Cody Bellinger Hit 3-Run Home Run Scoring Trent Grisham , Ben Rice Advancing New York To ALDS With 9-2 Win Over Boston In Game 2 Of Wild Card Series Wednesday Night In Bronx New York

Cody Bellinger is left fielder for New York the team that wears the pinstripes who hit 3-run home run scoring Trent Grisham who is center fielder , Ben Rice 360 feet in bottom of 6th inning at the time extending New York the team that wears the pinstripes lead over Boston 8-1 in game two of Wild Card Series

Though,

Before Cody Bellinger contributed offensively to New York the team that wears the pinstripes 9-2 win over Boston in game two of Wild Card Series advancing New York the team that wears the pinstripes to ALDS Cody Bellinger caught the first pitch that was thrown out by his father Clay Bellinger who was drafted in 1989 spent 10 grinding minor league seasons before finally making his MLB Day Debut at the age of 30 in 1999. By the time he reached the big leagues he was already an older depth piece rather than a developing prospect limiting his window to establish a leanthy tenure. Following his MLB days ended he played Triple A Ball. Over Major League Seasons 1999-2002 with New York the team that wears the pinstripes, Los Angeles Angels Clay Bellinger batting average was 193 with 257 on base percentage. Clay Bellinger was valued for his defensive versatility every position except pitcher and catcher rather than his bat. When his performance dropped Clay Bellinger was released by New York the team that wears the pinstripes before failing to stick with Los Angeles Angels.

Though,

Cody Bellinger’s 3-run home run wasn’t the only offense that helped New York the team that wears the pinstripes advance to ALDS as Luis Garcia Jr. who is first baseman got them on scoreboard homering to right 387 feet putting New York the team that wears the pinstripes ahead of Boston 1-0 in bottom of 4th inning before Cody Bellinger singled to right scoring catcher Austin Wells extending New York the team that wears the pinstripes lead over Boston 2-0. In bottom of 6th inning George Lombard Jr. who is shortstop singled to center scoring Spencer Jones who is right fielder who is taking the place of captain, right fielder Aaron Judge who is yet again on the injured list this time with moderate strain of soleus muscle in right calf at extending New York the team that wears the pinstripes lead over Boston 3-1 follow Willson Contreras getting Boston on scoreboard with home run in top of 6th inning before Austin Wells hit sacrifice to left scoring scoring George Lombard Jr. before Ryan McMahon who is third baseman grounded out Caleb Durbin scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. who is second baseman at time extending New York the team that wears the pinstripes lead ahead of Boston 5-1 in bottom of 6th inning. In the top of 7th inning Nick Sogard who is second baseman scored Boston’s second run of game before Austin Wells singled to center scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Offensively supporting who?

Max Fried who started who pitched 6.0 innings surrendering 3 hits, 1 earned run , 1 walk while striking out 6 Boston batters. Will Warren who was in New York the team that wears the pinstripes starting rotation during 2026 regular who came on in relief of Max Fried who pitched 1.2 innings surrendering 1 hit, 1 earned run, 0 walks while striking out 1 Boston batter . Brent Headrick who came on in relief of Will Warren who pitched 0.1 innings surrendering 0 hits, 0 earned runs , 0 walks while striking out 0 Boston batters . David Bednar who came on in relief of Brent Headrick who pitched 1.0 innings surrendering 0 hits, 0 earned runs , 1 walk while striking out 1 Boston batter advancing New York the team that wears the pinstripes to ALDS where they will oppose Tampa Bay Rays who were crowned American League Champions with record of 98-64 who they finished second to in the American League East in 2026 regular season with record of 93-68 in best of 5 series starting Saturday in St. Petersburg Florida

Following New York the team that wears pinstripes advancing to ALDS with 9-2 win over Boston Wednesday night in Bronx New York Cody Bellinger catching first pitch from his dad Clay Bellinger hitting 3-run home run Cody Bellinger shared his thoughts by saying I definitely appreciate it. I'm able to appreciate it in the moment,That was a cool moment -- just a great game. I’m happy I was able to contribute, and we've got a lot more work to do.”There’s no secret sauce,For me, just take it as another at-bat. It felt like when I was playing baseball coming up, you didn't hear too much about the matchups. I was just playing baseball.”Man, it's a good feeling,”“I think that you enjoy it, but I feel like there's just so much more to do. So you obviously enjoy the moment, understand how cool it is, but keep on going.”

