Jeff Francoeur Hopes to Avoid Boo Birds

ATLANTA -- As the All-Star break comes to an end around Major League Baseball, the hometown Braves play host to the New York Mets for a four-game series. Jeff Francoeur will step out into right field at Turner Field on Thursday night, but that's about the only thing looking normal as Frenchy returns home.

"I don't know. I would hope that they don't boo big-time", Francoeur said when asked what he expected from the crowd when he came to bat for the first time in Atlanta as a member of rival the New York Mets. "I've played hard here for four years and I feel like I've given my best to Atlanta and to the community."

Francoeur had certainly been the talk of the town since arriving on the scene back in 2005 for his first major league game, a night where he dazzled fans with a home run in his final at-bat. But after two 100-plus RBI seasons for the Braves in 2006 and 2007, Francoeur's hitting took a step backwards. His batting average dropped 54 points (to .239) in 2008 and his home runs fell off by almost 50 percent. The first half of the 2009 season wasn't any different.

For 82 games this season, the hitting promise Francoeur showed in his first two seasons hadn't returned. The Braves finally decided to make a move. On July 10, two games prior to the all-star break, Francouer was traded to the Mets for Ryan Church.

Francoeur flew into Atlanta this afternoon and was driven straight to Turner Field where he spent some time with his old Braves teammates in the weight room prior to making it over to the visitors' clubhouse.

When speaking of how today would be different for him, Francoeur jokingly said "I just have to remember to come back this way" meaning he'd have to walk 100 yards past the Braves locker room to join his new teammates.

Francoeur hasn't had much time to settle in since being traded to New York. In fact, with the Mets on the road and his family spending the all-star break at the beach, he hasn't even been back to his Atlanta home since the trade. His car was still parked in the Braves team lot, and will remain so for the duration of the weekend series here in Atlanta.

While his life may be unsettled and he may be wearing a different uniform, Francoeur still seems to look in place in Atlanta. If the crowd response to him being announced in the pre-game lineups is any indication, he'll not have any worries about being booed. He should hear a warm welcome from the Turner Field crowd.