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Friday, December 18, 2009

NBC.com: Stubborn Francoeur has a ways to go

Matthew Cerrone has a fine interview with sabermetric whipping boy Jeff Francoeur over on Metsblog.com, where you can watch the video or read the text. I’ll just post the first question and response, since it was the one most interesting to me:

Cerrone: Yesterday, you did a chat with MLB.com, and, on it you were asked a question to compare On-Base-Percentage guys to RBI guys, and you said one does one thing, one does the other. But, it seems to me you would want to both. What is the difference there, and what did you mean by that?

Francoeur: Well, I think you obviously want to go both. But, you look at a guy that I played with in Atlanta this year, Garret Anderson, who’s had a heck of a career and his OBP isn’t that great. I think you learn as you go, I’m still 25 and I’m learning different things, learning the strike zone and hopefully I will continue to get better at that; but, at the same time, I’m not going up there thinking to walk, thinking about this or that, if there is a guy on second or third I’m gonna try to drive him in - that’s my first priority. Whether I ground out or fly out or whatever, I want to get him and do my best to help the team. I think as you learn more you’re OBP goes up; but, I think for me, that’s not something I just think about. I know to a lot of statistical people OBP seems to be a huge thing… 15 to 20 years ago it wasn’t a big deal… and all of a sudden it is.

Tripon Posted: December 18, 2009 at 02:09 AM | 11 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: history, media, mets, sabermetrics

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1. PreservedFish Posted: December 18, 2009 at 04:53 AM (#3416579)

Funny, after Francoeur's numbers first started cratering, Garret Anderson was the guy I compared him to, in a sort of: "well, I guess he'll never be that good, but he might still be a strong contributor." Now he would give his left nut to be as good as Anderson.

2. HGM Posted: December 18, 2009 at 04:53 AM (#3416580)

It's like dumb, dumber, and dumbest. He keeps outplaying himself.

3. Lassus Posted: December 18, 2009 at 04:56 AM (#3416582)

Well, that was just uncalled for, Tripon.

4. Misirlou's got a busy day, he's wearing a vest Posted: December 18, 2009 at 04:57 AM (#3416584)

15 to 20 years ago it wasn’t a big deal… and all of a sudden it is.

Of course it was a big deal back then. That's why Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines had long careers and Omar Moreno and Vince Coleman didn't. That's why Darrell Evans continued to be employed after his batting average dropped below .250 and George Bell didn't.

5. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: December 18, 2009 at 05:54 AM (#3416614)

I actually think Francoeur has to think like this to be successful. He's not going to walk a lot and it's not something a lot of people can just learn. I think that's why he was especially bad with Atlanta the last few years. He was caught in-between.

Francoeur is going to have to hit around .300 with good power to be a solid offensive player. Being able to stay healthy is an underrated skill and he needs to play good defense. These are hard things to do but I think there's a chance he can. Remember, Garrett Anderson didn't really break out into the good and consistent offensive player he was in his prime until he was 26.

It may not happen with the Mets and it probably won't happen at all. But if I were a GM, he's someone I would be willing to take a risk on if the risk was small because I think there is an upside.

6. Dan Szymborski

Posted: December 18, 2009 at 06:37 AM (#3416635)

In all truth, Anderson wasn't really a good hitter for very long. Only in two seasons could he really be described as clearly above-average. Most of the rest of the year, he could roughly be described as average offensively, but he was usually on the low side.

7. Something Other Posted: December 18, 2009 at 06:47 AM (#3416639)

I actually think Francoeur has to think like this to be successful.

Probably so, but I just don't want him on the Mets. Not at $4m. The Mets OF is thin enough without betting on an upside that is, optimistically, average, and a downside that's a reeking black hole. (I'm assuming that UZR is an accurate reflection of Francoeur's bulking up after 2007 and that his days of being a plus defender in RF are over. I know Dewan says otherwise...).

8. billyshears Posted: December 18, 2009 at 07:10 AM (#3416647)

I get the hate, but I don't think Francoeur deserves it. I don't expect any professional athlete to continually beat himself up over the things he can't do. Francoeur acknowledged his weakness, stated that he was working on it, but contended that he could still be a productive player despite those weaknesses because of his strengths. That's a pretty understandable position.

9. Ignatius J. Reilly Posted: December 18, 2009 at 09:02 AM (#3416660)

Garret Anderson was ####### terrible last year. And I'm not even talking about his offense.

10. Obi One Kenobi Nil

Posted: December 18, 2009 at 09:17 AM (#3416662)

I’m still 25 and I’m learning different things, learning the strike zone and hopefully I will continue to get better at that; but, at the same time, I’m not going up there thinking to walk, thinking about this or that, if there is a guy on second or third I’m gonna try to drive him in - that’s my first priority. Whether I ground out or fly out or whatever

I think that's really the key bit. It gives the impression that his interpretation of the best way to drive someone in is to go up there hacking and just get something on the ball and hope it drops in somewhere. This might well be a product of him being pretty awful at recognising pitches or it might be because he just hasn't made the connection between not swinging at everything and getting a pitch you can drive.

If the former than it's a skill problem and WYSIWYG, if the latter then it's a mental/stubborness thing.

11. bunyon Posted: December 18, 2009 at 02:17 PM (#3416691)

I think the Francouer hate is similar to the Jeter hate. It's more about press fawning than the guy himself.

At least it is/was for me. It was appalling how the Atlanta press treated him.

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Friday, December 18, 2009

NBC.com: Stubborn Francoeur has a ways to go

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