So it will come as no surprise come April 4 when the Mets stage their only at-home dress rehearsal for their 2010 season that Francoeur will be found in the farthest reaches of Citi Field’s right field, sending baseballs toward the plate. He wants to measure the power of his arm against the Mo Zone area that has frustrated some hitters.
“It’d be cool,” Francoeur said, “to make a throw from there and to throw one farther than some guys can hit ‘em.”
...“I think I have a pretty good rep now,” Francoeur said. “I see some times when I’m sure a guy’s going, and he gets held or they don’t send a guy [on third base] when there’s a fly ball. And yeah, I have seen some times when a guy on second just slows down as he gets to third. He doesn’t make a hard turn. I’d like to think that’s because of my arm. I’m getting fewer chances now.”
Francoeur’s arm might not be put to use more than once in a week now, and so his throwing develops a sense of mystique; like, speaking of arms, reclusive Sandy Koufax. The legend grows even in the absence of additional evidence.
... He acknowledges Ichiro Suzuki is at least as much a force in right field. But Francoeur believes he reigns in the NL. He wants more assists this year to eliminate any doubt that might develop. An occasional spring golfing partner with Tiger Woods and Woods’ good friend, John Smoltz, Francoeur said, “It’s a cool feeling when you can think you’re as good as anyone doing something.”
He believes he has a place in the conversation about the best arms ever in the game. He has seen enough clips of Roberto Clemente to know who the best is. Dave Parker, Dwight Evans, Vladimir Guerrero, Raul Mondesi, Rick Ankiel, Brad Hawpe, Jesse Barfield, Dave Winfield and Ellis Valentine are the arms he has heard about. He knows less about Rusty Staub, Carl Furillo, Rocky Colavito and Tris Speaker. And he remains a tad miffed that Dawson was omitted from the Prime 9 presented by the MLB Network.
Repoz
Posted: March 17, 2010 at 02:32 PM |
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1. Dan SzymborskiProbably very soon.
Probably very soon.
We can all hope so.
Eh, everybody's been wrong now and again. If Francoeur plays well this year it doesn't mean he was good in the past. I don't think him playing well would be a huge disappointment to most people.
Nah, Staub had a good arm. Probably not in the Clemente-Barfield-Ichiro class, but he's not an embarassment on that complete list (particularly with the inclusion of Vlad and Parker, whose arms were powerful but far from good).
That was my first thought after reading the excerpt.
Francoeur has only "heard about" Ankiel and Hawpe?
And that was the second.
I don't think him playing well would be a huge disappointment to most people.
I actively don't like Frankie ... definitely one of my least favorite guys in the bigs, esp. in the non-felon division. Of course, I've an excuse - I'm a Braves fan.
Except in 1973, when he hurt his shoulder. He was underarming the ball back in.
I actively don't like Frankie ...
I think he is probably a good guy, which is why the press eats him up. I just hate the love fest for a mediocre player (at best). If he improves, great.
I swear I saw Ellis Valentine do it at Olympic Stadium once. (Ellis what at the Stadium - I was at home watching on TV). I need a way to search RetroSheet to see if my memory is not fooling me.
There's something about Expos that leads them to trying this. Walker used to like to go for 9-3 putouts too.
I am sure Ellis tried many times as well, I just think he was successful at least once. I did a search on Ellis Valentine 9-3 - turns out that was the date in 1975 he debuted.
Playing on concrete helps.
As does playing in the National League. If the pitcher hits a rare liner to right on turf, a strong-armed outfielder has a legitimate chance to get him at first. I'd be surprised if Valentine didn't throw out a few guys on hard-hit balls to right.
That's my question.
If so, he wouldn't be a bad hitter....
his Bref advanced fielding page shows him having one assist to 1B in 1979, though, of course, this could have been catching the runner making too wide a turn
Or catching a baserunner who failed to tag on a fly ball.
This is the quote...
CUBS 1ST: De Jesus singled; Sizemore popped to second; Bucknerforced De Jesus (right to first); Kingman struck out; 0 R, 1 H,
0 E, 1 LOB. Expos 1, Cubs 0.
A player who failed to tag?
Sounds like I remembered something that never happened.
EDIT - hold on - that can't be failed to tag because it was a one out play. How do you force someone out at second with a throw to first? The first baseman covering second?
I take it Bucker was thrown out at first by Valentine, with DeJesus moving to second on the play. It's kind of confusing.
If that was directed at me, I meant in the absolute sense that he was caught off the base on a flyball. For instance: guy is running on the pitch, fly ball to Ellis in right, he doubles him off the bag when he doesn't get back in time.
There's Retrosheet ruining memories again.
Sort of - I was trying to decipher the retrosheet gobblygook and was wondering if their text was referring to your example. Then I realized it wasn't and added my edit.
Hold the phones - you are saying Buckner was thrown out - now to find out if he rounded the corner or actually got beaten to the bag.
Maybe I was too quick to give up.
Beaten to the bag. If he was thrown out rounding, the Cubs linescore would have read 0 R 2H 0E.