According to Bryan Hoch MLB article https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cody-bellinger-lifts-yankees-in-wild-card-series-with-home-run

New York the team that wears the pinstripes manager Aaron Boone is either going to start Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon Saturday against Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg Florida.

Originally Gerrit Cole was on schedule to start game three of Wild Card Series against Boston though it wasn’t necessary because New York the team that wears the pinstripes won series 2-0 on Wednesday night in Bronx Carlos Rodon who was available in bullpen in three game Wild Card Series against Boston is also an option.

Gerrit Cole finished the 2026 regular season with record of 10-9 with an earn run average of 3.61 because on Wednesday September 23, 2026 in New York the team that wears the pinstripes 9-2 win over Tampa Bay Gerrit Cole pitched 5.2 innings surrendering 3 hits, 2 earned runs 3 walks.

To who?

Gerrit Cole who started who pitched 5.2 innings surrendering 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks.

To who?

Jonny Deluca who is right fielder who doubled to right scoring Liam Hicks getting Tampa Bay on scoreboard at 7-1 in top of 4th inning before Cedric Mullins who is center fielder homered to right 375 feet while walking 3 batters striking out 8 Tampa Bay batters.

Carlos Rodon finished 2026 regular season with record of 7-3 with an earn run average of 2.67 because on Tuesday September 22, 2026 against Tampa Bay Carlos Rodon pitched 8.0 innings surrendering 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks.

To who?

Yandy Diaz who is designated hitter was 0-4 contributing offensively 0 runs 0 home runs 0 runs batted in. Jonathan Aranda who is first baseman 1-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Junior Cabinero who is third baseman was 0-3 contributing offensively 0 runs 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Liam Hicks who is catcher was 0-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Chandler Simpson was 1-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Jonny Deluca who is right fielder was 0-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Victor Messa Jr. was 1-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Jorge Mateo who is shortstop was 0-2 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Cedric Mullins who was pinch hitter who is center fielder was 0-2 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Richie Palacios who is second baseman who was 0-2 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. In game one 1 of doubleheader Tampa Bay offensively was unable to provide run support for Nick Martinez who started who pitched 6.0 innings surrendering 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk while striking out 7 New York the team that wears the pinstripes batters. Ty Johnson who came on relief of Nick Martinez who pitched 2.0 innings surrendering 0 hits, 0 earned runs , 0 walks while striking out 4 New York the team that wears the pinstripes batters.

According to ESPN App

Against who?

Drew Rasmussen who finished 2026 regular season with record of 16-5 with an earn run average of 2.67 because on Tuesday September 22, 2026 in Tampa Bay’s 6-1 win over New York the team that wears the pinstripes Drew Rasmussen 6.2 innings surrendering 1 hit, 1 earned run 3 walks.

To who?

George Lombard Jr. who is shortstop who singled to right scoring Heliot Ramos who was right fielder at the time getting New York the team that wears the pinstripes on scoreboard at 4-1 in bottom of 7th inning.

Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon are different because Gerrit Cole is a right handed starting pitcher while his teammate Carlos Rodon is a left handed pitcher. Drew Rasmussen is right handed pitcher like Gerrit Cole!

Though,

Could mother nature get in the way?

There isn’ chance of that happening though forecast is humid with periods clouds sun a couple afternoon showers a thunderstorm with 75 % chance because Tropicana Field is long home for baseball teams during spring training of St. Petersburg built a domed stadium in 1990 to lure a regular season resident . The City got it’s wish in 1998 when the expansion of Devil Rays came to town . Originally known as Sun Coast Dome and them as ThunderDome while served as home to NHL ‘s Tampa Bay Lighting , Tropicana Field was fully renovated for arrival of Devil Rays . It has several features modeled following Ebetts Field including the large entrance rotunda and the oddly configured , asymenttrical outifield in addition to those nods to baseball tradition . the stadium is filled with coutless restraunts, shops and other fan amenties that have led some to call it mallpark . A restraunt is located in straight away center field , with a dark screen that allows diners to watch the action on the field while providing a good hitters back ground . The beach is a section along left field that includes palm trees sand-colored seats in true Floridian style . Though, the cable supportted roof neccsaties an artificial playing surface , Tropicana Field has the most modern inncarnation of Astrotourf more closely simulating natural grass . It has that rare feature of an all dirt infield . Though, the team won only 69 games over the first two seasons at Tropicana Field Devil Rays fans were treated to an historic moment whe, on August 7, 1999 Wade Boggs became first player to ever have his 300th hit be a home run.

