Do It! Send Francoeur to the Minors Now
.239/.294 /.383
It’s time folks. I didn’t think a time like this would come, when Jeff Francoeur would be playing so bad that the fans would tolerate his departure from the team. He’s better than he’s been playing, but he looks as bad as he ever has. Let him go down and work on the things that need fixing. I think it will be better for him in the long run.
Because I’m away from my computer most of the time this week, I’ve weakened the comment filter so that I do not have to approve every comment. Feel free to post your comments on Francoeur here.
UPDATE: Rumor has it that this has already happened. If so, I take full credit, and I await the arrival of Barry Bonds. 
J.C. Bradbury is an economist and associate professor at Kennesaw State University in metropolitan Atlanta. He is the author of The Baseball Economist and has operated Sabernomics.com since March 2004.
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:43 am
JC, I’ve been trying to send down Frenchy for weeks. But the front office won’t sign off on it because they say female attendance at the ballpark will plummet. Apparently Jason Perry is just a fat ugly toad (albeit a fat ugly toad with a 1.000+ OPS)
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:53 am
How about letting me play right field? Heck, I’m a better hitter than pitcher anyways, and definitely a better hitter than Frenchy. (Pop quiz: Who has the better career K/BB ratio as a hitter, me or Frenchy?)
I may not have thrown a single pitch since 2005, but you can bet I’ve been working on my hitting every single day since then, since I’ve had so much time to waste with my stupid injuries.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:11 am
Move Blanco to right field. And then to replace the most walk-a-phobic hitter in the history of the game (ie Frenchy), sign the all time walks leader, Barry Bonds.
Heck, I’ll even settle for signing the #2 all time walks leader. (Is Rickey even still playing for the NJ Bears?)
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:19 am
You guys want to sign me? I’m game.
Play Blanco in right, and me in left. Let Brandon Jones fill in for me on the days that I’m too moody to play.
Lineup is:
1 KJ
2 Chipper
3 Tex
4 All time HR king
5 Heap
6 Yuney
7 Kotsay
8 Blanco
9 pitcher
Guys, I’m offering myself for minimum salary. Is Frank Wren an idiot???
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 am
I think it’s phantom injury time. A couple weeks off for “mental health:, then a couple weeks on a rehab assignment destroying (hopefully) AAA pitching should be great for Jeff.
As Tony Gywnn says, “There’s nothing you can do in the game with a tight booty.”
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 am
I’ve been too busy selling cars andplaying golf lately, but this is ridculous.
Let’s send the boy down and tell him he can’t come back until he gets 5 walks in 15 games.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:57 am
Rickey’s not with the Bears any more. My attendance at baseball games has been in decline ever since.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:11 am
JC, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Jason Perry, and whether he might be an adequate short-term replacement for Francoeur (or Norton or B. Jones, etc.)
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:56 am
It would certainly improve the Braves’ major league team to demote Francoeur. I am skeptical that Jeff is going to learn how to be a high OPS player in Richmond though. What is really needed is to trade him to another team like the Royals or Pirates who aren’t ever competing for the playoffs and can afford to give Jeff at-bats to try to figure out how to be a good or even average player.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
A similar treatment worked for Willie Mays Hayes: Everytime I see you swing at the first pitch, you owe me twenty push-ups. Also, take a page out of Scott Hatteberg’s book (no talent, 100% plate disipline) and combine it with yours (100% talent, no plate discipline) and you may penetrate that 800 OPS forcefield.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I really want to like Gregor Blanco, but he just doesn’t have the arm to play in right. I don’t even like his arm in center. Frenchy’s run production + defense is worth as much or more than any other current option. It might not be best for him, but it’s best for the team to keep him in the lineup.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Frenchy’s run production is a function of the OBPs ahead of him in the lineup, not really anything he’s doing. The guy’s not even slugging .400 - unacceptable for a corner OF spot (or even CF, really).
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Bobby,
Good to see you commenting on this blog. I’ll tell you, the trunk of my car is loaded with my equipment. I’m even wearing a jock strap under my suit while on Braves Live.
If you send down Francoeur, just give me a call–I’ll be there in a flash.
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Amen, JC!!! Not only should the Braves send down Francoeur, they should replace him by trading for Griffey. Or, at the very least, signing Brian Jordan.
Too many whities, not enough blacks on this team! I’m working on a new column about this racial bias by the team for next week.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:01 am
(shakes head and laughs at the previous comments) when the cats away…the mice will play…
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:12 am
He’s just getting worse by the month. What’s Atlanta waiting for?
