Francoeur Looking Forward to 2009
By Mark Bowman, MLB.com
Sept. 25, 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- As he sat in the visitors' dugout at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday afternoon, Jeff Francoeur was already visualizing the opportunity to be in this same spot with the Braves on Opening Day next year.
Exactly one week after Major League Baseball had released the schedules for the 2009 season, Francoeur had already memorized the day and time (April 6, 2009, 1 p.m. ET) that he'd officially be able to open a new season, one that likely can't be nearly as trying and frustrating as the current one that's mercifully coming to a close.
"Nobody is looking more forward to getting this season over than me," Francoeur said.
There was a time, Francoeur would have never uttered such words. But that was before he was soundly humbled this year and forced to realize that he must spend this offseason doing whatever it takes to ensure he never endures anything as troubling as these past six months.
"People who know me and know how competitive I am, know that I'm not going to sit back and let this happen again," Francoeur said. "I don't understand why it happened. All I can do is learn from it. I don't think I got complacent. But I think I got a little comfortable."
When Francoeur chose not to begin swinging a bat again until late January, he didn't realize the potential consequences. Nor did he understand that adding another extra 20 pounds during offseason workouts would actually have an adverse effect on his power and defensive skills.
Everything had always come relatively easy for Francoeur, whose legend began to grow during his storied prep career at Parkview High School in suburban Atlanta. Less than two months into his Major League career, he found himself on the cover of Sports Illustrated being labeled "The Natural."
Then before he'd even played a full Major League season, he found himself with Alex Rodriguez and many of the game's other greats, while playing for the U.S. team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.
Just last year, he earned his first career Rawlings Gold Glove Award and enjoyed an offseason during which he married his high school sweetheart.
Life was grand for Francoeur until he was slapped in the face with cruel reality this year. After a respectable April, the strong-armed right fielder began experiencing a swoon that would lead him through bouts of despair and eventually back to the Minors.
On the evening of July 3, after hitting .207 with a .319 slugging percentage during a 37-game stretch, Francoeur was called into Braves manager Bobby Cox's office. There he was told he was being sent back to Double-A Mississippi to work on his swing and strengthen his fractured confidence.
The lowest point of Francoeur's athletic career was realized the next afternoon, while flying alone back to the Minors on agent Lonnie Cooper's private jet.
"All I could think about was how did it get to this point this quick?" Francoeur said.
As he struggled during May and June, the always vibrant Francoeur became more sullen. After a rough night at the ballpark, he'd often return home and find himself watching video of the at-bats he and some of the game's top hitters had experienced a few hours earlier.
Many times, he'd stay awake until 4 a.m., wondering what had happened to that swing that had allowed him to register consecutive 100-RBI seasons the two previous years.
"I was so down on myself," Francoeur said. "I felt I was the worst baseball player in the world and I wondered if I'd ever get it back. I was always the guy who couldn't wait to get to the ballpark. This year there were days when I wondered, 'Do I really have to go to the ballpark?'"
During his first full Major League season in 2006, Francoeur hit 29 homers with a .260 batting average. In '07, Francoeur hit .294 with 19 homers. Thus this was going to be the year that he meshed power and consistency.
But as he heads into this season's final weekend, he finds himself hitting .237 with 11 homers and plenty of determination to ensure he never sees such numbers again.
"There's no doubt that he has the ability to be one of the most productive middle-of-the-lineup hitters in the game," said Chipper Jones, who has seen Francoeur's once rock-solid confidence shaken repeatedly this year.
While confidence was once an issue, determination has allowed Francoeur to begin looking toward the future.
"I've got something to prove next year," Francoeur said. "Whenever I've been pushed against the wall, I've always come back swinging and fighting."
Now Francoeur finds himself faced with the task of making sure his words become a reality. He plans to begin taking batting practice at least two times a week in November and December, before accelerating that schedule to four times a week in January.
Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton is hopeful that Francoeur will stick to this plan. Given what he endured this year, there's a good chance the young outfielder will never allow himself to not take regular swings until about two weeks before the start of Spring Training.
"You've got to have a fighting heart," said Pendleton, who will be with Francoeur during these offseason batting practice sessions. "It's up to him."
Once considered a foundation on which the Braves could build for the future, Francoeur spent part of this summer wondering if rumors that he could be traded would prove true. Conversations with Braves general manager Frank Wren and Cox have alleviated his concerns.
While hitting .282 this month, Francoeur has been encouraged and provided the opportunity to once again be the fun-loving spirit that has always made him such a beloved individual to family, friends and fans.
"I think I'm about 80 percent back to being Frenchy," Francoeur said in reference to his nickname. "But I'll never fully be back to being myself until this season ends, because every night I have to look up at that scoreboard and see those numbers."