According to Book Take Me Out To The Ballpark An Illustrated Tour Of Baseball Parks Past and Present by Josh Leventhal

First pitch is set 6:30pm Eastern Time from Tropicana Field!

The game is going to be televised on TBS, HBO Max Tru TV , Univision / TUDN with Brian Anderson, Alex Faust , Ron Darling, Jeff Francoeur commentating!

Brian Anderson enters his 20th season with the Brewers after being named play-by-play announcer in January 2007. He is a three-time recipient of the Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year Award (2013-14, 2017), which is presented by the National Sports Media Association.

In addition, Anderson has been nominated for NSMA National Sportscaster of the Year in each of the past three years (2023-25). He has earned five Emmy Awards, most recently in 2020 for Outstanding Crafts Achievement for On-Camera Talent.

Beyond Brewers telecasts, Anderson has called play-by-play for TBS’s MLB postseason coverage for the past 18 seasons and will continue to call select national telecasts for MLBonTBS Tuesdays package in 2026. Outside of baseball, Anderson has covered a wide variety of events for TNT Sports, including the NBAonTNT, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, The Match, the PGA Championship and Grand Slam tennis at the French Open at Roland Garros. He called the NBA All-Star Game on TNT from 2023-25 and has been the play-by-play voice of the popular NBA2K video game since 2021.

Anderson joined the Brewers from Golf Channel where he worked as a live tournament host from 2003-06. He also spent time at FOX Sports Southwest calling NCAA basketball from 2002-07 and serving as sideline reporter for the San Antonio Spurs from 1999-2007, during which the Spurs won four NBA championships.

From 1998-2000, Anderson handled Minor League and Little League Baseball telecasts for ESPN. His broadcasting career began with Double-A San Antonio in the Texas League where he served as a radio and television play-by-play announcer from 1994-2002.

Anderson was a catcher on the nationally ranked baseball team at St. Mary’s University (TX) and graduated cum laude from the school in 1993 with a degree in English communications. His brother, Mike, pitched in the Major Leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 1993 and is currently a special assistant to the general manager with the Texas Rangers.

Brian, his wife, Michele, and daughter, Maddy, reside in Hartland, Wisconsin.

f you were lucky enough to bring Ron Darling to a party, how would you introduce him? Especially if the party was outside the New York City area, it’s possible you would have to do just that. While he has numerous accomplishments on and off the baseball field, he hasn’t grabbed the headlines (for all sorts of reasons good and bad) like other members of the 1986 Mets, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, etc. So, what would you say? All-Star? Gold Glove recipient? World Series ring holder? Ivy League All American with the longest no-hitter in NCAA history? Emmy award winner? All would be true and might leave your friends wondering why they wouldn’t have known all of this before.

At every point along the way, there seemed to be just a few things burning brighter in Ron Darling’s vicinity, something that stole some of the spotlight. Perhaps in ’86 (and after) it was all the attention paid to the other members of that famous (or sometimes infamous) team. Or that though he started the seventh game in the ’86 World Series, more people remember the Bill Buckner blunder in Game Six. Or that the longest college no-hitter actually ended up in a loss for the Yale Bulldogs, Darling’s team. Or perhaps it is just that there is little in the way of “negative press” that might have made even bigger headlines.

In total though, it all adds up to the solid, successful multifaceted career of someone who left a positive mark wherever he went. His life before and after baseball has had highs and lows but his achievement continued with a level of consistency most pitchers would love when standing on the mound. The best introduction might just be, “This is Ron Darling. Have a chat with him. He’s smart, accomplished, and has some great stories to tell.”

Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. was born on August 19, 1960, in Honolulu but grew up in Red Sox country — Millbury, Massachusetts. His mother was Hawaiian-Chinese, while his father was French Canadian, leading Darling to be fluent in Chinese and French as well as his native English.1 When asked what the best 10 years of his life were, he said, “Right now I think from 10 to 20 were my favorite years. I had an idyllic family life, great parents, three younger brothers who adored me, thought I was the cat’s meow. Went to an amazing high school. Went to Yale between those years. Played in the Cape Cod League, which was the last time I had fun. Now we use that term loosely. The last time I had fun playing the sport, you know, because it was before I was a professional. Yeah, 10 to 20 was amazing, because it got real serious after that.”2

While Darling called his stretch in the Cape Cod League the last time he had fun in baseball, the league is serious business for major-league prospects. Part of the fun may have been due to the many roles he got to play. His major-league career as a starting pitcher overshadows the versatility he displayed throughout his years in the Cape Cod League. As an example, in the league’s all-star game at Yankee Stadium, he played left field but jumped in to pitch and retire the final two batters in a one-run game. It is also worth mentioning that he came close to hitting for the cycle in this game, missing only a triple.3 In 2002 Darling was inducted into the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame along with 11 others, including Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, and Buck Showalter. At the time, he was considered “one of the best-all around players in Cape league history.” His league statistics include a .336 batting average, six home runs, and a 4-3 pitching record.4

Darling attended Yale University from 1979 to 1981, leaving after his junior year for professional baseball. He majored in French and Southeast Asian history. Upon entering Yale, his plan was to play both football and baseball. Once there, though, he focused on baseball, not for lack of love of the sport. A Yale sports department publication quoted him as saying, “If there were five or six regrets in my life, one is that I didn’t continue to play football at Yale. I would’ve loved to play for Carm [referring to legendary Yale football coach Carmen Cozza].”5

At Yale Darling was a strong hitter (usually hitting second or third in the lineup) and a top pitcher. He was the Yale pitcher on the mound for an NCAA regional tournament game against St. John’s in 1981, called by some the “greatest college baseball game ever played.” Darling was up against opposing pitcher Frank Viola, who later became a fellow Met and a very good friend. For 12 innings the two teams fought until St. John’s eked out a 1-0 victory. In a powerful display of pitching prowess, Darling pitched a no-hitter for 11 of those innings and struck out 16. The game ended on a double steal by St. John’s.6 

In 1981, after his junior year at Yale, Darling was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the amateur draft. That year he pitched for the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate, the Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League, where he ended with a 4-2 record as a starting pitcher. Before the 1982 season he was traded to the Mets along with pitcher Walt Terrell for infielder-outfielder Lee Mazzilli, and pitched in 1982 and ’83 for the Tidewater Tides. Called up to the Mets in September 1983, he made his major league debut on September 6, starting and losing to the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-0. Darling gave up one run in 6⅓ innings with six strikeouts and one walk. He started five games for the Mets in September, ending up with a 1-3 record and a 2.80 ERA.

In 1984 Darling won a spot in the starting rotation, but had a mediocre start to the season. In April and May he had a 3-3 record and a 4.61 ERA. But in June and July he won seven straight and finished the season 12-9 and with a 3.81 ERA. He finished fifth in the voting for the Rookie of the Year Award; teammate Dwight Gooden was the winner.

In 1985 Darling shaved almost a run off his earned-run average (2.90) and had a 16-6 record despite giving up a league-leading 114 walks. He was the number-two starter behind Gooden and made the All-Star team that year. He made his first major-league relief appearance in a celebrated 19-inning game against the Atlanta Braves, which the Mets won 16-13. Although the Mets (98-64) did not make the postseason, the strong season and Darling’s continuing improvement left them positioned well for the future.

The next year the Mets won the World Series over the Boston Red Sox with Darling as a key contributor. After posting a 15-6 record and a 2.81 ERA, he started World Series Games One, Four, and Seven, losing Game One, winning Game Four, and getting a no-decision in Game Seven. He posted a 1.53 ERA.

The years after the 1986 World Series were tough ones for the Mets and for Darling, described as “the dynasty that never happened.” While the team remained competitive for a few more years, the decline was clear. Darling continued to pitch solidly in 1987 with a 12-8 record but a 4.29 ERA. His highest career win total came in 1988 when he recorded a 17-9 record with a 3.25 ERA in 240 innings, another career high. Darling followed up in 1989 with a .500 record (14-14) and 3.52 ERA.

