He’s Frenchy, as in benchy, and he could soon be gone
When Job got fed up, as Job would periodically, he’d head up to Adairsville and stop by the farm, and he’d say to Bobby Cox, “I’m at wit’s end — what should I do?”
And Bobby Cox would say, “Joby [as we know, Cox loves his nicknames], just be patient.”
OK, I embellish. But I do it to make a point: When you’ve exhausted Bobby Cox’s legendary patience, you’re probably not long for these Braves. Last week Kelly Johnson went from being the everyday second baseman to being benched to being placed on the disabled list, and Jeff Francoeur was held out of the lineup three games running before being reinserted Tuesday night. (He went 1-for-4 with an infield single.) And the sound you heard was of two homegrown players who’ve been Atlanta Braves since 2005 going, “Gulp.”
Kenny Lofton didn’t fit in here, and he was gone after one season. Same with Bret Boone. Dan Kolb was brought here to be the closer, couldn’t do the job and was gone the next year. John Rocker lasted 18 months after his Sports Illustrated rant appeared, and the only reason he stayed so long was the Braves couldn’t find anyone to take him. Cox never rips a guy publicly — and almost never does he resort to managerial privilege and trash a guy to reporters off the record — but you can tell when he’s fed up.
And this is a different sort of getting-fed-up than Cox demonstrated when he pulled Yunel Escobar — or, long ago, Andruw Jones — from a game. Those upbraidings were designed to get a young player’s wandering attention. Benching a guy over a longer haul is something far more serious. It’s not a move Cox ever makes in haste, or in anger. It’s a move he undertakes only when he has reached a conclusion he has labored long not to reach.
Loading ...It takes Cox a lot longer to lose faith than it does, say, Lou Piniella. Cox believes until he’s given reason to stop believing, but when he stops … well, that’s about all she wrote. Johnson was afforded every opportunity and hit .216. Francoeur was extended an even longer grace period — we’re now going on a second calendar year of his laboriously documented flailings — but has simply ceased being a competent big-league hitter. And now both have been benched.
The Francoeur breach has been coming for a while. The Braves loved his enthusiasm — he is, as you’ve heard, a great guy — but couldn’t understand why he never made the necessary adjustments in technique. And they were mightily miffed when he took off for Texas to consult hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. As Terry Pendleton, the Braves’ hitting coach, has said: “It bugged me at first.” And as much as Cox loves his players, he loves his coaches even more.
This spring Francoeur told me, “As long as Six has my back, I don’t care about anything else.” Well, Bobby Cox wears No. 6, and he no longer stands in Francoeur’s corner.
And Francoeur, who’s no fool, already seems to have one eye on the exit. He told Dave O’Brien: “[I] just have to be patient and wait my turn, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”
At this moment, I’d bet on the “somewhere else.” When you’re a Brave and you’ve lost Bobby Cox, you’ve lost everything.
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553 comments Add your comment
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:17 pm
ppaddy123 if you think that Prado and Diaz are going to stay hot you are nuts. Stellar performance got went 0-4 last night. Neither player has upside of Frenchy or KJ.
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:18 pm
Mr Stellar performance went 0-4 last night. And I saw Frenchy on base.
Shane (The original)
July 7th, 2009
12:18 pm
I come to AJC everyday hoping this is the day Francouer is traded or released. When will this nightmare end?
Ray Pugh
July 7th, 2009
12:19 pm
guess what Bravo, I am watching the games, and here’s what I see in esco:
1) .303/.373/.420
2) $400,000
The set of numbers are his career offensive splits; for a defensive-premium position like SS, those are very, very good. the 2nd number is his 2009, an incredible bargain. you can put up w/ a bad attitude and a few mental lapses for that kind of production from a player making $400K a year.
francoeuristheman
July 7th, 2009
12:20 pm
brandon curtis jones????? is that who you are?
bfan
July 7th, 2009
12:20 pm
Don:
“How many games has he lost this season by not replacing Francoeur weeks ago.”
How many of the last three games that Jeff has not played have they won?