Ah you are, of course, correct - Buckner rounding first would have been scored a hit.
But this is confusing..
The boxscore at BRef clearly shows a runner on first when the play is done. Either (1) BRef is mistaken and it should show a runner on first or (2) The boxscore is trying to show a 9-3-4 force out or (3) something even more bizarre happened.
EDIT - On further reflection and reviewing some other sheets I suspect it was a 9-3 with the first baseman covering second base for the forceout. I can't picture it in my head but that is what I think they are trying to convey.
Mediocre, handsome, white, ex-quarterback shill for Delta that just refuses to go away. Gag me with a spoon. I actually feel bad for Francoeur, because I suspect the media will turn on him one day (yes, I know there's no evidence to suggest that they will) and he'll feel betrayed.
Agreed - though the 9-3 scoring is interesting.
I'm guessing a shorthop on a bloop with the runner playing it half way.
Hmmm... I was about to say, bloop to short right, 2B goes out so 1B goes down to second to cover ... but the SS would cover there. It would have to be some strange ball with the 2B, SS, CF and RF all chasing it to force DeJesus at 2nd by throwing to the 1B.
How about ... bloop to right that is trapped. DeJ thinks it's caught and heads back to 1B with Buckner standing on 1B. I'm not sure which of the runners owns the bag in that situation ... and it would be a tag on DeJ not a force.
What's the scoring if Buckner passed DeJ?
Still needs to learn to take a frakking walk, though. O for 26 so far. The Francoeur Effect?
edit: or maybe not. Frenchy's OBP is a hundred points higher than his batting average!
It's lose-lose, pretty much. If he drives in runs through the All-Star break and Minaya's around, we're looking at 3/20. If he plays poorly the Mets are that much further this year from contending.
None of the Mets starters have ERAs yet under 6.00, in 32.2 innings.
I'm sure there's a silver lining, though. Lassus?
Buckner's out, DeJesus back to first. Just guessing, but likely a putout to the first baseman, no assist.
The flyball scenario you gave is the most likely possibility.
Fixed.
Obviously, Martinez didn't walk a ton in the minors so your point stands. But not walking in 26 spring training AB, especially when the guy is hitting north of .500, has pretty much no significance.
None of the Mets starters have ERAs yet under 6.00, in 32.2 innings.
I'm sure there's a silver lining, though. Lassus?
Do you really want to fight with every Met fan here? It's spring training, and early spring training at that.
None of the Mets starters have ERAs yet under 6.00, in 32.2 innings.
I'm sure there's a silver lining, though. Lassus?
The season's about to start?
The silver lining is Francoeur plays well this year, we sign him for 3/20, and he plays well or replacement-level all three of those years. I wouldn't bother to predict that performance, but if this is about rose-colored conditionals, I'd say that's it. The realistic silver lining is that we've had a lot of kids playing very well this spring.
I'm not really sure what the heck you're looking for. I understand fan frustration, but if that's all you're going to be, past a certain point you just shouldn't pay attention. I get the point - you think we screwed up. I think we certainly could have had a better off-season, but I'm only willing to complain about it to a certain volume and then there's no point for me. If there is for you, then there is.
I'm sorry if I've made it seem as if I think you shouldn't have any negative opinions. I just think you should repeat the same ones four times instead of five because I got the point after the third time.
He tried for this quite frequently; it was thrilling to be at the game where he actually pullewd it off.
btw, I didn't really have to write "The Francouer Effect" /sarcasm, did I?
Your points are certainly not 100% invalid, and I'm sorry I haven't given you credit for the - admittedly to me, scant - positives you've touted. I could stand to be more substantive in my disagreements, baseball-wise.
(Geez, for someone who gave you your new name, you're sure ungrateful. :-D)
Sigh. I'll just say I certainly hope this ends up being right, and be glad you can't see me rolling my eyes and shaking my head at this behind your virtual back, Rasky.
Hell, I still think Daniel Murphy is going to be an above average 1Bman for the next decade. I just hope he doesn't have to do it with the Pirates. Assuming it was his, given the way Manuel talks Murphy could easily lose the starting job if he doesn't start hitting by April.
No, it was an honest apology! Jeez yourself. I was trying to make whatever you called me match up to your description, failed, and went for dry humor.
I'm over Maine. I'm all about Pelfrey and Perez and Mejia, who I think I'm going to be calling "Gojira"
I would love the Mets to give Pelfrey in particular the best possible change by upgrading 2B <u>now</u> and eating Castillo's contract if need be.
For the love of Jesus' butthole, Francoeur's white? I wouldn't have guessed that if I'd been given a hundred tries.
White, toolsy, terrible ... makes the media obsession make extra sense.
In fact, given all this and his resurgent year at the plate I'm impressed they were even trying to trade Castillo this offseason. Did they ever say why, or was it just noise?
Actually, Walker was pretty much always spectacular in Colorado. I know it's Coors and all, but how does .381/.462/.710 lifetime strike you?
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