Apr: .277
May: .236
Jun: .206
Jul: 1 for 8 (thru 2nd)
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Let him ride the bus and carry his own bags for a while and send Terry Pendleton with him.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Forget it, guys. Remember those scandalous pictures of Bobby Cox that Keith Lockhart used to own (and, for a while, Brian Jordan as well)?
Well, they are in my possession now…
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Hey everyone. It’s me again! After writing my weekly “Braves Don’t Have Enough Black Players” column for next week, I came up with a really great idea.
Let’s sign Hank Aaron to play right field, since All-American white boy can’t seem to hit anymore. Three reasons why we should make this move:
1. He’s a career 0.929 OPS hitter.
2. He loves Bobby Cox.
3. He would increase fan attendance.
I know he’s a bit old, but you don’t just forget how to hit homeruns overnight.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Someone should start a new blog…
http://www.fireterencemoore.com
July 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am
All Right!!! We finally got a white guy kicked off the team! And it’s gonna’ be a brotha’ (Brandon Jones) who gets his job.
Finally, there is justice in Atlanta!
Personally, for me, this sort of makes up for the very unjust acquisition of Kotsay (yet another white boy) instead of Ken Griffey Jr. (future hall of famer who happens to be black).
Maybe Frank Wren will make this organization a little less racist!!!
July 4th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Guys, did you see? Franoeur hit a homer AND walked during his first plate appearance at Mississippi tonight. Two things he never did while playing in Atlanta.
Looks like the minors is where he’s meant to play, huh?
July 4th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Another pop quiz for y’all:
Which Braves starting pitchers have a higher career walk rate (as a hitter) than Frenchy?
Answer: Smoltz, Glavine, Hampton, and Jurjjens (check it, Jair is an on-base machine!)
Any one of those four guys would be better in RF than Hack
July 4th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Thanks for all your good lobbying efforts, JC. Where do I send the check?
Regards,
Jason
PS. I’ve only been in Atlanta for one day and already have more XBH’s and RBI’s than Frenchy has since June 20.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
“This has really put a damper on my relationship with the Atlanta Braves,” Jeff Francoeur said.
=========================
Actually, Frenchy, you may not realize it, but your 0.287 OBP kind of put a damper on our relationship with you.
SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THAT MEGA-MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT OFFER WE GAVE YOU LAST SPRING, HUH?
Good thing you didn’t, tough. Cause now we’ll have enough money to go after Adam Dunn this offseason.
July 5th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
This blog is awesome
July 5th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
ha ha, loved the cameo appearance by terence moore. the most hilarious comment replies ever on this blog.
July 6th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Here’s a list of all the outfielders we COULD have afforded to sign last winter:
1) Barry Bonds
2) Kenny Lofton
3) Milton Bradley
4) Luis Gonzalez
Instead, who are we stuck with? Frenchy and Greg Norton.
Even if Frank Wren is allergic to Barry Bonds (hey, I once TRADED for bonds, remember?), there are (and still are) perfectly good options out there for filling a corner outfield spot. Lofton (who put up a .367 OBP last year) is still available.
I understand there are personality concerns with both Bonds and Lofton, but get over it already: Fans care much more about wins and losses than about whether there’s a nice lovey-dovey warm feeling in the clubhouse.
July 6th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Uh, looks like Frenchy doesn’t own those dirty pictures of Bobby Cox after all. I’m pretty sure Corky’s got them.
A catcher in the lineup batting 0.093 ?????
Let me remind Mr. Wren/Schuerholz (since they seem to be following this blog religiously) that the organization possesses or used to possess the in the recent past:
Clint Sammons
Salty Dog
Brayan Pena
Max Ramirez
Javy Lopez (I know he was washed up this spring, but he can hit better than 0.093, that’s for sure)
There is no reason why Corky Miller should be the starting catcher on this Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. There’s no excuse here. This is outright mismanagement by Wren/Schuerholz. Catching depth used to be our organization’s strength. No reason to have brought in an outside backup catcher who hits worse than my grandma.
July 6th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Oh, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. Always in love with those all-glove, no-bat players. Probably because he used to be one himself as a player. It’s as they say: mediocrity breeds mediocrity.
And on top of that, Bobby also decided that Kelly Johnson belongs on the bench today. And that Omar Infante’s bat is good enough to start in LF today.
I almost wish the front office would just give Bobby a nine-man roster, and no one else. That way, there’s no temptation to try out his stupid favorite platoons every other day.
Or, as Bobby put it (when starting Brian Jordan in RF during game 1 of the 2005 NLDS), “Just trying to catch lightening in a bottle.”
Typical Bobby.