Try not to think about what could have been, because that was then. And we have taken different paths. That’s the lyrics to the song What Might Have Been, by the country band Little Texas. Excuse me, as I have listened to this piece of music several times since I heard the news of the Jeff Francoeur trade to the Atlanta Braves.
Several weeks ago, I wrote an article stating that it was time for the Braves and Francoeur to go their separate ways, in the hope that each party could find true happiness and success separately. That was my head talking. The part of me that wants the best for the Atlanta Braves and their chances of making the playoffs. I never thought about the bond that had been formed between Frenchy and the Atlanta area.
Francoeur had high expectations placed on his shoulders when he debuted for his hometown team in the summer of 2005. That season was supposed to be the year the Atlanta Braves’ division title series would come to an end. It was something of a transition year, with Atlanta integrating several rookies into prominent roles with their club. However, with instant contributions from the likes of Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Langerhans, Wilson Betemit, Pete Orr, Kyle Davies and Francoeur, the team took the NL East crown for the 14th straight year. The group of youngsters were labeled as the Baby Braves.
McCann and Francoeur were the two who became instant fan favorites, Jeff even more so than Brian. The two had played traveling ball together all over Georgia since they were 12 years old. They played against each other several times a year in high school and remained close friends. When the 2002 MLB draft came around, both were highly regarded and Atlanta targeted both local produce. The most celebrated player was clearly Francoeur, by some scouts’ estimation a 5-tool player, and the Braves snatched him with their first-round pick, 23rd overall. When their second-round pick came through, they were pleased, if not amazed, that McCann was still on the board. Without hesitation, Atlanta took the receiver from nearby Athens, Georgia. Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann were teammates again.
Francoeur and McCann rolled much the same way through the minor leagues and were called up within a few weeks of each other. While they were both successful, Frenchy always seemed to overshadow B-Mac. Jeff had the undeniable presence of a superstar. He was a handsome, athletic outfielder with a cannon for an arm and a smile that drove the ladies wild. As recently as a few weeks ago at Turner Field, women wore more Francoeur jerseys and jerseys than all other Braves players combined. McCann, meanwhile, was the chubby, red-haired catcher, whose face always seemed to be hidden behind his catcher’s mask. He’s not exactly the most marketable guy in the world.
Beyond celebrity appeal for Francoeur, and lack of it for McCann, Jeff put up better numbers when they both burst onto the scene in 2005. Before I present some of these stats, I should let you know that Francoeur had 77 more at-bats in his career. . rookie season than McCann. In that campaign, Francoeur hit .300, 22 points higher than McCann. Frenchy also hit 9 more home runs and drove in 22 more runs than Brian. As mentioned above, those numbers helped contribute to another postseason birth and took Braves fans on a new kind of journey. One that involved many new and exciting young faces.
That rookie year led Francoeur to many titles, which have recently been used to mock him. Most famously, Sports Illustrated put him on the cover, deeming him “The Natural”. When Bobby Cox started him all 162 games the following season and watched him hit 29 home runs and drive in 103 runs, the local media began labeling Jeff the “golden boy,” in the sense that he couldn’t go wrong. . It seemed that Jeff Francoeur was born to be an Atlanta Bravo. Perhaps the old saying “love is blind” is true, as no Braves fan could have seen the honeymoon end. Not only did it end, but Jeff Francoeur’s train went completely off the tracks and we were all blindfolded, trying not to look.
Many people point to the beginning of his demise, as well as the loss of the affection of the Braves fan base, until the offseason before 2007. The Braves, impressed by the play of Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur, offered both long-term contracts that bought the remaining years of arbitration. McCann quickly accepted the 6-year, $27.8 million offer. However, Francoeur did not accept the long-term deal presented to him by the main office. I’m just speculating, but it seems likely that the dollar figure probably exceeded McCann’s by a few million. For an organization that for the past fifteen years has seen players take less money to come play for Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves, fans of the team despised Francoeur’s rejection.
All contractual frustration was pushed aside in 2007 when Francoeur managed to raise his batting average by 33 points, though his power numbers fell. Apparently, the decline in home runs that year weighed heavily on Jeff’s mind. In the offseason he reportedly put on 20 to 25 pounds, hoping to improve his power punch. As is often documented, he backfired in 2008. Francoeur’s performance at the plate was completely dismal, culminating in a July 4 demotion at Double A, Mississippi. Francoeur let it be known that he was very upset about being ejected, and after a couple of timely injuries, the Braves were forced to recall Francoeur. Complaining of his demotion only further alienated him from the fans and members of the front office. He finished the year with a .239 batting average and what once seemed like a match made in heaven began to look like a nasty and inevitable divorce.
Francoeur slimmed down again before this season, trying to regain the form that had endeared him to so many across the South. It didn’t work. His average was only a few points higher, however, he was fighting for an even lower percentage than last year. Frank Wren and John Schuerholz had simply seen enough. They couldn’t continue to allow Bobby Cox to include Francoeur, in the midst of a two-year losing streak, in an already anemic lineup. Atlanta sent him to the first club that offered some kind of Major League-ready player in return. Oddly enough, that team turned out to be a division rival, the New York Mets. A lifelong Peachtree State native to the Big Apple. Francoeur had better act if he wants to rest in the city that never sleeps.
How did we get here, Jeff Francoeur? The hometown hero. The next face of the franchise. Golden Boy. The natural. No one could have known you’d be leaving town playing before your 26th birthday. Now there are only two Baby Braves left, and without a doubt, your departure has been the most devastating blow. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. The stars were never intended to align for such an abrupt death. The suave, charismatic right fielder has brought his act to New York, and the pudgy redhead, whose face remains behind the catcher’s mask, has become the face of the Atlanta Braves.
