Friday, February 24, 2006
Mailbag: How will Francoeur fare?
02/13/2006
How do you see Jeff Francoeur doing in his first full season in the Majors? Do you think he will have the offensive success he had last year or struggle now that pitchers have seen him more? -- Nick J., Richmond, Va.
There will be a couple of factors that Francoeur didn't have to deal with last year. First, there is the reality that his rookie success has created an enormous expectations. How he deals with the pressure remains to be seen.
In addition, opponents now have a better idea of how to attack his weaknesses. Thus, he must display more consistent plate discipline in order to force opposing pitchers to throw him pitches that he can hit.
In other words, he's simply going to have to deal with the same pressures and realities that are presented every established Major Leaguer. He'll just have to do so at the ripe age of 22.
While still young and green, Francoeur seems to have all of those special qualities that allow certain athletes to rise to the top of their profession. He's got Arthur Fonzarelli-like cool, Reggie Jackson-type power and an arm that would have made Roberto Clemente proud.
It appears he has everything it takes to be a bona fide superstar at the Major League level for many years to come. But first he must prove he's capable of commanding the strike zone.
Through the first 154 at-bats of his big-league career, Francoeur was hitting .342 and had drawn six walks. Each of those walks came between Aug. 21-Aug. 31 and two of them were intentional. In his final 102 at-bats of the season, he walked five times and hit .235. Two of those walks were drawn on Sept. 26 against the Rockies.
Breaking it down, he drew six of his 11 walks last year over the course of five games. When you consider he had more than one plate appearance in 68 games, it's obvious that patience isn't exactly a virtue he's acquired yet.
That being said, Francoeur shouldn't lose his feisty, aggressive style. He simply needs to harness his aggression and get comfortable with the fact that pitchers will eventually make a mistake or choose to challenge him with a hittable pitch.
Francoeur should hit at least 20 homers this season. If he's able to produce a .280 batting average and an on-base percentage in the neighborhood of .335, his sophomore season will be a success.
Who is the player to watch for this season for the Braves? And who will be their most exciting player? -- Matthew I., Dillon, S.C.
I'm looking forward to seeing Chipper Jones rebound from the injury-plagued seasons that have hampered him the past two years. He was simply sensational when healthy last year, and at 34 years old, there's plenty of reason to believe he still has some productive years ahead of him.
As for the most exciting player, it could be either Andruw Jones or Marcus Giles. Jones has the potential to make a highlight catch at any time, and with his bat, he's the one who created the most late-inning excitement last year.
While Giles might not be able to hit 51 homers like Andruw did last year, he certainly has the ability to delight the fans in many different ways.
Giles can create excitement with his glove, legs and bat. Nobody plays the game harder, and it's evident every time he goes into second base to break up a double play. For me, his aggressive style at the plate and in the field provides constant excitement.
I've read about John Thomson being on the trading block. Who's interested and what are the Braves looking for in return? -- Buck C., Birmingham, Ala.
Saying that Thomson is on the trading block isn't exactly accurate. It has simply been written that the Braves could choose to trade him. With six legitimate candidates to fill their five-man starting rotation, he's simply somebody they could choose to trade.
There would obviously be some interest from other teams in Thomson. His $4.75 million salary is a bargain for a veteran starter who is capable of notching 15 wins.
What are the Braves' plans for Kyle Davies? -- P. Gobin, Toronto, Ontario
It appears the Braves are planning to have Jorge Sosa back in the rotation. Thus, if they don't trade Thomson, Sosa or Horacio Ramirez, there's a good chance Davies will begin the year at Triple-A Richmond.
While he appears to be ready for the Majors, there wouldn't be anything wrong with having Davies begin the year at Richmond. He's just 22 years old and still has room for development.
When the starting rotation was ravaged with injuries last year, it was nice for the Braves to dip into their Minor League system and call upon somebody like Davies, whose maturity and skills signal a bright future.
One of the reasons for Andruw Jones' great year last year was offseason conditioning. Has he continued the good offseason program he began last year? -- No name submitted, Winston Salem, N.C.
Jones chose to put more of an emphasis on lifting weights this offseason. Last year the focus was on cardiovascular activities.
At first look, it appears he might be in even better shape this year. His body is much more defined and he says he's added close to 10 pounds of muscle.
Why does the media accept that the Braves have won 14 consecutive division championships? Did the commissioner's office declare that the '94 season did not count? -- No name submitted
When the players went on strike on Aug. 12, 1994, the Braves trailed the Expos by six games in the National League East standings. Because the season was never completed, nobody won a division championship that year.
