All-Trade Friday: Should the Braves deal Jeff Francoeur?
I thought it would work. I thought Jeff Francoeur would remember how to hit and the masses would forget he’d forgotten and all would be bliss for the hometown kid and the team of his dreams. But it’s not working, and I’ve come to believe it won’t.
Too much has happened. He got too big too fast. It wasn’t his fault. He was great from the moment of his big-league arrival in July 2005 and we — meaning the fans and the media and the Braves themselves — loved him and reveled in every detail of his charmed young life. But then, after two mostly solid full seasons, he stopped hitting. And everything changed.
Francoeur was upset when the Braves sent him to Class AA on the Fourth of July. “I don’t think there’s any way I can [feel as warmly toward the organization] 100 percent,” he said in February. “I want to play here forever; I’ve said that all along. But the business part of it is different.”
The Braves weren’t thrilled when Francoeur went to Texas to work with Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Said Terry Pendleton, the Braves’ hitting coach: “I asked Jeff, ‘Why didn’t you come to me?’ Obviously he felt the need to go elsewhere. It’s his winter. [But] it bugged me at first. Not hearing it from him, that got me more than anything. I told him, ‘I thought our relationship was better than that.’ ”
Loading ...Where once there was sunshine, there’s distrust and frustration. The Braves wonder if Francoeur can be coached. Francoeur wonders if the Braves have his best interests at heart. He tries too hard and falls back on bad habits. The Braves drop him in the order and struggle to be patient. And here he is, batting. 245 with a microscopic on-base percentage of .280. He’s on pace to finish with 11 homers and 71 RBIs — same as he did last year.
I thought it would work, but it isn’t working and I don’t believe it will again. Francoeur and the Braves need fresh starts. He needs to go somewhere where every swing and miss doesn’t stir civic angst. The Braves need a right fielder whose persona doesn’t outstrip production. Both parties need to breathe deeply again.
I would hate it if Francoeur played elsewhere. I’ve known him since he was a junior at Parkview — he remains the greatest high school football player I’ve seen in 25 years at the AJC — and he’s a fine fellow who tries to accommodate everyone. But I’d hate it more to see this psychodrama drag into August and beyond. It’s time for both sides to cut their losses. It’s time to trade Frenchy.
What could the Braves get for him? Probably not all that much, but that’s not really the point . They’d be better off without him, and he without them. He could slip into another uniform and be someone other than the homegrown Golden Child. He could relax. He could just go play ball again, as opposed to feeling compelled to sign every autograph and pose for every picture.
I am, as we know, wrong about everything, and I wouldn’t mind being wrong about this. I’d love to see Francoeur become the Francoeur we all thought he’d be, but the time for that seems past. I don’t see a happy ending for this player in this city with this team. Wish I did, but I don’t.
Other installments: Should the Thrashers trade Ilya Kovalchuk? And also: Should the Hawks trade Josh Smith?
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476 comments Add your comment
jgon
June 12th, 2009
12:40 pm
What the hell did they sign him in the first place. The way he played last year he should have never been in right field this year. And they give him a good contract . The Braves hitting has choked for years. What the heck, Pittsburgh looks better then the Braves. For years the Brave pitchers have been outstanding only to lose because of the lack of offense.
STH
June 12th, 2009
12:41 pm
i agree greg he needs time to think and learn how to aproach every at bat or unfortunatley move on, man i wanted him to be the next Murphy
Todd
June 12th, 2009
12:42 pm
Jeff’s issue is patience at the plate (as well as afew other braves). If he relax and stop with this 1st pitch thing, especially when teh opposing pitcher ahs labored through 2 batters. Typically, this is when there are runners on 2nd and 3rd, Jeff steps up, swing at the 1st pitch, which si usally out of the strike zone and pops up. Each tiem time I die when this happens.
Part ways OR team him patience.
Joe
June 12th, 2009
12:46 pm
He needs to move on. I know for a fact that this will help him like it helped Kyle Davies. Per Kyle “pitching in Kansas City is easier mentally because of the smaller market and home town hero expectations” I think they same thing would apply to Jeff. Too much stress to perform consistently well here in Atlanta. Another team would do him a world of good.
