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Thursday, July 6, 2006
Francoeur presses to impress
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
It could be worse. Jeff Francoeur could be Bob Hamelin, the extra-large first baseman who zipped out of nowhere for the Kansas City Royals to do nice things before vanishing in a flash. He also could be Pat Listach, Gerald Young, Wally Bunker, Mark Fidrych and a slew of others who have plaques in the Joe Charboneau Hall of Fame for hype over substance.
But, no, Francoeur isn’t destined for such infamy. He isn’t on the road to Cooperstown, either, not with his free-swinging ways that have contributed to an on-base percentage so low that you need a microscope to find it. He was absolutely torrid with his Louisville Slugger for the longest time as a rookie. Now he is spending his sophomore year going from cold to hot to medium to wherever.
Wherever is a scary place when you’re a significant player on a team reeking during its search for a 15th consecutive division title. Francoeur has decent numbers (.258 average, 15 home runs and 60 RBIs after Thursday night’s 8-7, 10-inning win over the Cincinnati Reds at Turner Field), but not the blistering ones that could turn wherever into a happy place.
That’s why Friday, the first anniversary of Francoeur bursting into a Braves uniform as “The Natural,” according to a Sports Illustrated cover last August, he has become “The Bust,” according to that same magazine last week.
According to common sense, Francoeur is “The Work in Progress” as a gifted athlete from Lilburn seeking to smooth out a bunch of rough edges, both physically and mentally. Some guy named Pete Rose told me last summer that this might happen to Francoeur. Just like Rose, Cincinnati’s favorite son during his playing days with the Reds, Francoeur is obsessed with prospering before his hometown fans. Take, for instance, his rocket single to left field Thursday night in the bottom of the 10th for his third game-winning hit of the season at Turner Field.
Then again, Francoeur hasn’t a choice to provide such heroics. You needn’t go further than the outrageously lofty expectations that the choppers and the chanters had for the old Parkview High star after he flashed signs last summer of staying perfect forever. So, when he flirted with mediocrity earlier this year, those cheers became the ugliest of jeers.
“It’s tough. I can’t lie about that, but at the same time, I’d rather be in this situation than a lot of other situations,” said Francoeur, 22, who remained the Braves’ Wally Cleaver through it all. “It’s special to be able to play in your hometown and in front of your people that you grew up with. It couldn’t be anything more than I ever wanted. People are there at games because they want you to do well. So I try so hard at home, because you don’t want to disappoint anybody.”
Which brings us to the three Grand Canyons that separate Francoeur’s offensive numbers at Turner Field and elsewhere. Prior to Thursday night, he was hitting .304 at home and a ridiculous .216 on the road. He also finished last season with a tremendous gap between the two settings (.304 to .240). And the solution?
Concentration. That’s been as foreign to Francoeur as a base on balls, especially when Hank Aaron Drive isn’t near.
“When I was at Yankee Stadium [last month], I had a good series because I was so locked in, and I could see where you can take your game to the next level if you just lock in all the time,” Francoeur said. “At home, that’s something I tend to do, and sometimes I get on the road, I lose that a little bit. … My second half of the year, I want my road average to be right there with my home average. That’s my No. 1 goal for me, personally.”
Well, that and continuing with the mind-set on the field of his father’s all-time favorite player: Rose. Although Dave Francoeur grew up in Massachusetts worshiping the Red Sox, he marveled at Rose’s love affair with hustle and doing whatever it took to thrill his Cincinnati faithful.
In other words, the younger Francoeur hadn’t a choice but to became a Rose disciple. Since Jeff was just 2 years old when Rose retired as a player, he followed Rose’s career through video clips and publications. “He only knew one way to play, and that was all-out, which is why my favorite play ever was when he ran the catcher [Ray Fosse] over during that All-Star Game,” Francoeur, who did something almost as daring, said earlier this season.
Francoeur needed major facial surgery two years ago after his eye was damaged by an errant pitch in a minor-league game at Myrtle Beach. Still, on his first day back, he slid into second base with his nose leading the way.
Like Rose used to do. This is the same Rose who is baseball’s all-time hits king and who ended his sophomore season with only a .269 average. This also is the same Rose who finished that year with fewer home runs (four) and RBIs (34) than Francoeur has with less than a week to go until the All-Star break. So relax already.
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