Jeff Francoeur is an idiot
Non-Braves fans often ask me why Jeff Francoeur drives me so crazy. He’s young and powerful and exciting, they say!
Well, it’s because of this kind of stuff:
For Atlanta outfielder Jeff Francoeur, the search for a more disciplined approach is elusive and the source of occasional torment. Francoeur began this season with loose goals of 80 strikeouts and 50 to 60 walks. But he’s always been an aggressive player, and he’s wary of becoming too passive in the quest for a higher OBP.
“If on-base percentage is so important, then why don’t they put it up on the scoreboard?” Francoeur says.
Except OBP is on the Turner Field scoreboard, with Turner Field being the place Francoeur plays half his damn games.
I’m reminded today that there was a rumor floating around last winter about the Braves and Royals doing a straightup swap of Greinke for Francoeur. Everyone denied it at the time, but please, if there was even a scintilla of truth to it, DO NOT TELL ME. I don’t think I could bear it.
(thanks to J.C. Bradbury’s Facebook status update — a first for me, tip-wise — for the link)
What I don’t understand about Francoeur isn’t his obliviousness or his inability to improve. What I don’t understand is why people still talk about him over and over again. Was it because he was on the cover of SI 4 years ago? If you read everything that’s written about him, it sounds like he had a Barry Bonds or Frank Thomas-like career for 10 years and then has had a couple of tough years since then, but that’s not true at all. It’s not even true that he had a McGwire-like start to his career (when Mac started huge but then struggled to stay about the Mendoza line in 1991). How is he different than every other fluke? where are the constant articles about Dontrelle Willis or Richard Hidalgo or Ben Grieve? I’m just confused, that’s all…
In Jeff’s defense they only show the three slash stats during the first at bat. So if it’s shown only during 1/3 or 1/4 of the at bats during half the games of the season multiplied by nine batters what are the chances anybody would notice?
In all seriousness though I think Dusty Baker is coming after him for plagiarism.
But, remember, he does have that really cool blog.
I understand the frustration with Francoeur, but there is a little part of me that fears our enhanced understanding of the game. Baseball needs players who recklessly swing at pitches or steal bases, if only because sometimes they’re rather good at it. I know Kirby doesn’t get a whole lot of credit in the SABR community, and as a Minnesotan I’m hardwired to love him more than most of my immediate family, but I’ve always loved his stance on taking pitches: Only the mailman gets paid to walk. I still believe walks are incredibly important, but I wonder if this new era is starting to put too much an emphasis. As a huge Bonds defender, I’ll often use any stat to back up his greatness, and his phenomenal eye at the plate is usually one of my go-to arguments. But how important were those walks to Bonds when the next Giants hitter was an aging J.T. Snow or Marquis Grissom? Ultimately, while Francoeur comes off sounding like a country bumpkin, and his inability to hit for a high average probably hurts his “let me put the ball in play” argument, I don’t think the principle is totally off. Either way, at least he knows how to properly articulate his love for Delta Airlines.
How could this possibly be more blog-worthy than my perfect game in Wii bowling.
I saw that, JC, and as a bowler myself, it was a tough call on which one I was going to link.
Relax and breathe easily, Craig…I know a lot of people have Dayton Moore tabbed as an idiot, but he’s not THAT stupid. He’s doesn’t necessarily make moves with readily apparent value, and some of them may be real head-scratchers, but he also is not out to get himself totally run out of Kansas City either.
For the good of America, Frenchy can’t take that pitch.
I saw that and cringed. Still, I support him and think he’s doing better than most think he is. But he can’t say things like that. It’s just stupid.
A far better pic of Atlanta’s scoreboard…
http://imagesocket.com/view/francouer94d.jpg
on pace for 19 hrs 100+ RBIS,enough said.
Actually, that says very little, t.
“On pace for” after one month means very little. Is this a good start for Francouer? A bad one? Average?
Is 19 HR supposed to be good? And 100+ RBI says as much (or more) about the opportunities the hitters in front of him are providing as it does about Frenchy’s prowess with the stick.
how old is that picture of the jumbotron? Marcus Giles was actually a good player at that time…
If they only put the slash stats up during the first AB, why does the scoreboard say Marcus Gile 1 for 3 with a single? That’s one helluva first AB!
His real defense should be that he has fans who enjoy going to the game and cheering for him in funny costumes. He does get people out to the ballpark who are looking to have a good time. Isn’t that point of watching sports and being a fan?
The real question is: Do they show OBP on the scoreboard at the Mississippi Braves ballpark?