Ms. Opinionated
June 12th, 2009
12:46 pm
I find it so interesting that a management level person – Terry Pendleton – had his feelings hurt that Jeff reached out to the Texas hitting coach. It seems to me that whatever Jeff has tried to do to improve his situation would be welcomed by his teammates and his coaches. From Glavine, Smoltz, now TP, can these people all be in their 40’s and whining like 8 year olds?
On the other hand, Jeff never tasted failure during his phenomenal rise as a local sports star. All of us have to face our limitations at some point in our lives, it is how we deal with those adversities that determine who we are as people. I would not trade him. I would send him back to the minors and give him the chance to recover his abilities out of the spotlight. Jeff needs to accept this, and grow up. He still has great possibilities as a ballplayer. He just needs to work harder and differently to recover.
williebkind
June 12th, 2009
12:47 pm
Well, I guess I am a moron! I can not understand how someone who has played baseball since he was eight years old takes a fast ball down the middle of the plate and swing at one in the dirt.
Is baseball hitting more about guessing than ability? If so, why are the fans supporting a sport that pays a guy millions to guess.
I know this is about Frenchy but I am disappointed with baseball. You pay a pitcher to play six innings every 3rd or 4th day if he does not get tired. Maybe it is because he is not in atheletic shape. They look like they gain 50lbs the first year.
I have never known a sport that pays atheletes that much money to be out of shape. Maybe that is why we see so many Latinos and Japanese making the team. American ball players are simply out of shape the moment they arrive in the big league. I guess Babe Ruth is the standard. He was big too and performed so great.
If I owned a team, the players would be in top shape the way I see it or they could play for some other misguided team. Money is tight everywhere! I do not see why I can not get a quality player for the money.
Missing the Braves of the 90's...
June 12th, 2009
12:48 pm
It is kind of embarrassing that everyone in baseball knows frenchy will swing at the first pitch almost every time and will always swing for one in the dirt on two strikes….
Travis
June 12th, 2009
12:50 pm
Mark…How about attacking a real subject. How about reporting on the roll of hitting coaches. The list of players that have declined under Terry Pendleton gets longer every year. TP got angry when Frenchy went to Texas to learn under Jamarillo because TP hasn’t helped him. Kelly Johnson, Scott Thorman, Frenchy, Norton, Shafer, Brandon Jones even Garrett Anderson has struggled with TP at the helm. Everyone says that a hitting coach has nothing to do with a players ability to adapt and change as pitchers know their tendencies. We are talking about the same caliber players that every other MLB team has and our 5-9 lineup is still in flux. The Braves problem is that the psychological aspect of the hitting game, and the small ball don’t swing at every pitch just because it’s a strike mentality isn’t enforced with this team. Write about that Mark…Do some real digging and rag on the coaches inability to motivate this team. The Braves are forced to trade great talent because Terry Pendleton can’t handle the job. Don Baylor where are you?
Let's Go Bravos!
June 12th, 2009
12:52 pm
I would hate to see Frenchy leave Atlanta, because I think he has potential to be a good player. But the stats are simple, he (and a few others) are consistently creating holes in our lineup. After Chipper and McCann, there’s no one that can consistently get basehits and drive in runs. There’s no one stealing bases (maybe Mclouth now, but he’s only one guy). There’s no hit and runs. The offense is stagnant and needs a change to jump start the players day in and day out. I love Terry Pendleton, but he’s not been getting it done the past 3 years. Bobby Cox is not making the best decisions anymore either. I think we’re going to have to have a coaching change (somewhere) if we want to get back into the form of winning and competing in this division.
SEC Fan
June 12th, 2009
12:53 pm
Trade Kelly Johnson and Garrett Anderson instead. KJ is horrible and Anderson just looks like he doesn’t want to be out there anymore.
Pretend Hero
June 12th, 2009
12:53 pm
I truly feel that he needs a fresh start someplace else, and I hope he is happier and lives up to his immense potential. I would love to see him flourish in a new home, as I think he is a great guy.
