamentals, expectations, and production.
Finally, is it just me, or is FSS,SS’s pre/postgame lineup the lamest in Braves history?
Ron Roberts
May 25th, 2009
7:37 pm
I think trading francoeur is pointless, really; first of all, it’s not like he’s hitting like Jordan Schafer – he’s hitting .265. Where he’s killing us is (prime example today) is his inability to contribute with RISP. He’s a pedestrian .260 this season, but wow, was he awful LAST season.
In any event, you’ll get precious little from him, and he’s either going to improve, or he isn’t. If he can maintain his .265 average, I say just stick with him. The sore spot in the lineup, I’m afraid, is CF. Jordan Schafer was MORE than ready to play big league CF, but whew, is he overmatched at the plate. Day off? Please. He needs some time in Mississippi or Gwinnett.
Here’s a thought…why not discuss a package with Baltimore where we send a guy like Medlen with Francoeur for a kid like Adam Jones? Now HE’S raking, he’s cheap, young, covers some ground, and i think the Orioles might be willing to deal him if we gave ‘em an OF and some MLB-ready pitching w/future upside.
That’s IF we want to win this year. If there’s one thing this franchise has PLENTY of in its future, it’s pitching.
In any event, not making a go of Ibanez, and signing Kawakami instead, to me, could be the non-signing/signing that dooms this season, in retrospect, otherwise.
JakeDSnake
May 25th, 2009
7:43 pm
Maybe Francoeur isn’t able to keep his eye on the ball. With the pitches he’s taken to the face, I have to wonder if his eye sight is perfect. Maybe he should borrow MaCann’s glasses to see if they help.
johnny bravo
May 25th, 2009
7:43 pm
a fresh start is best all around . maybe dye could be available, gotta get some numbers outta the outfield to be right in the middle of the race, you know we can’t just stand pat with that outfield, the phillies will no doubtly go get their pitching and atl needs to make a move, what a waste to get good pitching for the most part just to see nothing from the outfield, forget about hurting someones feelings, jordan isn’t getting it done, don’t wait till july, either you wanna be a force in this race or just battle for third. wren needs to be burning the phone up right now, everyone in sports knows atl needs outfield production, now go get wren. or be happy for third.
Gene
May 25th, 2009
7:44 pm
Maybe we could trade Francoeur for Josh Anderson.
Diamond Dawg
May 25th, 2009
8:00 pm
Trade him while we can still get something at all for him. He is not gonna pan out here in Atl. We have to have the weakest offensive outfield in the national league. Not to mention our centerfielder cannot hit a 90 mph fastball right down the middle.
lawton
May 25th, 2009
8:04 pm
GARY SHEFFIELD. all the problems WOULDVE been solved. lol
romebravesfan
May 25th, 2009
8:08 pm
It’s time for Francour to go, for everyone’s benefit. I think the west coast would be good for him.. Far away from home, mommy and daddy. Sure, he’ll cry (always does) but a dose of reality should do him good. He needs to develop a ‘hungry’ work ethic. At this level his natural talent can’t be his fall-back position. He must work to improve in all phases of the game. While in Rome he was the star….the chosen one. At thhe Class A level he was obviously the most talented player on the field, but others (McCann in particular) worked harder at improving while Francour just basked in his talent and awaited his promotion. (I saw 55 games that year) Jeff, at the major league level there are three options, improve, be sent down again or get out. That may sound cruel, but that’s life. You have God-given athletic talent, work with it and don’t waste it!
yogi2
May 25th, 2009
8:13 pm
Francoer was only an average minor league player when the braves brought him up. Early in his career anything he swung at was a hit. he never had a clue , hits just fell . now he looks like what he is . a JOKE. Trade Francoer,shafer and norton for bucket of practice balls
Colonel Claude
May 25th, 2009
8:20 pm
Francouer is a selfish ballplayer, that’s what bothers me the most about him. He never bunts or moves runners over. It’s all about him, 24/7. And he is noticeably bothered by pressure. Last year, it was truly awful watching him bat with runners in scoring position. I couldn’t believe he started every game. (Is he related to Bobby Cox or something?) It is difficult to justify trotting him out there every day. The Braves organization seems to lack intelligence and guts and they are ignoring reality. Kelly Johnson is another guy who is about as un-clutch as they get. As a leadoff hitter, he is terrible. Think Lou Pinella would put up with all of these choke artists?
Ripped again.
May 25th, 2009
8:33 pm
The Braves F(*&^%$ed up when they let Josh Anderson get away ,at least he was a hard nose baseball player unlike what we have out in the outfield now