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
Kevin
July 7th, 2009
1:46 pm
can’t get fielder he sign a long term deal remember he stayin put and i just know brewers owners n GM be crazy trade him here…why ruin him here anyway
Supes
July 7th, 2009
1:48 pm
Braves Fan,
There is only ONE big flaw with your plan to send Jeff to AAA to “figure things out”.
HE DOES NOT WANT TO GO THERE and WORK on his swing. You saw the temper tantrum he had when he was sent down last year to AA for 3 fraking games. You would have thought the world was ending. He felt “betrayed”!
You see, unlike Schafer or KJ (who still needs to be gone btw), Jeff cares more about himself and wants to START on a major league team. The worst thing is, he has convinced himself that 1. There is nothing wrong with him, and 2. He can start for other teams out there if the Braves were to release him, trade him, none tender him.
Problem is, just like experts like Stark are pointing out, NOBODY out there believes he’s worth trading for, and worth given a starter OF spot to.
Jeff is in for a rude awakening this off-season, when he’ll have to HUMBLE himself, ala Andruw Jones and work for an AL team as a 4th OF-er in hopes of saving his MLB career.
Mark,
Wren doesn’t need to BLOW UP the team. However, we are REBUILDING right now. The sheer ingnorance of most fans and their refusal to see it have blinded them and they are demanding INSTANT results.
Braves rebuilding process will not be complete without the acquisition of a LEGIT Power hitting OF-er in the off-season, and having Freeman/Schafer/Heyward/Johnson up here with the big league club in 2011 or as they each progress in their various stages of development.
Bart
July 7th, 2009
1:52 pm
After 4 years of no Playoffs, it’s not rebuilding….it’s just building. Time to BUILD a new team. Time to be fair to the Jone’s and Lowe’s and give them a chance to finish up on a winning team. Stock up for the future since we already tried retooling by giving away prospects, maybe we can land some in return instead.
I’m sure the thought of losing more long time vets won’t make too many people happy but atleast give them the opportunity. If Chipper would rather have a chance at winning a World Series with another team or be a part of a building process in Atlanta, what do you think he’d choose?
Paul Lentz
July 7th, 2009
1:53 pm
I am not the kind of “fickle” fan who advocates getting rid of a player who goes 0 for 4 three games in a row…….or if a pitcher has an ERA of 6.50 through 3 game stretch. While Chipper, McCann and Lowe have struggled recently, I have watched enough baseball in my life to know that even GOOD players are going to have a stretch where they struggle for a week, a month, or even a couple of months. Slumps of various lengths occur over the course of a 15-20 year career. I have “repeatedly” advocated that some of you guys are quick to get down on Derek Lowe and say “get rid of him and eat his contract” because he has struggled for the past month. However, despite his recent struggles, he’s still able to grind out 6 innings while not “taxing” our bullpen. Our best players have shown that they can fight through slumps and bust out of them. I’ve seen more than enough of these guys to feel confident in saying that Chipper, McCann, and Lowe will be fine.
Also, talk of trading Escobar shows a lack of baseball intelligence. So what if he is “moody” and “sulks” sometimes? This aint church. These arent “choir boys”. These are grown men from a variety of backgrounds playing baseball. It’s a manager’s job to “deal” with issue like these while getting to most out of a player. Like it or not, fair or unfair……..Yunel Escobar has the talent and PRODUCTION to warrant patience. Frank Wren knows that. Escobar isnt going anywhere. For what the Braves are paying him this year and will be paying him next year (he isnt eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2010 season), he is simply too much of a BARGAIN to give up.
Many of you were quick to bash Frank Wren for Garrett’s struggles early in the season. I got RIPPED for posting that the month of April was basically Garrett’s “Spring Training” because of his injury in March to his hamstring. Garrett isnt an every day player. However in a platoon situation with Diaz (which is why he was signed to begin with), he has shown that he can be productive……and is a real bargain for he $2 mil that Frank Wren signed him for.
Jeff Francoeur, however, has shown that he simply isnt capable of making the adjustments of being a decent Major League hitter. 16 homers in his past 889 at-bats isnt going to cut. Nor are his PALTRY 52 walks since the start of the 2008 season. The Braves cannot afford to continue giving him a chance to work out his struggles. Francoeur “may” feel like he knows what he is capable of. However his lack of production at the plate in the past year and a half shows otherwise.
