Jeff Francoeur, one of the prized football recruits for Tommy Bowden's Clemson
Tigers has had one question to answer the past few months. It isn't whether
he'll play wide receiver or defensive back, but whether it will be football,
baseball, or both. If there were any doubts going in to the Georgia 5A state
final game in which Parkview took on Lassiter High School, there were none
coming out. While college football is still a possibility, Francoeur left little
doubt that he will soon be playing professional baseball.
The numbers on the night for Francoeur are awe inspiring. In the the double
header tonight in the 2 of 3 series for the title, Francoeur went 6/7 at the
plate with 4 home runs, 2 doubles, 1 Walk, 7 RBI, and 5 runs scored. He also
picked up the win in both ends of the double header as he came on to pitch
relief in the 6th and 7th innings (7 inning game). 2-0 on the mound as Parkview
swept the double header, and 4 home runs, that was not a bad night for Mr. Francoeur.
Internet hype? Or Georgia High School Legend? Ask Lassiter. In the past 2
seasons Parkview has eliminated Lassiter from the playoffs on 2-0 sweeps in the
series. In the 4 games, Francoeur finished 11 of 13 with 9 home runs and 2
doubles. Those numbers are astronomical in a beer drinking softball league. Francoeur
did this against one of the top High School Baseball programs in the
nation.
While the numbers themselves are impressive, they don't tell
even half the story. More importantly than what Francoeur did, was when he was
able to do it. With the score tied at 4 in the 7th and final inning, Francoeur stepped in to the batters box to lead off the 
inning. The Lassiter pitcher was obviously given instructions not to give Francoeur
anything to hit, so Francoeur took matters into his own hands. He
belted the ball into dead center field for a 400+ foot home run to take the
lead on a pitch that was down on his shoe tops. He then finished off the game
with 9 pitches, all of them strikes, as he struck out 2 to close out the game in
which he earned the victory.
It turns out, Francoeur was just getting warmed up for the encore performance
in game 2. In his first at bat Francoeur laced a double down the left field
line. Keeping him in the park was a moral victory for the Lassiter team. Next
time up, he popped out. The out that he made drew one of the loudest cheers from
the Lassiter crowd, as people were beginning to wonder if he was ever going to
make an out. Taking a 3-1 lead in to the Top of the 6th inning, Parkview starter
Tim Gustafson begin to tire and got in to a jam. In comes Francoeur in
relief. He gave up a single to allow the inherited runner to score. Next batter
hits a ball to short in which the play was bobbled and another run comes in to
score. It's 3-3 and Francoeur has a blown save; maybe this kid is human after
all.
Francoeur gets out of the inning with no more damage, but Lassiter had
climbed back in 
to
the game knotting it at 3. Lassiter was not named national champions in 1999 and
played in 4 of the last 7 State Title games because they were going to lay down
and quit. The momentum had swung, but there was only one problem; Jeff Francoeur
was due to lead off the bottom of the 6th. Lassiter coach Mickey McMurtry was
burned in the first game by a lead off home run from Francoeur, would he put the
speedy base runner on with no one out in a tie game? As it turns out, he didn't
intentionally walk him, but he wasn't given anything to hit either, well, not at
first. After watching 2 balls bounce past him, Francoeur took a swing and a miss
at inside gas, bringing the Lassiter faithful to their feet when seeing Francoeur
miss at something, at anything. The swing and a miss was on a pitch
that was too close to be considered pitching around him, and one got the feeling
that the pitcher would go after him with the next pitch. It was one pitch too
many. Francoeur sat the crowd back down with his second go ahead, and as it
turns out, game winning home run in the 6th inning in as many games. Francoeur circled the bases with his trademark grin, and as one spectator said, "He's
always played these games as if he knows something that no one else does. He's
always happy."
By this time, the wind was out of the sails of Lassiter's scrappy baseball
team and base hit after base hit started to fall. Parkview loaded the bases
after scoring a couple more runs. I noticed, there were only two more batters
until Francoeur got to hit again. By this time it was obvious if he was to get
another at bat in his high school career, it would have to be this inning, as
the game was all but decided. Junior out fielder Joey Sturdivant got an
infield single driving in another run, and more importantly left the bases
loaded for Francoeur's last at bat as a high school prep.
Was there any doubt what would happen next? Francoeur catapulted a grand slam
home run shot in to left center field that left each outfielder dead in his
tracks. They didn't move; they didn't even flinch. The home run cleared the pine
trees in the outfield by a good 20 feet. The ball traveled 480 feet if it was an
inch. The crowd predictably went nuts. They knew thy had just witnessed
something special. They knew that they had just witnessed SOMEONE special. Francoeur
circled the bases with his trademark smile. Then came in to close the
deal in the top of the 7th as Parkview won their second consecutive State Title,
and Francoeur added his 4th ring in 2 years having won back to back State Titles
in football.
There were several players on each team that contributed to the outcome of
the series, but this was without a doubt Jeff Francoeur's night. This was Jeff Francoeur's graduation party. He has been a treat for the Parkview faithful to
watch the past 4 years, and he will now take his talent and his spirit for the
game to a bigger stage. While there is always a chance that he won't be playing
professional baseball as soon as this summer (he's being projected as the first
outfielder to be taken in the June Draft), one has to think that the question
isn't whether it will be baseball or football. But the question will be is it
baseball AND football?
This was the kind of night that legends are made, and Jeff Francoeur solidified his spot in the legends of Georgia Athletics with his encore
performance tonight.
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