Francoeur Needs To Get Sent Down
Posted by: Barrett Sallee in Atlanta Braves, tags: Jeff Francoeur
Enough is enough. It’s painfully obvious that Jeff Francoeur needs to be sent down to AAA Richmond. He has four hits over his last 12 games. And, worse, he is leaving runners on base at an alarming rate.
In 96 AB’s with runners in scoring position in 2008, which is a situation that Francoeur has thrived in over his first few seasons, he’s hitting .206. It gets worse. Much worse. In close and late situations, which is defined as AB’s in the 7th inning or later, with the batting team either ahead by one run, tied or with the potential tying run at least on deck; Francoeur’s average is .204, in 49 AB’s, and 6 RBI. Not exactly clutch. Now, here’s really shocker, with a runner on third and less than two outs, which is a situation screaming for production, Francoeur is batting .179. That, my friends, is unacceptable.
Francoeur needs to be sent down. His brain is a melting pot of hitting coaches and wannabe hitting coaches, and he can’t decipher the two. He will, most likely, stay with the Braves for now. But, when Matt Diaz comes back, Francoeur needs to be sent down. You can’t put Blanco, Kotsay or Diaz on the bench, and Francoeur can’t hit himself out of the slump on the bench. He needs AB’s in a more relaxed environment. Richmand, Va. is that environment.
Barrett Sallee has worked professionally in the Atlanta sports market in various aspects for over 7 years. He can be reached at barrettsallee@hotmail.com
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July 3rd, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Don’t you think that Frenchy is too much of a fan favorite? I mean he puts a lot of asses in the seats at Turner Field.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Nope, I don’t…and neither do the Braves. Francoeur was sent down after the game last night. Putting butts in the seats is far down in the totem pole relative to winning baseball games.
If, as you say, he “puts butts in the seats,” then the brains attached to those butts aren’t very bright, because Francoeur has never even attempted to learn how to hit major league pitching. Now, maybe, he will. There’s a reason the Braves haven’t offered him an extension like McCann got.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I guess you called that one, huh? I’m amazed that it happened, but hope that the time in the minors helps out.
Good prediction… Whose ear do you have in the Braves front office?
July 4th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
He won’t be in Mississippi for long. He’s way too good of a ball player to be kept in the minors. This is just a hiccup.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:32 am
[…] Barrett Sallee suggested the other day, the Atlanta Braves sent down Jeff Francoeur to Double A Mississippi and brought up […]