All that said, I think its time to take a close look at Terry Pendelton and ask if some of the blame for the failure of some high profile Braves hitters should fall to him. Andruw Jones was on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Jeff Francouer, while younger, looked to be on a simliar path. Kelly Johnson was supposed to be a great hitter. Adam Laroche, Mark Derosa, Jordan Schaefer. Gregor Blanco, Brandon Jones….etc…. The list of players who seem to be falling short of thier potential under Pendelton is getting pretty long, and Andruw Jones and Jeff Francouer are some pretty high profile failures.
How many more young stars is he going to be allowed to ruin?
olal
June 12th, 2009
12:57 pm
sorry ….think you are wrong on this one….look around the league at right fielders and tell me who is better….Hermida? don’t think so…..Church?? ..
2 hrs and 9 rbis…..Werth….255…cmon….Kearns..206??
and that is our division…..and then go compare the left fielders…no better.
Other than a few really good outfielders like Beltran most of them this year are not that great.
Franceour is still young enough to develop. Sad to say for him it is his hometown but that can all change with a good year….
if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!!!
Paul W
June 12th, 2009
12:58 pm
JF has no trade value right now; there is no need to trade him because he won’t bring anything in return. So the answer is Gwinnett.
Jeff has the tools- he has performed before. I think the Bravos need to bring in a personal hitting coach and perhaps a sports psychologist and take one last crack at straightening him out at AAA. When he can perform consistently there, he can have one final shot in the Ted- and not before.
Jeff needs to learn some humilty and become coachable- his 3 day trip to AA showed that he was neither at that time. Until that happens, he will flounder. If his head gets straight, he has all the talent to be an All Star. It is just a matter of being willing to work for it, and that work needs to happen up I-85.
BoRock LaBumma
June 12th, 2009
12:58 pm
Enough!!! Frenchy will get get his bailout with another team when he is traded. Enough!!!
CoastalDawg
June 12th, 2009
1:00 pm
I’m wondering why it always comes back to Jeff Francoeur? Is it because there is MORE expected of him than anyone else? When the team as a whole is struggling at the bat, why is it Jeff’s fault? What ABOUT the batting coach? There has to be SOME reason that Jeff went to the Texas Rangers for batting instructions during the winter; the problem IS that he has now dropped back into his old ways for the most part. Jeff is a talented baseball player with God given talent; that was shown during his first couple of seasons with the major league Braves. You can’t win games though when batters don’t run out possible hits or go after the balls hit toward them in the outfield (no one can say THAT about Francoeur – just ask some runner who has been thrown out at the plate from right field); you can’t win games when a second baseman constantly drops balls that would get an out, maybe two or when a shortstop doesn’t have his mind on getting the ball to whatever base a runner is approaching OR just holding the ball while an opposing runner goes to home plate. No, the trade of Francoeur would only prove his worth in the field, not improve the team. Neither he NOR Frank Wren handled the “send down” last year well and after hearing Bobby Cox’s role in the latest Wren fiasco of dumping Tom Glavine, it’s past time for him to go, too. Game after game, year after year I’ve watched Cox pull a pitcher who was doing well and putting in a non-relief pitcher that would give up the game. The Braves have not ONE consistent pitcher in their bullpen unless Medlen proves to be that. The acquisition of Nate McLoud seems to be a good one so far but who wants to bet that he’ll be resigned when the time comes? The whole Texiera thing stunk to high heaven when it was done with the top brass telling fans that he couldn’t have been resigned anyway – who knows about all that in advance? Nope, it’s not Francoeur’s fault and trading him to another team will do nothing for the Braves and probably not for him either. After all, he himself made the deal to accept the Braves offer in the beginning and he’s an asset to the team off the field as well – he presents them with good will PR that money can’t buy. It IS time for the Braves to look for a batting coach that actually teaches the struggling hitters what to do to correct their errors at the plate. I doubt that Jeff is a bad “student” – the Texas Rangers coach found something in him that worked so why can’t Pendleton resurrect that? Is there a case of pouting because Jeff didn’t use him this past winter? One has to wonder.
Curt
June 12th, 2009
1:00 pm
After reading several comments, a reoccurring theme stands out – the lack of hitting! Why target Frenchy when there is blame to go around the lineup. All one has to do is to look at the boxscore and focus on a consistent statistic – LOB!!! In most games, Braves have stranded more baserunners than their opponents, yet lose the game! I have always assumed that the object of the game is to advance the runner so they can score. Apparently they have not been schooled well enough to know how to do that! I see very little base stealing, no hitting behind the runner, etc to get those runs home. It’s not a mindset, but a philosophy of the Braves coaching staff that needs to change and that starts at the top with Wren, Cox and utimately with Terry Pendleton.
