AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 25
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Frenchy on a new level
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Francoeur played 20 games through April 24 last season, and he played 20 through April 24 this season. But that’s about where the similarities end.
The Golden Boy is on fire, surely making Lilburn and all of Braves Nation proud. The boy’s done growed up (OK, I’ll stop).
Anyway, going into tonight’s game he’s hitting .299 with four homers and a National League-leading 24 RBIs, and _ hang on to your seats _ his on-base percentage (.368) is actually closer to .400 than .300.
Let’s repeat: Frenchy is hitting .299 with four homers, 24 RBIs, a .368 OBP and a .900 OPS in 20 games.
A year ago today, he was hitting .188 with three homers, eight RBIs, a .205 OBP and a .518 OPS in 20 games.
He finished last season with a .260 average with 29 homers, 103 RBIs and an awful .293 OBP and .742 OPS.
OK, let’s take predictions here. I’m saying the Braves’ 23-year-old right fielder finishes this season at .280 with 32 homers, 120 RBIs and a .345 OBP, which would be one hell of a season and a huge improvement over last season.
But maybe some of you think he’ll finish with even better numbers. Wouldn’t shock me, but I’m gonna stick with the above predictions and see what happens.
In any event, it’s been fun watching him, particularly on this road trip. He has seven hits and six RBIs the past two nights, and Francoeur has raised his two-out RBIs total to a ridiculous 18 this season _ best in the NL _ and 71 since the beginning of last season _ best in the majors, just ahead of A-Rod.
That multi-year contract that he’ll probably get eventually? It’s going to cost more, I’ll bet, than it would have if the Braves had been able to work something out this spring with him, like they did McCann.
But, hey, can’t fault the team if they felt the player’s agent was asking too much (and I have no idea what numbers were bandied about, though I do know they at least had preliminary discussions).
Not everyone is willing to quickly accept a contract that’s reasonable for both sides, and one that’s potentially quite club-friendly, like the one McCann accepted. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is.
But never fear, folks. The Braves aren’t going to let Francoeur go anywhere. He’s not even eligible for arbitration until after the 2008 season, and it would be three more years after that before he’d be a free agent.
Between now and then, probably a lot sooner, I’m guessing the Braves will sign him to a long-term deal.
Now, a couple other things:
Redman bad, but not done: At least not done with the Braves, for now. First and foremost, they don’t have any options to fill the spot, at least not until Lance Cormier makes another rehab start or two and shows he’s healthy.
Please don’t give me Matt Harrison’s name. The young lefty’s going to be a real good major league pitcher someday, but not this week, or this month, and probably not this season.
We saw this spring a kid who was a bit overmatched and overwhelmed by his first experience against major league hitters. Give him some time to have success in the upper levels of the minors.
And besides, Kyle Davies needs to show that Monday night’s debacle vs. the Marlins was a fluke, or an aberration, and that he’s not going to lay an egg like that every few times out.
And Chuck James … well, it’s too early to judge anything. It’s not even May yet, folks, but so far, safe to say it’s a good thing Tim Hudson has stepped forward to reclaim his ace status.
Because between Hampton, Redmond, Davies and the injured Cormier, things haven’t exactly worked out as the Braves planned with the rotation. Their 4.55 ERA was tied with Colorado for 10th in the NL before today.
And people who’ve asked me who’s available on the trade market … no one. At least not that I’ve heard yet, no one who’s decent at least.
If there were, or when there are, plenty of teams would be lined up ahead of the Braves to pursue them, because plenty, including one team that spends about 2-1/2 times what the Braves do on payroll, a team located in the Bronx, have worse rotation problems than the Braves. A lot worse.
Hitting when it counts: The Braves are still tied for the NL lead in home runs (26), but some of their offensive numbers aren’t great _ eighth in average (.253), sixth in slugging, etc.
But they rank fourth in OBP (.347) and third in runs (104), and there are a couple of big reasons the Braves score a lot of runs, especially late in games.
They lead the league with a .290 average with runners in scoring position and two outs, with a whopping .450 OBP and .540 slugging percentage in that category; and they are second in the league with a .310 average in close-and-late situations, with seven homers in those spots (no other NL team has more than five) and a .590 slugging percentage (no one else is over .465).
Francoeur is 7-for-19 (.529) with five extra-base hits with RISP/two outs, and 5-for-13 (.385) with three doubles in close-and-late situations. Kelly Johnson is 4-for-8 with RISP/two outs, and Edgar Renteria is 5-for-11 with RISP/two outs and 5-for-12 (.417) with three homers in close-and-late situations.
Chipper Jones is 4-for-8 with two doubles and a homer in close-and-late situations.
And now, one of the greatest rock-and-roll songs ever recorded, even if it doesn’t appear in the top 10 of those surveys that magazines and whoever else does. It is definitely in the top 10:
“POWDERFINGER” by Neil Young
Look out, Mama, there’s a white boat comin’ up the river
With a big red beacon, and a flag, and a man on the rail
I think you’d better call John/’Cause it don’t look like they’re here to deliver/ the mail
And it’s less than a mile away
I hope they didn’t come to stay
It’s got numbers on the side/and a gun/and it’s makin’ big waves.
Daddy’s gone, my brother’s out hunting in the mountains
Big John’s been drinking/since the river took Emmy-Lou
So the powers that be/left me here/to do the thinkin’
And I just turned twenty-two/I was wonderin’ what to do
And the closer they got,/The more those feelings grew.
Daddy’s rifle in my hand/felt reassurin’
He told me,/Red means run, son,/numbers add up to nothin’
But when the first shot hit the docks/ I saw it comin’
Raised my rifle to my eye/Never stopped to wonder why.
Then I saw black,/nd my face splashed in the sky.
Shelter me from the powder/and the finger
Cover me with the thought/that pulled the trigger
Think of me/as one you’d never figured
Would fade away so young/With so much left undone
Remember me to my love,
I know I’ll miss her.
