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Atlanta Braves
Location: Atlanta, Ga. | Ballpark: Turner Field (50,096) | Spring Training: Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Owner: Liberty Media | GM: Frank Wren | Manager: Bobby Cox | World Championships: 3
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Braves report: Inside pitch
 

The Sports Xchange
 
 
Inside pitch · Roster · Notes, quotes
 

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Take a deep breath and relax. Right fielder Jeff Francoeur has not been demoted the way you think he has. Especially not all the way to Class AA Mississippi.

That destination was his choice. General manager Frank Wren asked Francoeur where he thought he'd feel most comfortable working on getting his swing back, and Francoeur produced some of his best offense under M-Braves manager Phillip Wellman.

Going down in the first place, though, was not Francoeur's choice.

Wren started thinking about that three weeks ago, and the conviction grew last weekend when the team was in Toronto. Francoeur's 1-for-12 performance in the Phillies series sealed it.

Wren and manager Bobby Cox handled it as sensitively as possible, delaying telling Francoeur until the press left the clubhouse Thursday. And both of them put the best face on the situation while talking to reporters Friday.

"We don't even really look at it as a demotion," Wren said. "We look at it as stepping back for a few days and decompressing and getting his game going."

"It's not a demotion," Cox said. "It's just a short period of time."

A specific period of time, it turns out: Francoeur will be back after the All-Star break.

But the only way Francoeur can get out of this slump is to swing his way out of it. That doesn't happen if he's benched, and it wasn't happening facing major league pitching.

"At the end of the day," Wren says, "there really wasn't a Plan B. Plan B was just watching and hoping."

Longtime friend and teammate Brian McCann's reaction? "Brutal."

BRAVES 6, ASTROS 2: The Braves got their first lead in a game in their last 47 innings when 1B Mark Teixeira scored in the second inning. RHP Tim Hudson gave up only one earned run in seven innings, and rookie RF Jason Perry tripled in his first major league at-bat.

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.

 
 

Atlanta Braves Message Board
Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Apr 6, 2007

July 10, 2009 12:59 am

For over four years now, I can't think of one time where the team as a whole looked like they wanted to go to the playoffs. I'm not talking about spurts of four of five games because there are plenty of those examples dating back to us scoring an ungodly amount of runs in 2006 right before and right after the All Star Break.

I'm talking about the team wanting it for more than a month, o ...(more)

Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 1, 2007

July 8, 2009 10:30 pm
 I hope Hudson can come back and contribute the second half. I love is approach toward the game and he brings chemistry to the club house. I think if he comes back we can move maybe Kiwakami to the bull pen. I hope we can have Hudson in the rotation a couple of more years. We would have one hell of a rotation, with Javier V., LOWE, JURGENS,HANSON AND HUDSON. Maybe we can trade for a power guy ...(more)
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 8, 2008

July 7, 2009 2:25 am
....about whether the Braves are buyers or sellers for 2009, I think the team has answered that question over the last 3 games.  

Like many of you, I was very excited by our sweep of the Phillies last week.  But, we have shown that we cannot score runs consi
...(more)
Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 10, 2008

July 9, 2009 5:16 pm
And looks who is number 1...

1. Jason Heyward, of, Braves
2. Mike Stanton, of, Marlins
3. Jesus Montero, c,
...(more)
Reputation:95
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 5, 2006

July 8, 2009 10:32 am
Why not try Matt Diaz out in right field as he will prob.; hit better than Frenchie.  It still amazes me how down hill he has really gone. 

As everyone has said a trade is going to happen and soon, the Braves are only 4 games out and they swept the
...(more)
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Sep 22, 2008

June 28, 2009 11:52 pm
Well what can you say about this kid.  I had to work today and couldn't watch it on the tube but I did catch the play by play on my phone's gamecast...  6 strong innings, just 2 hits and 2 walks... 

Just for the record, here are the following numbers.  That makes the Braves 5-0 when Hanson is the starter, whi
...(more)
Reputation:96
Level:Superstar
Since:Feb 8, 2007

July 4, 2009 8:14 pm

Just saw this piece and thought it was pretty sweet:

Dunn’s 300th home run ball was caught by U.S. Army Col. William Sanders, who returned it to Dunn, asking for nothing in return. Dunn gave him an autographed jersey, a couple of autographed baseballs and told Sanders to call him if he ever wanted tickets to a game.

Now, that is something all players need to look at. ...(more)

Reputation:88
Level:All-Star
Since:Jul 31, 2008

July 6, 2009 9:48 pm
I look through everyones postings almost everyday.  I see all the talk about trade rumors surrounding javy vasquez.  I also read alot of people saying we cant trade this guy, he has pitched awesome but has gotten no run support, and if he had he would be a 10 game winner right now.  I believe this is true, but he is probably one of your most valuable trading pieces at the deadline.& ...(more)
Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Sep 15, 2007

July 6, 2009 11:20 pm

I'm pasting below an aritcle from Mark Bradley of AJC.com about 6 possible trades for the Braves.  Pretty interesting reading.
Personally, I don't think we should give up Yunel Escobar in a trade right now unless it involves a stud first baseman or outfi ...(more)

Reputation:95
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 5, 2006

July 9, 2009 3:23 pm
Can Jason Bay be aquired from the Redsox before the deadline, would playing with Nate McLouth give him some incentive to consider a trade to Atlanta?

What would the Braves have to offer to aqui
...(more)
Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 1, 2007

July 7, 2009 9:56 pm
 Who will be the big bats out there next year that we might go after? I guess we will keep the same rotation for next year, at least i hope we do. But will we have the money next year to go after a couple of big name bats. Chipper is not getting younger i would think we would sign a couple of infielders, or what do we have in the minors that might be on the big club next year.
 Not
...(more)
Reputation:92
Level:All-Star
Since:Nov 4, 2006

July 8, 2009 11:44 pm
Back in Spring Training, there were a lot of people debating whether ot not to sign OF Andruw Jones. A lot of people were smitten with Jordan Schafer and thought he could end up being the next Andruw, so the Jones-Braves reunion was not to be. Now, he is with the ...(more)
Reputation:89
Level:All-Star
Since:Mar 19, 2009

July 2, 2009 1:22 am
The rumors of an impending deal involving Yunell Escobar ticks me off to no end.  The guy is a great player with one of the best arms from shortstop in the whole game. Solid bat, good defensively overall. Yes, he may act immature sometimes and yes he makes bad errors occasionally, but the man is too valuable to trade unless you get an allstar in return. I'd love to see Escobar and Infante or ...(more)
Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 1, 2007

July 9, 2009 5:11 pm
 Who do all that think we have a good chance of getting, and what will it costs us? I think after the Cubs series, we will be buyers, i think we are close of being able to run off a winning streak here. Just need that one strong bat.
Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 10, 2008

June 30, 2009 8:36 am
I notice that every time trade discussion comes up Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francouer are always on the top of the list. Yes, they haven't been performing and we need more production out of their position.

But what would you expect to get in a trade for them? If trade individually, our return won't be great. Look at t
...(more)
 
 
 
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