Phil McCrotch
June 12th, 2009
1:01 pm
Frenchy is not the only problem, Bobby Cox lost that game for them last night. Why take out a guy that has 12 strikeouts only 2 hits allowed and game tied going to the 9th. Oh I forgot …pitch count. Baloney. This whole pitch count thing has ruined starting pitchers. Even Vasquez said he could have went to the 9th so why the f*&k pull him? I don’t understand the way Bobby coaches sometimes. If the other team can’t figure the guy out leave him in. Let it be HIS ballgame to lose not some semi-closer.
BLAZER
June 12th, 2009
1:01 pm
hadn’t we traded a lot of our future prospects already?
just wondering??
Yea Right
June 12th, 2009
1:03 pm
Enter your comments here
Yea Right
June 12th, 2009
1:06 pm
Why just pick on Francoeur. Nobody is hitting. Chipper runs his mouth but has had a lot of 0-4 games on his own. Last night against Pitts Chipper, Escobar and the new guy, (whats his name) all went 0-4 in the top three spots.
Seems to me we have had hitting problems ever since Pendleton got here. Why not get a new coach and see what that brings. I think its crap that every hitter that cant hit here leaves and goes to another club and then starts to hit. I just have to wonder why that is. Seems to me that Adam LaRoche had no trouble hitting against the braves. Hummmmm didnt we trade him because he wasnt hitting? Fix the real problem and stop playing with Pendleton.
Greg
June 12th, 2009
1:06 pm
There is more pressure on Jeff to produce because he is a Right-Fielder. RF, like 1B, 3B and LF are positions where a team needs to get solid production. The up-the-middle positions have always been spots where you need defense first, and then offense. To have a RF who makes an out 72% of the time he comes up is just a lineup killer.
BT
June 12th, 2009
1:07 pm
I agree with you Paul. The term trading French essentially means giving him away or releasing him in my opinion.
Missing the Braves of the 90's...
June 12th, 2009
1:09 pm
IF we get rid of Frenchy he will be doing great for another team in 2 years. I’m sick of watching all our past players doing well for other teams!
Lets have a coach get the team to learn how to bunt, steal, move baserunners, situational hit and get their head in the game.
You don’t have to be a players coach all the time BC- winning makes players happy too!
Phil McCrotch
June 12th, 2009
1:09 pm
and true, our hitting is in the toilet. I agree, something has to be done. However, if we can’t GET runs why not leave a dependable pitcher in their to prevent runs. Just becuse he has 113 pitches? Come on!! These guys aren’t 13 yrs old. Let them pitch. you keep taking them out and the bullpen keeps letting them down eventually they’re gonna be mentally out of the game. Start attacking their ability to get guys out and finish a game by pulling them, then it’s over. These guys want to win…Jurrjens, Vasquez, Lowe, etc… give them a frickin chance to win their games. Damn I’m angry!
williebkind
June 12th, 2009
1:10 pm
Phil McCrotch
June 12th, 2009
1:01 pm
Wow! I have had those same thoughts Phil. If you going to coach by the book then you do not need a high paid coach. Just someone who can read. I agree about TP. It is time for him to go.
Stat Man
June 12th, 2009
1:12 pm
My question is simple. The Braves are desperate for offense. Exactly what would be expected in return that improves the team? Who is going to trade the Braves a player marketedly better than Francouer for Francouer?
Just saying to trade him sounds like nothing more than a frustrated fantasy league owner talking. He doesn’t make any real money until 2012 when he becomes a free agent, so unless the Pirates have any more studs they want to give us – people are assuming we can make a trade just by asking – forgetting the other team has to agree.
Francoeur for Brad Penny has gotten some ink lately. Uh, exactly what does that accomplish? Gives us a better 5th starter? Kills our outfield defense for the price of whatever OF we plug in out there. Can imagine we already have somebody better than Francoeur or gosh – they would already be playing!