If play had never been halted, there was certainly a chance the Braves could have overtaken the talented Expos. Just one year earlier, they had overcome an even greater deficit. On Aug. 11, 1993, they trailed the Giants by nine games, but Atlanta rallied down the stretch and edged San Francisco by one game.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
How do you see Jeff Francoeur doing in his first full season in the Majors? Do you think he will have the offensive success he had last year or struggle now that pitchers have seen him more? -- Nick J., Richmond, Va.
There will be a couple of factors that Francoeur didn't have to deal with last year. First, there is the reality that his rookie success has created an enormous expectations. How he deals with the pressure remains to be seen.
In addition, opponents now have a better idea of how to attack his weaknesses. Thus, he must display more consistent plate discipline in order to force opposing pitchers to throw him pitches that he can hit.
In other words, he's simply going to have to deal with the same pressures and realities that are presented every established Major Leaguer. He'll just have to do so at the ripe age of 22.
While still young and green, Francoeur seems to have all of those special qualities that allow certain athletes to rise to the top of their profession. He's got Arthur Fonzarelli-like cool, Reggie Jackson-type power and an arm that would have made Roberto Clemente proud.
It appears he has everything it takes to be a bona fide superstar at the Major League level for many years to come. But first he must prove he's capable of commanding the strike zone.
Through the first 154 at-bats of his big-league career, Francoeur was hitting .342 and had drawn six walks. Each of those walks came between Aug. 21-Aug. 31 and two of them were intentional. In his final 102 at-bats of the season, he walked five times and hit .235. Two of those walks were drawn on Sept. 26 against the Rockies.
Breaking it down, he drew six of his 11 walks last year over the course of five games. When you consider he had more than one plate appearance in 68 games, it's obvious that patience isn't exactly a virtue he's acquired yet.
That being said, Francoeur shouldn't lose his feisty, aggressive style. He simply needs to harness his aggression and get comfortable with the fact that pitchers will eventually make a mistake or choose to challenge him with a hittable pitch.
Francoeur should hit at least 20 homers this season. If he's able to produce a .280 batting average and an on-base percentage in the neighborhood of .335, his sophomore season will be a success.
Who is the player to watch for this season for the Braves? And who will be their most exciting player? -- Matthew I., Dillon, S.C.
I'm looking forward to seeing Chipper Jones rebound from the injury-plagued seasons that have hampered him the past two years. He was simply sensational when healthy last year, and at 34 years old, there's plenty of reason to believe he still has some productive years ahead of him.
As for the most exciting player, it could be either Andruw Jones or Marcus Giles. Jones has the potential to make a highlight catch at any time, and with his bat, he's the one who created the most late-inning excitement last year.
While Giles might not be able to hit 51 homers like Andruw did last year, he certainly has the ability to delight the fans in many different ways.
Giles can create excitement with his glove, legs and bat. Nobody plays the game harder, and it's evident every time he goes into second base to break up a double play. For me, his aggressive style at the plate and in the field provides constant excitement.
I've read about John Thomson being on the trading block. Who's interested and what are the Braves looking for in return? -- Buck C., Birmingham, Ala.
Saying that Thomson is on the trading block isn't exactly accurate. It has simply been written that the Braves could choose to trade him. With six legitimate candidates to fill their five-man starting rotation, he's simply somebody they could choose to trade.
There would obviously be some interest from other teams in Thomson. His $4.75 million salary is a bargain for a veteran starter who is capable of notching 15 wins.
What are the Braves' plans for Kyle Davies? -- P. Gobin, Toronto, Ontario
It appears the Braves are planning to have Jorge Sosa back in the rotation. Thus, if they don't trade Thomson, Sosa or Horacio Ramirez, there's a good chance Davies will begin the year at Triple-A Richmond.
While he appears to be ready for the Majors, there wouldn't be anything wrong with having Davies begin the year at Richmond. He's just 22 years old and still has room for development.
When the starting rotation was ravaged with injuries last year, it was nice for the Braves to dip into their Minor League system and call upon somebody like Davies, whose maturity and skills signal a bright future.
One of the reasons for Andruw Jones' great year last year was offseason conditioning. Has he continued the good offseason program he began last year? -- No name submitted, Winston Salem, N.C.
Jones chose to put more of an emphasis on lifting weights this offseason. Last year the focus was on cardiovascular activities.
At first look, it appears he might be in even better shape this year. His body is much more defined and he says he's added close to 10 pounds of muscle.
Why does the media accept that the Braves have won 14 consecutive division championships? Did the commissioner's office declare that the '94 season did not count? -- No name submitted
When the players went on strike on Aug. 12, 1994, the Braves trailed the Expos by six games in the National League East standings. Because the season was never completed, nobody won a division championship that year.
If play had never been halted, there was certainly a chance the Braves could have overtaken the talented Expos. Just one year earlier, they had overcome an even greater deficit. On Aug. 11, 1993, they trailed the Giants by nine games, but Atlanta rallied down the stretch and edged San Francisco by one game.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