The 1990 season saw the Mets in transition, coming off a lackluster 1989 and management uncertainty. Darling found himself split between starting and a new role as a relief pitcher. The bullpen did not serve him well, and 1990 went down as Darling’s first losing season (7-9) with a bloated 4.50 ERA.

In 1991 Darling was again a starting pitcher; in fact, he started games for three teams. On July 15 he was traded along with pitcher Mike Thomas to the Montreal Expos for pitcher Tim Burke. Two weeks later, at the trading deadline, the Expos sent him to the Oakland Athletics for minor-league pitchers Matt Grott and Russ Cormier. With all the moving, Darling was 5-8 in the NL and 3-7 in the American league.

Darling had some success as a starter in Oakland, particularly in 1992, going 15-10. With his best stuff behind him, he made the adjustments that all major-league pitchers with long careers need to make. The A’s led the AL West Division that season. (Darling lost his only start in the ALCS as the Athletics fell to Toronto.)

Darling found the A’s welcoming and family-friendly.7 The good times in Oakland may have just added to the somewhat disheartening way that his playing career ended. On August 19, 1995, which also happened to be his 35th birthday, he was released; he chose to be released rather than be placed on the disabled list, which would have allowed him to remain with the team for the rest of the season. (He later admitted that he wasn’t prepared for the ending when it finally came, still believing he could fight his way back to a semblance of his prior performance. However that was not to be.8)

Darling won 136 major-league games and lost 116. His career ERA was 3.87. His performance on the mound could never be called flawless. There were times when he struggled with control (leading the National League in walks in 1985 was an example) but his “stuff” could be counted on to keep enough batters from putting together enough hits that runs would generally still be hard to come by. He also contributed through effective fielding, which earned him a Gold Glove in 1989. Darling was always a game-smart pitcher who was always ready to take the ball, and said he as proud of having a career that never included a trip to the disabled list.

For Darling, the 1986 Mets season and World Series win were important moments, but were just one stop in his multifaceted career of highs, lows, and reinvention. “I’m not always great at things, but I’m smart,” he told the New York Daily News.9

His post-baseball life has been active and never too far from the sport. He moved into broadcasting and was involved with various sportscasts and shows for several years. In 2005 Darling was the color commentator for the first Washington Nationals season. In 2006 he joined Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez in the broadcast booth for Mets games on the SNY network, and has won an Emmy award. As of 2015 he continued in the role of commentator/analyst.

In between the baseball, there was family, philanthropy, and writing a book. Darling and Antoinette Reilly, a model, were married in January 1986. They had two sons, Jordan and Tyler. They later divorced and in 2004 Darling married Joanna Last, a TV makeup artist.

In 2009 he founded the Ron Darling Foundation to help fund diabetes research (which his son Jordan contracted as an 11-year-old). The foundation later expanded its work to include collaborating with and donating to several organizations including Habitat for Humanity, the NYPD Foundation and Hurricane Sandy Relief.10

In 2009 Darling published a book, The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball and the Art of Pitching, in which he gave a detailed view of what is going on inside the head of a major-league pitcher — inning by inning, pitch by pitch. He combined moments from his own games with the Mets and the Athletics as well as key innings he witnessed as a broadcaster.

With his current days full as a New York Mets broadcaster, active philanthropist, father, and husband it seems his spectacular baseball career is certainly not Ron Darling’s whole story, but just an important chapter among many.

Jeff Francoeur‘s career has been a series of ups and downs, the high point coming in his first year in the majors, and his lowest occurring this past season. To avoid becoming a has-been at age-25, Francoeur will need to figure out how to harness his talent. Today we’ll take a look at what went wrong in his dreadful 2008, and what we can expect from him going forward.

Jeffrey Braden Francoeur was chosen by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 2002 amateur draft out of Parkview High School in Lillburn, Georgia. As a high school All-American in baseball who helped Parkview High win consecutive Georgia state 5A baseball championships playing right in the Braves’ backyard, he was hard to miss, and fit right in with Atlanta’s strategy of drafting regional talent.

