Sunday, September 20, 2009

Jeff Francoeur is Mr. Met

Everyone is talking about that kid from Atlanta. Turns out it's for good reason.

Jeff Francoeur may be the lone bright spot of this lost season, but it's not this season that has me excited about the man with a rocket arm.

Francoeur is a heaven sent gift. The Mets haven't had a reliable arm in right since...think about it...since Strawberry? Oh wait, I forgot about Richard Hidalgo...right. Francoeur won't be the power bat and potential MVP candidate that Straw was but he's the first legitimate right fielder the Mets have had in what seems like the better part of two decades.

Defense is a weakness for this ballclub and Frenchie sures up the outfield providing a stellar tandem with him in right and Beltran in center.

But don't get me wrong, Francoeur is more than just a glove and an arm. The gauty numbers of his rookie campaign may have you questioning Francoeur's ability at the plate, but everything that I've seen makes me believe he's exactly the right fit for this team.

Frenchie is batting .314 since joining the Mets while also driving in 34 runs and scoring another 30. He's gritty. He's hard-nosed. He's intense. And he's not camera shy. Could New York get a better combination in an athlete?

Francoeur will not be the power bat the Mets desperately need. He's not an offensive leader that you will rely on, but he's exactly the type of player the Mets need to fill in their lineup. He'll most likely bat 6th next season, and don't be surprised if the Mets lock him up for a few extra years before the calendar changes.

Sure he swings at bad pitches still and strikes out a lot, but Francoeur may go down in history as the only win the Mets can get in Atlanta.

1 comment:

Matt Seeker said...

I couldn't agree with you more. Hefe is the best thing for this Mets team. They are in great need of a hustle guy, who plays hard and isn't paid twice the league average. He will go out there and work for you and possibly start to sway the clubhouse. It worked with Rowand in Philly, It could work here. You know how I feel, get better and get back to playin'!

Thought you guys could use a little levity poking fun at a common foe:

http://www.phillyosophy.net/2009/09/doctors-report-increase-in-cases-of.html