If it were just him, then maybe it adds credence to the suggestion, but since Johnson has slumped all year, Schafer never produced, NOBODY on the bench is any good – anything we would get in trade wouldn’t be improving any time soon either.
The trouble with this team goes far further than the #7 hitter in the lineup only being on pace for 70 RBI.
Boo Boo
June 12th, 2009
1:12 pm
The Braves don’t do good or bad because of a hitting coach. What about their inability to run bases (which it terrible baserunning)? Fire the base running coach the answer? Maybe its the bullpen cather’s fault? Fire him? How about the third base coach not getting enough runners to third base? Let’s fire him too. AND, while we’re at it, fire Bobby Cox too.
Winning is not about coaching at the major league level. Leo Mazonne only sat and rocked in the dougout next to Bobby, while Smoltz, Glavine, Maddox, and a slew of young and older arms paraded into and out of Atlanta with the the Braves PAYING out the nose for hitters to make it easier for the pitchers to win games. Fred McGriff did not need a hitting coach to hit. Andrés Galarraga did not need a hitting coach to hit. Gary Sheffield did not need a hitting coach to hit. Edgar Renteria did not need a hitting coach to hit. J.D. Drew did ot need a hitting coach to hit. Julio Franco did not need a hitting coach to hit. Chipper Jones does not need a hitting coach. Until the roids mushed his mind, Andruw Jones did not need a hitting coach to hit.
The point is this: In baseball there are a bunch of old players that have strong needs to hang around and not go into the real world to work. They become the coaches and managers. They don’t get paid like the players, because they are just guys hanging around, with nothing really to do. By the time a player gets to the big leagues, its up to the player to produce IN SPITE OF THE COACHES. The coaches only have the spotlight on them when a player needs to be traded, or when the team becomes too cheap to buy better players.
Tomy Fournier
June 12th, 2009
1:14 pm
Same…same…same…same OF EVERY DAY….stop crying and please…..do something…beginning with Mr. “MORON COX”….GET OUT OF HERE….YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!…THAT’S THE ATLANTA BIG PROBLEM…THAT’S ALL!!!!
BeachGaBulldog
June 12th, 2009
1:16 pm
Every time I watch Jeff at the plate, its so predictable what he does. Swing at the first pitch, go after pitches out of the strike zone, not drawing walks, for starters. I don’t care where he goes, just get rid of him. He does remind me of Andruw Jones, who I was never a fan of. You didn’t want him at bat with runners on base because he wouldn’t come through, and Jeff does the same thing.
As for the lack of hitting, Terry Pendleton needs to go, too. Whatever he is doing, isn’t working. I am sick of great pitching performances being ruined by the inability of these pathetic hitters to help out.Moving hitters in the order won’t work, benching players wont work, and if these guys don’t get the job done, bring in some others who will. Kelly, Diaz, Garrett(who is a TOTAL BUST), Norton, and Jeff Bennett all need to be sent packing. For God’s sake, do something. Don’t just think that this situation is going to turn around because its not.
ERich42
June 12th, 2009
1:20 pm
DMac there was no mishandling of nothing just face it Francouer flat out sucks. He has been giving more than chance to get his game together its apparent that he does not have it. Let’s just face it he was the chosen one to be the Great White hope and he failed just like John Mccann failed you Republicans…Frenchy if you read this hope you been saving your money.
Casey Stinkle
June 12th, 2009
1:21 pm
I think they should keep him. Is he ever going to win a batting title? of course not. But neither is Garrett Anderson. At least Francouer is a very good defensive player, with decent speed. And I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but it seems every time he does hit a homer, it is a game winner (see Cubs game last week). Anderson on the other hand, let a fly ball fall just the other day that seemed to hang up in the air for minutes, yet he was still some 60 or 70 away from it. I don’t know if GA just doesn’t care (the “I am no longer in California” Syndrome) or is he just that slow. Doesn’t matter why, but this guy will cost the Braves several games this year with his defense alone. I say Kelly J is a better hitter than most give him credit for. Move him to LF to platoon w Diaz, and put Prado/Infante in at 2nd base. Francouer is not the whole problem, and unless they can find a way to get a Matt Holladay, he should be in there. I agree with a previous post that the Braves do not do the little things offensively like bunting, hitting behind runners, etc. to score a lot of runs.