The Braves have 2 choices concerning Francoeur. He either accepts a role as a defensive replacement late in games and occasional pinch hitting or pinch running role…….or……..he gets sent down to Triple A for the rest of the season. I do not see any team trading for him. At the end of the season, Francoeur will be non-tendered.
pills91
July 7th, 2009
1:53 pm
I understand that Frenchy hasn’t been very productive, but, really, who on this team has been? Frenchy isn’t responsible for losing 2 of 3 to the Nats, or, losing last night to the Cubs. This isn’t much of a team, as it is a collection of talent.
This Braves team just doesn’t seem to understand how to play together. For that, I blame Cox and Jones. This team hasn’t been much since Jones became the leader. I’m a big fan of Jones and Cox, but, at some point I think the facts become overwhelming.
I think the Braves need to look at acquiring someone who can help in the clubhouse just as much as the field.
charlsj
July 7th, 2009
1:55 pm
In the 10 games he has not started, the Braves have won 3 of those. I know he isn’t hitting like they want him to, however they are winning more with him than without him.
joe
July 7th, 2009
1:55 pm
Bart, I think Chipper wants to win, lose, or die with the Atlanta Braves
Mike
July 7th, 2009
1:55 pm
Last time I checked, Cox hasn’t done anything without his 3 hall of fame pitchers involved. My guess is Francoeur went to Jaramillo because Pendleton couldn’t help him. Maybe Cox is being loyal to the wrong people. Pendleton should go. Unfortunately, he’s probably going to be the next manager. Good thing the Nats are around or we’d be back to 1988 again.
Barks Madley
July 7th, 2009
1:56 pm
I believe we are missing a power hitting first baseman. Should have kept Salty behind the plate and put McCann at first. Or gone after Derek Lee when we had a chance. Crime Dog at 1st base started things off for the Braves run……another July date.
Mark Bradley
July 7th, 2009
1:59 pm
As Supes has noted, I defended Francoeur a year ago and was convinced this spring he’d have a big year. But he hasn’t. And I don’t see it getting any better for him as a Brave. Wish I did, but I don’t.
Chief
July 7th, 2009
2:00 pm
JEFF FRANCOEUR HAS JUST BEEN TRADED!
Peter
July 7th, 2009
2:00 pm
Hey…….The A Bomb…….Mark Fidrych hurt his arm or shoulder second year in spring traning, and never was the same……Frenchy doesn’t have any excuses !
Ray Pugh
July 7th, 2009
2:01 pm
Kevin,
PF signed a 2-year $18 million deal last year paying him $6.5 mil this season and $11.5 next season. After that, he is a free agent.
Billy Bob a/k/a The Hitting Coach
July 7th, 2009
2:01 pm
ON TED WILLIAMS:
Ted Williams said that the key to his hitting success was an ability to get “his” pitch. That ability to mentally out-guess the pitcher and Williams’ keen eyesight were major reasons for his success.
ON FRENCHY:
EVEN WHEN Frenchy is “on” a pitch, even when he’s guessed right in the count, he is, more often than a major leaguer can afford to be, not squaring the ball on his bat. It’s like going to the batting cage, knowing you’ll get a fast ball, curve ball, slider or change AND STILL not be able to square the ball on your bat more than 80% of the time.
TWO ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS, FRENCHY:
Review your VISION PLAN, Jeff and learn to THROW YOUR HANDS TO the pitch.
There’s a hitting drill that starts with two baseballs in your hands. Get in your hitting “set-up” position, then practice “throwing” the balls at a target pitch in your hitting zone. This helps you utilize your fingers and hands more as you throw the hands to the pitch. You’ll also adjust that swing plane and hit more shots to right field.
Review and practice your SIGHT PLAN and learn to throw your hands at the ball. Much success.
pinoy110
July 7th, 2009
2:04 pm
You want a person that could be a great GM instead of Frank Wren. Get Kim Ng (assistant GM) or Billy Beane (the GM at Oakland). Offer a decent salary to get a quality GM.
Ray Pugh
July 7th, 2009
2:04 pm
don’t do that to me Chief–i would run down the street in excitement…
AlabamaBrave
July 7th, 2009
2:05 pm
Mark,
If JF has no trade value and might not accept a demotion, what are the Braves’ options? Can he be released?
joe
July 7th, 2009
2:06 pm
Andruw Jones seeing time at 1B…LOL. –Dallas MOrning News
G. Tampa Bedwetter
July 7th, 2009
2:06 pm
Hopefully Bobby will lose his patience with Pendleton. He is the common denominator in all of this.
joe
July 7th, 2009
2:07 pm
chief,
did the braves trade JF for you, Chief Iblogpurecrap?
