FRANCO REBORN IN ATLANTA EX-WESTLAKE STAR GOES FROM `A REALLY DOWN TIME' TO SUCCESS.Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer Matt Franco Wherever he was last summer, it wasn't good. Less than a year after appearing in the World Series with the New York Mets
And it didn't help that he was hitting just .243 for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate. Not only was his phone not ringing, it was pulled out of the wall. ``That was a really down time,'' Franco said. ``But I never thought it was over. I'm a baseball player. That's what I do. What has happened to me since then has just been incredible.'' What has happened to Franco, the former Westlake High standout, is a .362 average for the Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field. , runaway leaders of the National League East. Franco platoons at first base with veteran Julio Franco This article is about the Major League Baseball Player. For the former Vice President of Paraguay, see Julio César Franco. Julio César Robles Franco (born August 23 1958, in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball infielder who plays for the and did not start Friday night when the Braves came to Dodger Stadium • • [ for the first game of a weekend series. But the left- handed-hitting Franco gets his share of at-bats - he's 50 for 138 with five home runs and 21 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in - and manager Bobby Cox
Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968 in Tampa, Florida) is a Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. and Chipper Jones. ``He has been a great plus for this team,'' Cox said. ``It's not easy coming in and doing what he has done for us this season. Matt has made the most of his opportunity.'' Franco signed with the Braves as a free agent last winter after the Mets made it clear he wasn't coming back. At first, the Braves, a team loaded with stars and 11 consecutive division titles, might have seemed a strange choice for a journeyman to hook on to fasten or attach by, or as by, hook. See also: Hook with. But the Braves were unsettled at first after Andres Galarraga left two years ago. Last season, they tried hobbled Ken Caminiti, and Julio Franco was picked up in the middle of the season after playing in Mexico but turned 41 on Thursday and can't handle the job full time. Matt Franco had been outstanding off the bench for the Mets, reaching No. 3 all-time on the team's pinch-hit list with 58. Now he thinks he was pigeonholed by that assignment. Ninth-inning at-bats were critical to the Mets' success before this season, but it didn't do much to develop his consistency. ``You don't get the kind of work you need to stay sharp,'' Franco said. ``This season has been about getting an opportunity. You always want to do more, but the better you are, the more the team wants to keep you in that spot. I thought the Mets gave up on me too soon, but this could not have worked out better.'' When Franco, who spent 10 years in the minors before reaching the Mets, did not make the big club out of spring training in 2001, it looked as if he would become a forgotten player. Franco has long struggled for his own identity. Scoreboard operators always mentioned that he is the nephew of actor Kurt Russell, who used to come to his games at Westlake wearing a disguise. His father, Larry, is a film producer. And one of his closest friends on the Mets was superstar Mike Piazza. ``It seemed all people ever knew me for was that I was some Hollywood kid,'' Franco said. ``But I never gave up the belief that this would work out for me.'' Franco admits his demotion de·mote tr.v. de·mot·ed, de·mot·ing, de·motes To reduce in grade, rank, or status. [de- + (pro)mote. last year was demoralizing de·mor·al·ize tr.v. de·mor·al·ized, de·mor·al·iz·ing, de·mor·al·iz·es 1. To undermine the confidence or morale of; dishearten: an inconsistent policy that demoralized the staff. , and his father said he wasn't sure where Matt's career was headed. But when he signed with the Braves, he immediately was taken into a close-knit family of veterans. ``I remember when he called after the first day of spring training,'' Larry said. ``He told me he just played golf with Chipper Jones, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux. Matt was so excited. They took him in right away. He said this is going to be great.'' But when the Braves decided to open the season with 12 pitchers, Franco was sent to Triple-A Richmond. Instead of moping as he had the year before, Franco was the hardest worker on the team. Cox read the reports. Although he hit just .289, Franco made an impression. He was recalled on May 29 and hit a home run June 7 against former Dodger Chan Ho Park. It was Franco's first in the majors since September 2000. ``These guys are so committed to winning, it just rubs off on you,'' he said. ``Everyone on this team has helped me get back here. It's something I'll never forget.'' NO DOOR MATT Matt Franco, a former star at Westlake High, has found a comfortable home platooning at first base for the Atlanta Braves. His averages for his four full seasons with the Mets and one with the Braves (projected over 162 games) follow. TEAM AVG AVG Average AVG American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) AVG Antivirus Grisoft (software) AVG Arteriovenous Graft AVG Angestelltenversicherungsgesetz (German Insurance Law) HR RBI Mets .258 3 17 Braves .362 6 27 CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) Matt Franco, a former Westlake High standout, is hitting .362 with five home runs and 21 RBI for the Atlanta Braves. Tim Sharp/Associated Press Box: NO DOOR MATT (see text) |
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