Bravo
July 7th, 2009
12:20 pm
why is it someones fault that someone else is not doing the job they were paid to do? haven’t these guys been playing their whole life? They need to start taking more responsiblity for themselves and stop pointing fingers! That’s not getting us anywhere. Maybe they just aren’t winners? has anyone figured that out yet? Some people are and some people aren’t.
Pretend Hero
July 7th, 2009
12:21 pm
Everyone knows this team needs a right handed power hitter, but I think just as big a problem is the lack of a true lead off hitter/speed. There has not been a real threat on the base paths since Furcal left.
GT, where nerds get shot and robbed everyday
July 7th, 2009
12:22 pm
???? no
wawel78
July 7th, 2009
12:22 pm
I’m not sure who Mr. Stellar is but the batting average for Prado and Diaz is 40 and 30 points higher than FRANCEOUR’S ONBASE PERCENTAGE. Good argument Lifetime.
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:23 pm
I agree with you Ray. I believe Escobar will mature some but the fire he plays with does not need to go away. That is what makes him good. Bobby Cox needs to stay calm and coaches around him need to coach him up. I feel he is to valuable long term to trade away.
wawel78
July 7th, 2009
12:24 pm
We’ll add you to the mix also bfan.
Pal Joey
July 7th, 2009
12:24 pm
Sometimes it is best to move a player for his own benefit, as well as for the team. Francoeur will NEVER do well here because of his history as a Brave. He MIGHT do better if he is traded and is forced to face the realization he has to produce if he plans to remain in the majors. The golden boy image has long since disappeared and has been replaced by skepticism on the part of the fans. Also, some scrutiny should be given to the fact that none of the other players are exactly setting records with their offensive production. Pendleton has been batting coach here for quite awhile, but just doesn’t seem to get much production out of his offense. A change in that position would seem to be in order as well.
Bravo
July 7th, 2009
12:24 pm
Hey Ray, guess you need to put up with lossing then!! I love how you only qoute his offensive numbers, how many runs has he given up and how many baserunning blunders have cost us innings and runs? There’s more to the picture then just offensive stats.
Steve From Dalton
July 7th, 2009
12:26 pm
Mark, Any talk of trying to pro-long McCann’s career by moving him to first?
taxman kenneth
July 7th, 2009
12:26 pm
I think the braves should send Frenchy back to the minors and let him prove he is ready to come back to the majors. He has such a good arm and is a good outfielder but for some reason he cannot control what he swings at. He is not alone there. I watched the game last night on ESPN and Anderson swung at at least 4 pitches in the dirt or a foot outside. McCann does that too but not as much as Frenchy does. I think the braves should not allow him to swing at the first pitch he sees and be patient but that may be easier said than done. I hate to see him go for nothing giving the track record the braves have with trades.
doc
July 7th, 2009
12:28 pm
mark too many “adequates” equal teams below 500. i am tired of adequacy. only one adequate allowed per post season team.actually has adequate player has to have something special even under those terms mark, adequate is for losers.
Bravo
July 7th, 2009
12:29 pm
You talk of Escobar as if we’re still playing tee-ball, If he hasn’t learned the fundamentals yet then we have a problem.
wawel78
July 7th, 2009
12:30 pm
If Matt Diaz manages to go 0 for his next 39, his average will be the same as Franceour.
egilbert
July 7th, 2009
12:30 pm
Frenchy should go to Clemson. He’ll be a two sport pro in three years.
solution
July 7th, 2009
12:30 pm
There’s a really simple solution to this that, of course, no one would try. Francouer doesn’t get the fact that there’s this thing in MLB called a “scouting report” I’d be surprised if there was anything on any team’s scouting report for him that didn’t essentially say, “will swing at any breaking ball on the outer half of the plate – no need to throw fastballs.” If I were Jeff’s manager, for the next 10 games, I’d tell Francouer, “Go up to the plate looking ONLY for a fastball until you get at least two strikes. If you swing at a breaking ball (curve, slider, or change-up) I will fine you $5,000 for every swing at any pitch other than a fastball before 2 strikes. He has GOT to learn and understand to work deeper into counts and let the pitcher get himself into a position where he MUST throw a strike. Chipper has made an entire career out of hitting 2-0, 3-1, 3-0, and 3-2 counts. Francouer has made a career out of hitting .210 on 0-0 and 0-1 and 1-0 counts. If he grounds weakly to short or third on another early-count breaking ball away, my head will explode. I’m an idiot, and even I can see how pitchers pitch him. Why can’t he?
