Sunday, July 12, 2009

A Eugoogaly for Jeff Francoeur

It was weird for me to see Jeff Francoeur in a Mets uniform. Although I knew that it was unlikely he would be a Brave after this winter, I never really thought it would happen. I also never thought any team would give up a serviceable major leaguer for him. To me this was a job well done by Frank Wren. Before The Cuban Missile tried to take him out, Church seemed to be developing into a decent outfielder. In 2007 with Washington, the only season he has had more than 360 plate appearances, Church hit .272 with 15 HRs, 43 2Bs and 70 RBI. Certainly not mind blowing, unless you're a Braves fan and forgot that outfielders do, in fact, produce runs. Versus left handed pitchers this season, Church has hit .310/.360/.424, and in the 35 games he played as a Met away from Citi field, he hit .326/.359/.444 with 13 doubles. Clearly an upgrade for the Braves, especially if platooned with Matt Diaz.

All that being said, this post is about Francouer. Getting rid of a gaping hole in the lineup is great, but part of me is sad to see him go. I admit I was a sucker for the hometown hero story, the local kid who dominated at Parkview, sped through the minors, ripped a three run homer in his second major league game at the ripe old age of 21, and appeared on an SI cover with the tag line "The Natural" (priceless subtitle: Can Anyone Be This Good?). Even through the all the struggles at the plate, I liked a lot about Francouer. Sure he didn't always take the best line on a ball hit to right field, but that arm could make any play exciting. Unlike some of the Braves's other corner outfielders, he seemed to hustle and have a genuine joy for the game. Seeing him hit three doubles the other night and take some balls to the opposite field, I even convinced myself that there was a chance he would come out of this. Maybe it's my eternal optimism when it comes to ballplayers (Chien-Ming Wang will lead me to a second half fantasy title, right?), but I'm terrified that Frenchy will eventually figure it out, even more so when I see him in a home jersey at Citi Field.

I think Francouer and Church have both been the victims of mental problems these last few seasons: Church's due to TCM's knee, Francouer's due to his insecurity at the plate. Church claims his head is finally clear after the two concussions. Perhaps the move from Atlanta will have the same effect on Francouer. Personally, I hope he absolutely bombs as a Met, signs with the Rangers this winter, and goes on to hit 40 homers a year in the AL.

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