Swaga1
June 12th, 2009
1:22 pm
I don’t know y the TP bashers are blamin him for franceour’s problems when he has gone to other hitting coaches and still the same results, but even worse….and for the ones who r blaming the others braves not hitting on TP, oh yea sure like TP can go up there and make the adjustments for them. Its all about the adjustments and if u are stuck in one way of doing things then they need to find another career path. to me its obvious that the players they have now are just not good enough. If u fire TP, then u need to fire the other hitting instructors all the way down to A-ball.
williebkind
June 12th, 2009
1:24 pm
OK lets boycott the Braves until TP is gone!
Shoeless Joe
June 12th, 2009
1:24 pm
Brave’s boxed themselves in during the offseason by signing KK to his $23MM deal. They just shipped off their best s.p. reserve and two good prospects to Pittsburgh for a center field upgrade, but as we all know this won’t be enough to get us over the hump. There’s no money to spend on an upgrade, so we’d have to ship out one of the pitcher’s we signed in the offseason in a trade for the right handed power bat we need.
The Brave’s keep running Jeff out to right field in hopes that he can put a string of games together where another team might think there’s something of promise. At this point the Brave’s would have to be willing to eat some of Jeff’s salary to get a low level prospect back in return. I think Jeff has had great difficulty in accepting Brian’s accession over him. As the local golden boy it was a given that it would always stay that way. It’s really just said to this this play out day after day.
Melissa
June 12th, 2009
1:25 pm
Do we really think Francoeur will fare better in another city? Atlanta is one of the most low-pressure cities to play in. How would the pressures affecting him now be lessened with a trade? Don’t we hold higher expectations for major-league players we acquire in a trade, because they should already be established in the majors? How would playing in a different city possibly be beneficial for Francoeur?
Volman
June 12th, 2009
1:26 pm
Francoeur should have been gone YESTERDAY. Enough of the teeny bopper girls swooning over him everytime he comes to the plate.
A “boy band” following isn’t going to win championships. Bring me Youkalis and his ugly beard and bald head. Bring me somebody who wants to win.
Swaga1
June 12th, 2009
1:28 pm
I agree Tomy F-
Get rid of that old Fart of a manager who continues to get outmanaged everynight….Y in the world would u leave Bennett in the game long enough to give up the lead like cox did the other night….Just simply moronic. The braves def need a new Manager and new ownership. Until then u can expect what ur getting now which is absolutely nothing. The business like approach has def overstayed its welcome.
Bob
June 12th, 2009
1:28 pm
I said it a few weeks ago. Trade him if you can…is Ron Mahay available?…but there is no market. I laugh when I hear about a trade to the Bosox. Think he is a head case here who puts too much pressure on himself? What till he gets in front of those fans with a 1-24 streak with 15 Ks and a couple of whines to the media. Ask Renteria how that is? More likely is send him to AAA and let him get his confidence back and then see if he can hit again, get his ego and head-case problem in check. Does he think he is the first playert to “try too hard” and go through adversity? The good ones overcome it, I don’t think he will with his make-up. I admit I don’t like him ever since he tried that attitude last summer of “it’s beneath me to send me down!! So what if I’m hitting .221 or whatever. What are those front office guys and Bobby thinking? What do they know about baseball? Don’t they know I am Jeff Francoeur?!?” Wake up you prima donna. This is the big leagues. You perform or you are gone. So who to put in RF? Anyone who will project more than .242 with 11 HRS and 71 RBIs will be an improvement…that leaves about 50 guys out there. Make it happen Frank
bandit dawgg
June 12th, 2009
1:28 pm
mark you are dead on. a great athelete just not a great baseball player. ive never seen a hitter swing at more first pitches in all my years of watching baseball from little leauge on up.jeff has a meger 7 walks in all of his at bats. that says it all no patience at the plate.
Bob Roberts
June 12th, 2009
1:29 pm
Fire Pendleton before trading Frenchy. There is not one player on that team who has benefitted from Pendleton. It seems they all turn to their dads or Chipper before Pendleton. Just why are they keeping him around. Good God I hope it is not to be the manager when Bobby retires.
bigstack19
June 12th, 2009
1:29 pm
We do need better outfield production. The best outfielders at Turner Field are Ron Gant and Brian Jordan doing the pregame.