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:31 pm
Steve from Dalton I was thinking the same thing. Maybe try it a little while. Ross seems to play very well when he gets a chance. Kochman has no power and with Cox batting him 8th recently shows manager has little faith in him as well. I wonder if he has any trade value? Tax man I think that the coach he likes is AAA head coach now. That may not be a bad idea and maybe he could be ready after All Star Break. If Braves are not going to trade him try to help him.
The A Bomb
July 7th, 2009
12:32 pm
Has Francouer had his eyes checked? He’s late on so many fastballs.
francoeuristheman
July 7th, 2009
12:32 pm
gt im not talkin to you man
Guthro
July 7th, 2009
12:32 pm
Copy what the Jays did with Roy Halladay many years ago. Offer Francoeur a trip to A or double A so he can re-tool his approach at the plate. Hire or assign a hitting coach there for a couple of months. If Francoeur accepts, there’s a chance he will learn how to see pitches before they’re past him. If he refuses, send him down anyway and bring back Brandon Jones, who despite being a lefthanded hitter is better against left-handed pitching than Francoeur.
submariner
July 7th, 2009
12:32 pm
$3.375 million dollars. The reason he’s not going anywhere. Nobody wants to take on that money in this baseball economy. That risk would be like buying into Enron.
Burningman
July 7th, 2009
12:33 pm
I agree with you “B”. I’ve got a clue as to why Francouer went elsewhere for hitting instructions. TP ain’t gettin it done. Look at all the examples cited in these comments: Frenchy, Johnson, Andruw, etc. These guys get screwed up and TP apparently has nothinng to offer. Chipper still relies on Larry, which is probably why he can still hit.
ppaddy123
July 7th, 2009
12:33 pm
Lifetime Braves Fan July 7th, 2009 12:17 pm
ppaddy123 if you think that Prado and Diaz are going to stay hot you are nuts. Stellar performance got went 0-4 last night. Neither player has upside of Frenchy or KJ.
You stated Bradley was defending T.P. I assume it is in reference to Frenchy and KJ’s poor performance as this was the subject of Bradley’s Blog. I stand by my statement . If Pendleton has to take responsibility for the guys not performing…………it is reasonable that he get credit for the guys that are performing. Escobar (.297 BA .360 OBP) Prado (.317 BA .380 OBP) Diaz (.317 BA .382 OBP)
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:33 pm
wawel do you even watch the games.
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:35 pm
ppaddy do you believe that Diaz is a better player than Frenchy. What solution do you have for Frenchy.
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:37 pm
Settle down Burningman ppaddy will try to make you look stupid. Oh yea I do agree with you.
Francouer Rules
July 7th, 2009
12:37 pm
I don’t know why everyone is picking on Frenchy! He is a nice guy and a good Christian and he just needs to get back to his old self The Natural. Give him more time!!1
submariner
July 7th, 2009
12:38 pm
Free Safety for the Falcons.
ppaddy123
July 7th, 2009
12:40 pm
Lifetime Braves Fan July 7th, 2009 12:37 pm
Settle down Burningman ppaddy will try to make you look stupid. Oh yea I do agree with you.
Gosh LBF, I wasn’t trying to make you look stupid…………it just kinda’ happened a by itself!
I'm number 34
July 7th, 2009
12:40 pm
What are you going to do about it, dweeb?
Mike S
July 7th, 2009
12:42 pm
Just my 2 cents.
Frenchy is good as gone. Possibly KJ too.
I think Escobar has had is wakeup call, and Bobby has put back in his corner to straighten up and play right. KJ may get a second chance after his DL stint.
Frenchy is out of chances, and I think he will be gone by the trade deadline, possible over the allstar break if not sooner. I also think he will be a throw-in to complete a deal already in the works or one that is starting discussions. he will not be a center-piece but someone will take him with the hope of turning him around. Maybe a Vasquez-Frenchy for Dunn or for Holliday.