Fans Against Bad Right Fielders
July 7th, 2009
2:08 pm
Bradley what do you think of the nickname Failcoeur?
Paul Lentz
July 7th, 2009
2:08 pm
Barks Madley…………while it would be nice to have a power hitting first baseman, it isnt like the Braves arent getting “any” production from Casey Kotchman, he is batting .272 with 3 homers and 18 doubles. If the Braves were getting “any” power from Jeff Francoeur (he is batting .247 with 5 homers and 9 doubles), then the Braves would have won more games. Replacing Kotchman with a first baseman with more power “does nothing” to address Francoeur’s lack of power. At least Kotchman will have make contact (he has 22 walks and 24 strikeouts). Also, Francoeur has had 53 more at-bats than Kotchman.
submariner
July 7th, 2009
2:08 pm
Frank Wren is NOT John S. Don’t hang on the chance of a blockbuster deal happening at the trade deadline. Too many teams mathmatically in the races. If anything, you might see the Braves unload Francouer to KC for some mid to low level prospects with the chance of Jeff getting a fresh start somewhere else. But I don’t see us getting any real out ov the oven players. Maybe a serviceable outfielder or mid level reliever. The fact is, that with the amount of money owed to Francouer, no one wants to take a chance on him. Since Dayton Moore was the guy who sought him out and coveted him, his only chance is for KC to gamble on getting lightning in a bottle. Chalk up Frenchy as a bust, cut your loses and hope the best for him. He’ll go down as one of the guys that was supposed to be a star and didn’t work out. He’ll be trying out for an NFL team before long.
BravesFan123
July 7th, 2009
2:09 pm
Billy BOB– I’ll make sure i tell frenchy to read your genius hitting instructions and drills.
uncidon
July 7th, 2009
2:10 pm
Francoeur will retire as a Brave, the date is Sept 2009.
Billy Bob a/k/a The Hitting Coach
July 7th, 2009
2:11 pm
BravesFan123,
Thanks, it’s free advice. Considering his lack of success with “paid” hitting coaches, I felt an obligation.
I’d like to see the guy succeed. How ’bout you?
Chief
July 7th, 2009
2:12 pm
More info. on the Francoeur trade…..The Braves got Brad Komminsk in return. This is going to be a fun 2nd half of the season! Can’t wait!
Mike
July 7th, 2009
2:13 pm
Maybe the Royals would overpay us for Francoeur. In my opinion they still owe us for getting Jermaine Dye for virtually nothing the day after John S made an opening for him in right field. the guy should still be our right fielder. His 20 HR and 51 RBI would be nice.
Bart
July 7th, 2009
2:14 pm
Hey Joe,
That’s cool if Chipper wants to stay. I’d like to see them give him that option..and maybe they have. I am a Chipper fan but if both sides see a beneifit to him leaving then…. They had a great opportunity to land some of T-Bays young talent last year including Pena. But Atl wasn’t interested. They have Pat Burrel now… I bet they are excited about that.
gayle
July 7th, 2009
2:14 pm
Paul 11:55 – you are so right. There are great players on this team to build around, but the status quo rules. Bobby is god and can do no wrong – no matter how old and out of touch he might be. McGuirk thinks he walks on water and it isn’t going to change.
Unless of course, the team sells – with the Cubs going for $900 mill, maybe someone will step up to the plate here and have the kind of interest and investment in this team that can only come from local ownership – not some corporation in Colorado.
Shut it down this year, closers are at a premium and the Braves have 2 good ones. Get some AAA propects to fill the gaping holes and power vacuum of this team and start to build around the young players and dare I say this?……………………….. a new, in touch, aggressive manager with enough clout to go in and pull out the cobwebs from the clubhouse.
After all these years, can you just imagine how thick it must be in there?
joe
July 7th, 2009
2:14 pm
Paul Lentz,
I don’t see how you can say that. A 1B such as Pujols, Fielder, Gonzalez has the power of 4 combined kotchmans and francouers. one of those hitters would more than make up for the production of both kotchman and francouer and garrett anderson combined.
Curtis Jones
July 7th, 2009
2:15 pm
Mark, please elaborate on your reference to Bret Boone not fitting in as a Brave. What happened?
Tom Kewel
July 7th, 2009
2:15 pm
I make the following prediction. We will see the exit of KJ, JF, and YE and they will go on to have nice if not great careers with another organization. We know the talent is there so whoever can tap, the Braves sure can’t, will have themselves a terrific player.
A second prediction. Within a year, year and half of these guys leaving the Braves, there will be blogs aplenty about, “how could the Braves let these guys get away?”