He was placed in Rookie League with the Danville Braves, where he hit .327/.395/.585 in 147 at-bats, an effort that made him the sixth-best prospect in the organization according to Baseball America, who said that Francoeur had all of the tools needed to become a legitimate baseball star, but that he would have to acquire the experience needed to learn how to utilize them. He had the arm and the instincts to be a great defensive outfielder, with a smooth, no-hitch swing. There is one comment that stands out however, which reasonably presumed that: “as he focuses on baseball, he’ll understand how pitchers are trying to set him up at the plate…”

For his first full season, 19-year-old Frenchy was promoted to the Sally League, where his free-swinging tendencies were even worse than they had been the previous season, though it didn’t seem hopelessly detrimental at this stage. Francoeur’s .281/.325/.445 line was nothing spectacular, and his walk rate dropped from nine percent all the way down to 5.3, but he had also lowered his strikeout rate dramatically to 12 percent of his plate appearances, down from the 20.4 percent the previous year.

Francoeur didn’t overwhelm in his full-season debut at Rome, but for a guy who played mostly football in high school, it was an impressive start. His power and wheels are for real, and the scouting reports on his defense are better than the DT’s would suggest. He’ll need to learn how to handle breaking pitches and improve his approach at the plate, but he’s got time.

Baseball America rated Francoeur number two in the Braves’ system, naming him the best all-around athlete in the organization, and noting that he had the body and the swing to hit 30 home runs per year once he reached the majors. His strike-zone judgment needed improvement, though this was their lone issue with his performance.

The Braves promoted him to High-A for the 2004 season, and Francoeur responded by taking his offense back up a notch. His walk rate held with the previous season’s at 6 percent, but his strikeout rate climbed back up to 2002 levels. He did manage to show more pop, with his Isolated Power climbing from .164 to .215, with a line of .293/.346/.508 at Myrtle Beach, and for his efforts, Frenchy was promoted to Double-A Greenville, where he immediately flopped. At this point, Baseball Prospectus 2005 advised people to take the hype down a notch:

The Braves have a habit of spending high-round picks on suburban-Atlanta prep talents. Although that sounds like an awfully circumscribed draft strategy, like almost everything else over the last decade-and-a-half, it’s worked for them. Francoeur’s another one. The 23rd overall pick of the 2002 draft, he’s a raw and toolsy hitter with loads of ability. …he projects as a Gold Glove-caliber defender at the corners. He lacks plate discipline, but this past season he slugged .508 as a 20-year-old at High-A Myrtle Beach, which is perhaps the toughest hitting environment in the minors. Francoeur struggled badly after a promotion to Double-A Greenville, but it was only an 18-game sample. He doesn’t yet merit the stratospheric prospect ranking others have given him, but he’s still got the makings of a fine future.

His 2004 season was impressive, despite both the hitting environment and his missing five weeks after taking a pitch to the cheekbone, but his PECOTA projection suggested that he was not yet prepared for the majors, coming in at only .251/.291/.426 (which looks a lot like the 2006 line he would put up with the Braves). Francoeur spent half of his season at Double-A, improving on his small sample from 2004. He hit .275/.322/.487, a bit surprising for a 21-year-old who still couldn’t hit breaking pitches in his first full year at Double-A.

Baseball America named Frenchy the Braves’ number one prospect, pointing to his consistency in getting the barrel of the bat on the ball, his excellent bat speed, and his using the entire field, and qualified it all by noting the one significant issue that would continue to plague him-a lack of strike-zone judgment and plate discipline.

After an injury to Brian Jordan in July, Francoeur made his major league debut with the Braves. Frenchy took the National League by storm, decimating opposing pitching from his July 7 call-up through August 15, hitting .382/.394/.745 with a home run every 11 at-bats. His lack of plate discipline would ultimately catch up to him; his OBP was only 12 points higher than his batting average, and when the hits stopped coming in-Francoeur would hit just .245/.300/.419 with a home run every 31 at-bats the rest of the way-his value dropped precipitously. He continued to excel on defense though, setting a rookie record for assists.

Francoeur was struggling against right-handed pitching: though he destroyed southpaws at a .379/.408/.803 clip, he managed just .272/.310/.461 against right-handers. This problem is still with him, as Francoeur hit just .260/.301/.410 against right-handers from 2006-2008. Since he has never again hit lefties the way he did during that brief early span, his line has come nowhere close to that of his debut.

According to https://www.mlb.com/brewers/team/broadcasters

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ron-darling/

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/8386/player-profile-jeff-francoeur/