Lifetime Braves Fan
July 7th, 2009
12:42 pm
ppaddy you did not respond answer question who is better outfielder Diaz or Frenchy? If Diaz is your answer should we give up on Frenchy?
francoeuristheman
July 7th, 2009
12:43 pm
who are you calling a dweeb
wawel78
July 7th, 2009
12:43 pm
Yes, Lifetime, I do watch the games. IMO, Diaz and Prado are huge upgrades. If you want to argue numbers aren’t everything, that’s fine but you look a little silly when there’s such a discrepancy.
elainer7
July 7th, 2009
12:44 pm
Why is it that many of the Braves go elsewhere for batting instruction and help? Could it be TP’s fault and not the players? Jeff will be better off elsewhere. He needs a discipline that cant be found in the Braves organization.
wawel78
July 7th, 2009
12:45 pm
Franceour is a better outfielder. Unfortunately for him, he still has to deal with hitting the ball and he doesn’t hold a candle to Diaz hitting this year.
I'm number 34
July 7th, 2009
12:45 pm
how often have you hit “refresh” over the last 20 minutes to see if anybody would respond?
GEORGE
July 7th, 2009
12:47 pm
I say again, get rid of the manager and hitting coach and problem solved! Cox and Pendleton were determed to make A Jones hit to right field and they screwed him up so bad he proably never will hit again! They have done the same thing with Frenchie. I will bet you if they trade him, he will become a superstar. Nate and Matt will proably be next. They won’t mess with Ecsobar because he is too stuborn to listen to any body. (Thank Goodness) In fact, Escobar is proably the most all around dependable hitter on the team. Someone has licked the red off Chippers candy. He looks and acts just like a spoiled brat.What happend to Nate’s stolen bases? Same thing that has always happened to base stealers who play for Cox. He won’t let Nate steal cause he will take the bat out of chippers hand?? Give me a break! If he steals, Chipper would proably just pop up anyway. He is the worst hit and run and steal base manager in baseball. EVER! I hate to think they would trade Frenchie and it come back to bite us in the but like usual. GET A FIELD MANAGER AND HITTING COACH!!!
Base
July 7th, 2009
12:47 pm
He is trying too hard because the offense all depends on him as the big hitter. Chipper has his money and is just a singles hitter.He needs a sports psychologist like Smolz had.
ppaddy123
July 7th, 2009
12:50 pm
LBF….. Best Right Fielder?………..Frenchy Who brings more to the game? DIAZ!!! He out hits, and out hustles Frenchy. He’s versatile! He can play ANYWHERE in the out field, 1st base and I think he’s an emergency catcher. He continually TRIES to get better. What does Frenchy do?
joe
July 7th, 2009
12:51 pm
Bowman blogs that Braves are rejecting all Escobar offers
RobertNAtl
July 7th, 2009
12:51 pm
Well, I went to see the G-Braves last night and I can report there’s not much down there that can help us. Schafer didn’t play (don’t know why). The other outfielders are not really big-league material. The catcher has an arm but can’t hit much so he is a possible backup catcher if Ross goes down with an injury. We have already seen Canizares and he is a marginal prospect and not that young. Nice stadium, good game-day experience.
Frenchcoeur's Wife
July 7th, 2009
12:55 pm
He started to go down hill when he married me.
Mark in Woodstock
July 7th, 2009
12:57 pm
For a team with a limited payroll I try everything I can to trade Kawakami before I even think of trading Vasquez. That signing was absolutely the worst money spent this past off season. Use that money to sign Ibanez and this team’s offense is clicking. This team’s money management skills remind me of a 3 year old.
aswingruber
July 7th, 2009
12:57 pm
People that blame Pendleton for Francoeur and the Braves’ hitting woes are mo-rons. This isn’t tee ball, it’s big league baseball. All a batting coach can do is help a player prepare, they can’t take ABs for struggling players. As MB pointed out in an earlier column on TP, it’s the player’s responsibility to step up and execute when they step into the batter’s box, not the hitting coach. Our team doesn’t hit well because outside of a few players, they’re a collection of mediocre hitters. There isn’t a hitting coach on the planet that is going to get KJ and Frenchy hitting .280 so start pointing fingers at the players who swing the bats.
As far as Francouer’s eventual departure, one word: finally.