Bob
June 12th, 2009
1:31 pm
Melissa,
This is not an intervention, it’s major league baseball. The Braves, or no team, acts in the best interest of a player over the team. “Cute points” are not what we care about. We care about performance on the field. He’s a spoiled loser. Get him out of here>
Phil McCrotch
June 12th, 2009
1:32 pm
And when is the last time we had a lineup with the same players in the same order for a week? Injuries cause this? Yes. Players needing a rest(McCann)? yes. But when is the last time you saw the Braves with the same guys in for over, let’s say, 3 games? (Excluding the pitcher obviously)I can’t remember. Back in the 90’s we had same players night after night. Heros if you will, but this seems to be “raise your hand if you want to play tonight?” “Ok, Norton, you were first so get in there with your .108 batting average.” WTF!!!
Eddie Haas
June 12th, 2009
1:32 pm
Send him to Gwinnett with Schaefer … why not? Too bad if he doesn’t want to go. Hey he can walk to work. Frenchy certainly has no/little trade value right now.
Michael
June 12th, 2009
1:33 pm
RK- I am amazed at how many people dwell on that stat. It doesn’t matter how many times JF swings at the first pitch, its a pointless stat. If he feels that pitchers are consistently starting him off with hittable pitches, then why not swing at 75% of them? What really matters is that he’s only hitting .245, regardless of what pitch he finally connects with.
Regarding TP, we all had this same conversation about 2 weeks ago and I’ll state my point again. You can’t blame TP for all of the bad hitters without giving him credit for the good ones. I don’t care who’s daddy is a hitting coach. TP is the only hitting coach McCann has ever had “in the big leagues” and has TP ruined his swing? Its like you guys think that Chipper and McCann don’t ever work with TP in the cage. I’ll also throw this point out there- During Chipper’s big league career, his batting avg. is higher since TP became the hitting coach…You guys need to really think about what you’re saying before you throw TP under the bus.
csg
June 12th, 2009
1:34 pm
olal, stats speak for themselves. In all of baseball, RF’s with at least 100 ab’s, there are 29 eligible players.
Frenchy is 27th out of 29 in slg%
28th in OBP
28th in OPS
26th in walks
but tied for 4th in total ab’s, thats just brutal
So to answer your question at who is better in the division, well every RF’r in baseball exept for Brian Giles at this point. So yes its broke and needs fixing
Reid Adair
June 12th, 2009
1:34 pm
Mark, you make a very good point about Jeff Francoeur. When he was brought to the Major Leagues, everyone – the fans, the Braves and the media – expected a lot. His hot start didn’t help to dissuade those anticipations.
It could go nowhere but south from there.
I agree that the Braves won’t get much for him in a trade, but I also agree that if he is going to have any chance at a career without the pressure (and the memories of his struggles), it will be outside of Atlanta.
We have another Atlanta sports superstar who needs a chance to revitalize his career out of Atlanta – although for very different reasons.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
June 12th, 2009
1:35 pm
KIR couldn’t agree with you more on TP as a player. Loved it when he walked off. I gained a lot of respect for him that day. But a player and a coach are two differen’t things. Guys like Rudy in Texas just keep turning out players year end and year out. He does for average hitters what Leo did for also ran pitchers who came to the Braves. He makes them millionaires. Texas doesn’t have that strong a farm system and these guys were not first round picks. But go down the line at each position and we would take the Ranger over the Brave with the exception of McCann. It’s funny how our best hitters go to their daddy for instruction.
The Real Fan
June 12th, 2009
1:36 pm
Just wondering: Based upon what’s ahead do you equate the three players named?
No way Frenchy is as important to the Braves as those two are to their respective teams!
nique
June 12th, 2009
1:36 pm
Mark, I’ve got to disagree with you on this one. I think the Braves should keep Frenchy for the rest of the year and if he doesn’t perform the way they want they should just not re-sign him (I think he’s just signed through the end of the year?). The reason is that we’re not going to get anything of value for him this season. And I don’t think they’re willing to trade another good prospect for an upgrade who can play now. So I don’t think they’ll get anyone back who’s materially better than Frenchy.