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Monday, August 15, 2005
Francoeur worthy of clip-and-save
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We all _ hard-core fans and sports writers _ can get a bit jaded and skeptical in this age of 24-hour sports coverage, too many televised games, and way too much hype and breathless ESPN coverage of the “next-M.J.” to come down the line.
But folks, what we’re seeing this summer at Turner Field is enough to shake even the most jaded of us to our senses and cause us to reflect, ponder and project.
I’m talking about Jeff Francoeur, of course. The kid’s first five weeks in the major leagues have been something to behold, and those who haven’t gotten a chance to see him in person might want to get out there now, while this thing is still in its early stages.
While it’s still too early to call him the next Dale Murphy or Vlad Guerrero, or to think he might become as big a star as Michael Vick or Lebron James, there is at least reason to believe anything is possible.
Now, I still wonder how long he can avoid a big slump, simply because I’ve seen too many guys start out strong _ OK, maybe not THIS strong _ and then have things even out quickly. And I still have a hard time believing someone can hit 100 points higher at the major league level than he was hitting earlier in the same season at the Double-A level.
But … but … my goodness. This dude is absolutely making us pause to reevaluate, to consider the possibilities, to ponder whether we may indeed be seeing the early stages of a true superstar talent.
I know that in 11 years of covering major league baseball, I’ve never seen anything like this from a rookie, the closest I’ve seen being Edgar Renteria with the Marlins, when he won the World Series with his 10th-inning hit against Cleveland in 1997.
Edgar was _ and is _ a solid all-around player with a flair for dramatic hits. But what Francoeur’s doing is something else entirely. I mean, nine homers and eight outfield assists in 28 games, not to mention 26 RBIs and a .382 average and .394 on-base percentagae WITHOUT A SINGLE WALK!
It’s crazy. It’s been something special to watch and chronicle. And it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out, not just the rest of the season and postseason, but of course where it goes from there.
No one can predict injuries and other obstacles that might slow a seemingly unstoppable talent, but everyone who’s gotten to know Francoeur agrees he couldn’t possibly have a better attitude, a better disposition, or a better foundation of skills, confidence and instincts to build a career on.
Stay tuned. And enjoy. If I were a fan, this is a player who’d probably motivate me to preserve newspaper clippings, photos and magazine covers, the way I used to with Ali _ and later Jordan _ Sports Illustrated covers.
They might be worth some money someday, or at least worth showing to the grandkids and telling them you were there when Frenchy hit town.
Some tough calls on Braves’ pitching staff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Having a two-week homestand and 22 of 28 games at Turner Field is perfect for the Braves. Having three off days during the stretch really isn’t.
With the return of John Thomson and Mike Hampton, manager Bobby Cox has a dilemma. He has too many starters and not enough games.
Thomson will pitch Saturday and Hampton on Sunday. Kyle Davies is headed back to the minors and Horacio Ramirez to the bullpen.
Jorge Sosa opened the weekend series against Arizona, but may not start again for at least another week.
Cox says that Thomson and Hampton are ready and he has to see what they can do. But will they really be better than Ramirez, Davies or Sosa?
Ramirez doesn’t appear ready to immediately contribute to the bullpen, which could use help. Sosa has experience as a reliever, but greatly prefers to start and has done much better in the rotation.
How do you think the pitching staff should break down?
If Thomson is ready and Hampton can stay healthy, I guess I’d prefer this 12-man breakdown:
Starters — John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, Hampton, Thomson and Ramirez.
Bullpen — Sosa, John Foster, Kyle Farnsworth, Jim Brower, Dan Kolb, Blaine Boyer and Chris Reitsma.
Of course, it would be nice if GM John Schuerholz could pull off a bullpen upgrade before Sept. 1.
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