Veteran outfielder Jeff Francoeur has joined the FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast broadcast teams and will begin serving as an analyst for Braves games, according to an announcement from FOX. Per the announcement, Francoeur has retired from his playing career. The shift in career paths brings Francoeur’s 12-year Major League career to a close.
Formerly the No. 23 overall pick by the Braves in the 2002 draft, Francoeur was touted as one of the game’s top 100 overall prospects for year before his debut in Atlanta. A brilliant rookie campaign in 2005 that saw Francoeur turn in a .300/.336/.549 batting line and club 14 homers in just 70 games led to a third-place finish in National League Rookie of the Year voting, and the right fielder looked poised for stardom at that point.
Francoeur belted 29 homers as a sophomore with Atlanta, but his overall production (specifically his on-base percentage) deteriorated. He hit a more pedestrian .260/.293/.449 in that followup to his rookie season, and while he rebounded a bit in his third big league season, he never fully returned to the form he displayed as a rookie.
Eventually traded to the Mets in exchange for fellow outfielder Ryan Church in 2009, Francoeur bounced around the league a bit before a resurgent campaign with the 2011 Royals in which he hit .285/.329/.476 and enjoyed the lone 20-20 season of his career. Unfortunately, he again failed to follow up on that production.
Ultimately, Francoeur would go on to settle in as a bench piece, often landing with rebuilding clubs. Nicknamed “Frenchy” and revered for his clubhouse presence, Francoeur was routinely signed and traded for due to his leadership and positive influence on young players. He drew interest from multiple clubs on minor league deals this offseason, including the Marlins and Braves, both of whom he suited up for just this past season. In the end, however, Francoeur remained unsigned and will apparently not further pursue any opportunities.
Still just 33 years of age, Francoeur will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new media career, to say nothing of an affable personality, an infectious smile and a natural charisma that few in the game can match. Those traits seemingly make him a natural fit for television work, though many have also wondered if he might eventually enter into a coaching capacity to continue the mentoring of young players at which he excelled later in his career.
Assuming he does not make any form of comeback attempt, Francoeur’s career will draw to a close with a .261/.303/.416 batting line. In 1481 Major League games, Francoeur hit 160 home runs, 281 doubles and 27 triples. He also scored 626 times, knocked in 698 runs (including back-to-back 100-RBI campaigns in 2006-07) and stole 54 bases. Also known for his strong arm in right field even as his range declined, Francoeur took home a Gold Glove Award for his defensive work back in 2007. Including his $2.2MM signing bonus out of the draft, Francoeur earned nearly $30MM as a player over the life of his career.
We at MLBTR wish Francoeur the best of luck in the next chapter of his career and in whatever baseball has in store for him in the years to come.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I think I speak for all Braves fans when I say YESSSSS
I mean, can he be worse than the current Braves crew? I would rather Fox find someone who understands the game.
Maybe we’ll get lucky with Frenchie….
youtube.com/watch?v=2llUpTmIkdc
Congratulations to Frenchie on a fine MLB career and best wishes for greater success an an analyst.
With a personality that big, how can he fail?
Worth a mention: His 128 assists from right field ranks #24 all-time. With a few more years as a 4th outfielder he had a shot at the top 10.
Might be more anti sabrmetric than anyone else?
I remember when he was with the Royals and they were interviewing him after a game and he said ‘if OBP was so important, than it would be on the scoreboard’….while in the background of the interview there is OBP on the scoreboard.
“One day your 11, 12 games out, and the next you are in first!”
I can’t wait for this
Man, this is one of those retirements that makes me feel old. When I was a kid I was subscribed to a magazine called “Sports Illustrated for Kids”, and I remember he was one the cover on one of the additions during that rookie season of his; they were hyping him up as the next big thing. I’m pretty sure that I still have it somewhere in a box. I remember too that there was one with Dontrelle Willis on the cover in the same year haha. How quickly things can change.
Anyway, decent enough career, and good luck with life after baseball!
Believe on the cover of SI Francouer was given the nickname “The Natural.”
Even further back I remember him playing against my high school in the GHSA State Championship game, except then Francouer was an absolute stud playing football for Parkview…
Here is to a solid baseball career for Jeff Francouer. Some may say he ultimately never lived up to the lofty expectations put on him by analysts and scouts, but in my opinion he surpassed any and all expectations. Maybe he wasn’t a 5-time All-Star or league MVP, but he was such an excellent role model in the community, and he was still a very solid, all-around ball player.
You would be hard pressed to find a teammate better than Francouer, and not a single person in any clubhouse EVER had a single bad thing to say about the man. His smile was all-world, and his personality was so infectious that people just loved having Frenchy around…
Later on in his career, without any complaints nor a single discouraging remark, he immediately took to any role he was asked to fill. He was the ultimate clubhouse veteran, that would take any amount of time to help anyone that asked him for help, and he was just as charitable for his community and for those less fortunate than he.
What an amazing human being Francouer is and what a role model he has come to grow into for every kid and fan of baseball. I wish him nothing but the best of luck as he takes on this next task in his career!!
Get a room ;)
Jon Bois of SB Nation has a great “Pretty Good” on him I suggest everyone watch it.
Interesting career. A huge prospect and he was pretty great his first couple years but the power never developed and the swing and miss was massive.. The Padres have a guy like this now – Hunter Renfroe- But Renfroe is an awful defensive player.
… great hire.
loved him as a Phillie. wish he stayed longer. Thank you Frenchy
man does fox sports love their frat star MLB network rejects
great username but your attitude could use a turn through a spin cycle.
jockocracy I believe is how Cosell coined it. sad!
Now, if only we could get rid of that moron Chip Caray. Unfortunately I’m afraid we’re probably stuck with him until he dies because of his family name….
One of the arms in RF that you just don’t run on….#rocketarm
The talent level is so thin because there are too many teams in my opinion….I think they need to do a reverse expansion….get rid of 4 teams….A’s….Royals….Marlins and Padres….then let the remaining teams draft the players that make up those rosters….for instance the worst team by record would pick 1st and take Stanton for example then the next team takes Myers from the Padres….and so on….that would even out the talent and give teams a chance to be better….
Oops….I meant to post this on the thread about the Rockies/Marlins expansion draft in 1992….