Nova Scotia Steve
July 7th, 2009
2:16 pm
I’d say Frank Wren is prolly just trying to find someone…anyone to take JF…
Barks Madley
July 7th, 2009
2:18 pm
Thanks, Paul. I still feel as if Kotchman is only adequate. I simply do not see him as a power hitter. And you’re right, the article is about Frenchy. I must stay focused.
Mark Bradley
July 7th, 2009
2:19 pm
Yes, Alabama. Francoeur could be released. Any player could be.
joe
July 7th, 2009
2:19 pm
How did Jason Marquis become an All Star? That is ridiculous
submariner
July 7th, 2009
2:20 pm
Curtis Jones. Boone was vocal in his criticism of the coaching staff….mostly Bobby Cox for his decisions in the line-up during the ‘99 WS…..which is mostly the reason he was shipped out. Basically, he wanted to win. After going 3 for 5 in game 3 he found himself on the bench in lieu of left handed Keith Lockhart. We al know what happened after that.
Tbone
July 7th, 2009
2:21 pm
Hey Mark B., well done article and I agree with all. But speaking of pendleton…..who’s hitting game HAS he actually helped? I can’t think of any. And frankly…it’s not that surprising. you remeber that gosh awful stance and swing he had in HIS playing days? I never understood how he was productive then….and I don’t understand why anybody would consider his opinion credible now. It would be like taking golf swing lessons from Kenny Perry or Jim Furyk….good results, but who wants that “glitch” in their swing?
Klaus
July 7th, 2009
2:22 pm
The bulk of the Braves offense stinks so while KJ and JF have their issues the lack of timely hitting and situational hitting is a team wide issue.
Some of that will invariably fall on the hitting coach.
This team needs a leadership enema is the worse way. KJ and JF are symptoms of a larger problem.
AlabamaBrave
July 7th, 2009
2:23 pm
Mark, would the Braves still be on the hook for the remainder of his contract?
Angus
July 7th, 2009
2:25 pm
To all you TP haters, from 2003-2008, the Braves have ranked in the top 6 in the NL in both batting avg & runs scored every year.
Does TP get all the credit for that?
Face it, we stink this year – you don’t win with a line-up that includes at least 5 players that are of questionable MLB talent. The only four that are legit big league starters: McCann, Chipper, Escobar, and……I can only come up with three (oh yeah, the pitcher).
Scrap Iron
July 7th, 2009
2:25 pm
Well, the Texas hitting coach got a great spring & a homer out of him in his first at bat of the season – them POOF!
If trading is the answer (and it’s harder than it looks folks – MLB GM’s have just a little more of a clue than you fantasy GM’s) then I can see something happening with Milwaukee – they are about equally as tired waiting for Hart to get it turned around and are desperate for a starter. They are fairly comparable players both in past stats and salaries & arbitration/free agency years. Maybe a change of scenery would do them both some good.
peric isenstein
July 7th, 2009
2:25 pm
I don’t know what Bobby is doing the Braves win 5 in a row with Frency in the line up, he sits him and we lose three in a row. Maybe it is about time Cox got fed up with his coaches.
RW
July 7th, 2009
2:26 pm
Bravo, do we have the cash for Berkman?
Ray Pugh
July 7th, 2009
2:26 pm
francoeur + $3.5 mil for the philly phanatic
Scrap Iron
July 7th, 2009
2:26 pm
Earth to Joe:::
Marquis became an all star by leading the major league in wins. Pretty simple when you think about it!
Pete
July 7th, 2009
2:26 pm
Mark B.: “And Francoeur, who’s no fool, already seems to have one eye on the exit.”
Beg to differ with you on that one, MB. He was a total fool a couple years ago for turning down 5 years/$5 Mil or so, and the Braves are certainly happy he was a fool.
Paul Lentz
July 7th, 2009
2:27 pm
joe………….no doubt that there are first basemen out there with much more power than Kotchman. However, as of right now……which ones are “available” to be acquired in a trade? The next question is………which is easier to replace right now: Jeff Francoeur or Casey Kotchman?
Barks Madley………you are correct in your assessment that Kotchman is only “adequate”. However, “adequate” is much better than PATHETIC, which is what Jeff Francoeur is at the plate.
Phil
July 7th, 2009
2:27 pm
Francoeur probably spent a day or 2 with Rudy Jaramillo. If he was the hitting coach and could work with Francoeur on a daily basis, you would probably see some results. Instead Francoeur is stuck with Moron Cox and TP. You’re not going to get much results from those two idiots.