Tagged: jeff francoeur

July 11, 2009

It’s Time To Fire Dayton Moore!/A New Home For Jeff Francoeur

Sorry for the late post, I typed it all this morning but the server lost it.

What Was Omar Minaya Thinking!

Mets trade OF Ryan Church to the Braves for OF Jeff Francoeur

Standard Analysis: Jeff Francoeur is a swing-at-everything, horrible hitter. He is also a defensive black hole. THE END.

Statistical Analysis: Since his superb rookie season that got him on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Jeff Francoeur has gone downhill, mightily. Normalizing his stats to allow for the 2009 season, since that rookie year, Francoeur has hit:

.262/.305/.409, 18 HR, 32 2B, 3 3B, 78 R, 91 RBI, 34 BB, 121 SO Ouch.

Church is a interesting player, lightyears better than Francoeur. Batting line:

.277/.349/.453, 16 HR, 36 2B, 2 3B, 68 R, 75 RBI, 51 BB, 122 SO

Church somehow manages to strikeout more than Francoeur, but makes up for it with walks, something Francoeur does not do.

Defensively, Church is at the uppermost reach of above-average, and Frenchy is slightly below-average.

Church is superior offensively, defensively, and the better baserunner. The only problem with this acquisition for Atlanta is that trading a righty hitter for a lefty hitter creates a situation where they would have 6 lefty hitters facing a LHP. Why anyone would want Jeff Francoeur is a mystery, and why the would give up church for him is a bigger one.

Mariners trade SS Yuniesky Betancourt to the Royals for RHP Danny Cortes, and LHP Derrick Saito

Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik showed his trade savvy, and Royals GM Dayton Moore showed his utter lack of baseball knowledge by agreeing to this trade.

Yuniesky Betancourt is a poor offensive player who doesn’t get on base, a atrocious defensive player who sports a -18 UZR at SS, a poor baserunner, and a player who doesn’t listen to his coaches, and who doesn’t have any sort of work ethic whatsoever. That the M’s got anything for him is shocking. That they came away with a pair of top prospects is beyond words.

Danny Cortes is a top-tier starting prospect at Double-A with a strong fastball, he relies on the strikeout. He has some control-related issues to work out, but still projects as a number 3 starter.

Derrick Saito is a cannon armed relief pitcher who is dominating A ball. He strikeout many, walks few, and is not prone to the longball. He isn’t closer material, but he should develop into a effective lefty middle reliever/setup man.

Betancourt will be no help at all to the Royals, he has a expensive contract, and will have no place in KC once Mike Aviles returns before the 2010 season. The Royals are out of the playoff chase, and would have had no problem with keeping all-glove no-hit Tony Peña in the lineup as they finish out another losing season. This was a pointless acquisition.

Dayton Moore has a history of bad moves with the Royals, this ridiculous trade is the final straw. Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and congratulations to Jonathan Sanchez on his no-hitter!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire Dayton Moore!!!!!!!!!!

And one last thing…

FIRE DAYTON MOORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

July 1, 2009

Early NL MVP Candidates: Edition 2

(Yes, I know I did not do an edition one, but we’ll just pretend I did)

1. Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals

Who Else? Pujols has already one a pair of Cy Young, he has 349 homeruns at age 29, he’s the greatest hitter ever etc. I’ll go ahead and outline Pujols accomplishments for 2009 anyway. As we approach the all-star break, Pujols leads the NL in, homeruns (30), runs (61), rbi’s (77), on-base percentage (.453), slugging percentage (.743), total bases (197), and on-base+slugging percentage (1.197). Pujols is not far behind David Wright in batting average. MVP in pocket? Triple Crown?

2. Raul Ibanez, LF, Phillies

The Phillies were ridiculed for signing Ibanez to replace Pat Burrell, creating a L-L-L, 3-4-5 part of their lineup. Don’t look now, but Ibanez is third to Pujols in HR’s (22), second in .SLG (.656), third in .OPS (1.027), and total bases (164), fourth in RBI (59), and sixth in runs (15). Ibanez has never come close to winning an MVP award, and won’t this year because of Pujols, but he is one of the top three hitters in the NL.

3. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres

The only good offensive player in the San Diego lineup, Gonzalez is second in homeruns (24), leads in walks (63), is fifth in OPS (1.002), ninth in total bases (154), and ranks in top ten in many other categories. If only A-Gone had some offensive help, (like people getting on base in front of him), he’d rack up extraordinary numbers.

Joke Of The Day: Jeff Francoeur’s ultimate sandwich!

It starts with French bread, because he’s frenchy, then swiss cheese because its full of holes, just like his swing, don;t forget the bacon, sausage, ham, because somehow, he’s the meat of the Braves’ order. No vegetables, because if he ate his, he wouldn’t be flirting with the Mendoza line.

Welcome to the Golden Sombrero Club Jason Bay

0-5 5 strikeouts

June 3, 2009

Back to .500 Again

Why are the Cubs tanking again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One week it’s the hitting, the next it’s the starting pitching, and now it’s the bullpen!!!!!!! Poor Randy Wells, the journeyman minor league pitches 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, yet the bullpen can’t hold a 4-run lead for two innings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First Carlos Marmol gives up a pair of runs in the eighth, fine 2-run lead for Kevin Gregg. Two outs, and Gregg implodes again!!!!!!!!!!! Game tying two-run shot by Jeff Francoeur, and Atlanta wins in the 12th. The Cubs may only be 4 games out of first, but with Zambrano suspended, Harden injured, and nothing functioning, can this season get any worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Day in Baseball History

1888-Ernest L Thayer’s poem Casey at the Bat appears in the San Francisco Examiner.

1932-In Philadelphia, Lou Gehrig becomes the first player in the twenieth century to hit four home runs in one game and barely misses a fifth as the Yankees hammer out a major league record for total bases with 50 against the A’s.

1932-Citing poor health, the Giants announce the resignation of long time skipper, John McGraw; in his thirty-two year tenure, the fiery manager won three World Series and nine National League flags including a record four consecutive pennants.Citing poor health, the Giants announce the resignation of long time skipper, John McGraw; in his thirty-two year tenure, the fiery manager won three World Series and nine National League flags including a record four consecutive pennants.

1978-Phillies’ Davey Johnson becomes the first major leaguer to pinch-hit two grand slams in one season. His ninth inning bases-loaded shot beats the Dodgers, 5-1.

1980-The Mets select 18-year old Darryl Strawberry as the #1 pick in the June draft.

1989-It takes 22 innings and seven hours and 14-minutes for the Astros to beat the Dodgers, 5-4 making it the longest game in National League history.

1995-Expo hurler Pedro Martinez hurls nine perfect innings against Padres before giving up a double to Bip Roberts in the bottom of tenth after Montreal had taken the lead. Mel Rojas saves the 1-0 gem.

2001-Manny Ramirez’s 491-foot, fifth deck home run is the longest home run ever hit in the history of the SkyDome. The Red Sox DH’s moon shot eclipses A’s first baseman Mark McGwire’s record established in 1996.

2003-Slugger Sammy Sosa is ejected from the game during the first inning after he shatters his bat and the broken remains exposes cork. The Cub outfielder will be suspended by major league baseball for 8 games (will be reduced to 7) his offense.

June 1, 2009

Braving A Dilemma

The Braves’ outfield is a complete mess, they could pick three guys of the street who would play better than what they have now. Where is the root of their problems?

Could it be that CF Jordan Schafer is hitting like what he is, a minor leaguer? Or is RF Jeff Francoeur still swinging at everything? Maybe it’s because LF Garrett Anderson can’t hit anymore? Whatever the cause maybe, the Braves’ outfield is hitting, .237/.288/.327 combined, Matt Diaz and Greg Norton won’t be the solution to this problem; Josh Anderson’s playing in Detroit, Atlanta doesn’t have any outfield prospects, no good outfielder is available. The Braves are in trouble, big trouble.