not a demotion? seriously?

Braves' Francoeur is sent to minors

ATLANTA (AP)"?The Atlanta Braves decided their hometown favorite needed to get away from home"?and away from the major leagues"?to work his way through the worst slump of his career.

Outfielder Jeff Francoeur, hitting only .234, was sent to Double-A Mississippi on Friday and told he'd be recalled within three weeks.

Braves general manager Frank Wren and manager Bobby Cox said the move is not a demotion.

"We look at it as stepping back for a few days and decompressing and getting his game going again,"? Wren said. "It gives him the ability to do that."?

Francoeur was told of the decision after he was booed at home Thursday night when he went 0-for-4. He hit .206 in June and is 1-for-12 in three games this month.

"We were very clear with him last night it would be for less than 20 days and that we just want him to get a chance to relax and play well."?

The move is designed to be temporary, but it is still a dramatic development for one of the team's top young stars.

Wren said he considered the move for three weeks as Francoeur's average continued to fall. Wren and other team officials concluded a move had to be made after the Braves were swept in a three-game series by the Phillies to fall seven games out of first in the NL East and a season-low six games below .500.

"This is my 32nd year in professional baseball,"? Wren said, "... and in the last 23 making decisions, this was the toughest."?

Cox said Francoeur's high profile"?and long list of friends and relatives"? in Atlanta made it more difficult for him to shake the slump at home.

"We didn't know what to do,"? Cox said. "He had probably 150 tips the last two weeks on how to hit a baseball. ... It doesn't work. He needs to just get away by himself with a few guys and get it going."?

Francoeur has taken hours of extra batting practice but has been unable to match the power he showed in 2006 when he hit 29 homers or the improved discipline at the plate when he hit .292 last season.

"It seems I can't catch a break, or when I feel I start to roll I just can't get things to keep rolling my way,"? Francoeur said.

The Braves hope a more relaxed Francoeur can find his swing while working with Mississippi manager Phillip Wellman, who previously worked with Francoeur in the minors.

"When he was with Wellman a couple years ago, he's never been as hot as he was,"? said Braves catcher Brian McCann, Francoeur's longtime friend and former roommate. "I think if he gets back with him for a couple weeks it's gonna be good for Jeff."?

The plan is for Francoeur to rejoin the team following the All-Star break.

Pitcher John Smoltz, Francoeur's clubhouse neighbor, predicted the outfielder would be back with the team in 10 days"?the minimum time he must spend in the minors.

"I told him I can't experience what he's experiencing, I can't feel what he's feeling,"? Smoltz said. "The only thing I could tell him was that I can't wait to see him in 10 days. Because he's going to be so much better for it."?

The Braves purchased Jason Perry's contract from Triple-A Richmond and put him in the lineup in right field for Friday night's game against the Houston Astros. Perry hit .314 with 13 homers and 41 RBIs in 137 at-bats at Double-A Mississippi before he moved up to Richmond, where he hit .302 with five homers and 14 RBIs.

Francoeur was expected to join Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann in the middle of the lineup but was dropped to seventh in the batting order. Francoeur hit .293 with 19 homers and drove in 105 runs last season. This year, he has eight homers and 41 RBIs.

The boos are unusual for Francoeur, a local favorite who signed with the Braves from Parkview High School near Atlanta.

"I feel for him,"? Jones said. "He's never struggled up until this point. Ever. He's always been the chosen one. But this game will humble you. He's got a million hitting coaches right now. What he needs to do is just go back to the basics."?

Jones said the slump has affected Francoeur's mental approach.

"I'd like to see a little more of the enthusiasm he showed early on in his career,"? Jones said. "He's really down on himself right now and I think it will help him come out of it a little faster if he doesn't take the game as seriously."?

Francoeur has tinkered with his stance and tried a new contact lens to help his vision at night.

Matt Diaz, who also began the season as a starting outfielder, will join Francoeur at Mississippi. He is recovering from a knee injury and is on a rehab assignment.

I was late catching the game tonight and noticed he wasn't in the lineup and he just had a day off maybe a week ago so I knew something was up. Hopefully this will get him back on track. I personally don't like the move but Bobby Cox hasn't been as successful as he has by being stupid so maybe he knows what he is doing.

but AA not a demotion?

cox is smoking something

AAA maybe i could see it......but AA?

come on

Sending them to AA is pretty common for the Braves. Closer to home than Richmond.....however, not for long, I don't think AAA will be in Richmond too much longer. When McCann and Francoeur were both called up it was from Mississippi

its only like 100 mile difference and richmond is easier to get a flight from than pearl MS

i dont buy that as the reason

Maybe it has something to do with the hitting coach at Miss or something hell I don't know, just an observation on my part. I didn't check on direct flights in and out of each city. Since you normally seem to know everything you should already have the answer. They said he would be called back up within 20 days. If Bobby Cox says it will happen, then, it will normally happen.

they have to wait at least 10 days before he could come back anyway

but yeah the flights thing plays a big role in the minor leagues

most callups are from AAA......ever notice that most AAA teams are in or near decent size cities with decent size airports?

It was Francouers option to go to Mississippi because of the facilities. There are better facilities at Miss than Richmond. Ever been to their stadium in Richmond, real shithole. That is the reason for AA, they gave him the option and he felt more comfortable there.

Atlanta Braves Moving Their AAA Team to Gwinnett County Georgia in 2009

At a news conference earlier today, it was announced that the Atlanta Braves AAA team will move
from Richmond, Virginia to Gwinnett County, Georgia beginning in 2009. The announcement
was made after the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners unanimous vote.

"We have known that Gwinnett County was interested in building a baseball stadium for about a
year coupled with the fact that we have had some challenges getting a new AAA ballpark built in
Richmond, made this attractive to have them in our backyard,"? said Terry McGuirk, Atlanta Braves
Chairman and CEO.

The ballpark will be located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville, on the west side of Buford
Drive, just north of the Buford Drive and Old Peachtree Road intersection. The team will play the
2008 season in Richmond before relocating to the new state-of-the-art facility starting in April of
2009.

"I am extremely proud and excited for the actions that are being announced today,"? said Richard
Tucker, Chairman of the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. "The
Atlanta Braves organization has no equal in Major League Baseball, and the partnership with the
Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau will bring a new level of enthusiasm for the citizens of
Gwinnett County and the great State of Georgia."?

thats driving distance and still close to atlanta

makes sense