April 16, 2024 • 10 mins
Former Major Leaguer turned MLB on TBS analyst Jeff Francouer joins The A-Team. He talks about the early season struggles for Joe Espada and the Astros. He is a HUGE Yordan Alvarez fan and pays a very nice compliment to the slugger. Plus, he remembers back to that classic 2005 ALDS against Roger Clemens and the Astros.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Pleasure for myself, Adam and myco host also Adam to be joined by
Jeff Frank coore here, MLB broadcaster, a longtime MLB player and broadcaster,
Jeff frank Core. Not to openup all wounds here, Jeff, as
you're in town to handle broadcast dutiestonight on TBS for Braves Astros, But
a couple of seasons ago, Bravesand Astros played for a big hunk of
(00:20):
metal. As some might say,do you recall what you thought was going
to happen in that series before itplayed out with the Braves winning. Well,
I'll tell you what it ended up, you know, if you think
about it. The pitching did prettydarn good though, so I thought it
would be more of an offensive kindof battle. But yeah, it was
kind of weird because you remember thosethree nights in Atlanta were like cold and
misty and rainy, so it wasjust it was kind of an odd world
(00:44):
series. But I will tell you, man, they were great games,
and you know, obviously being bornin Atlanta playing for Atlanta though in twenty
two, I was so happy forDusty, you know, and I actually
just got to spend all last Mondaywith Dusty as he was in town for
Hank Aaron's fiftieth celebrate fifth anniversary celebration, and that's that's what I was telling
him. I was so happy thatthey wanted that year. And actually we
(01:06):
just got done in Joe Spota's officeand I was telling him, I said,
Hey, got good news for youthat I am ten and oh calling
the last ten Astros games back tothe playoffs, the two Tuesday night games
last year, in the one atthe end of twenty two. So I'm
like, I'm hot for you rightnow. In light of those two conversations,
even though you're not still playing anddidn't for either of them, could
you imagine or maybe describe for ourlisteners what you think the difference might be,
(01:30):
not good way or bad way,just different playing for a guy who's
like Joe Aspota and a guy who'slike Dusty Baker, Right, I think
they both have their things. Obviously, Dusty secure and who he is,
right, He's done it forever.You know, He's going to do things
kind of his way. And Ithink for Joe, look, he's a
little more forward thinking, he's gotsome different stuff, but I know this
(01:51):
man, Joe's a great baseball man, and look, this team's going to
be fine. The offense is stillthere. They lead in almost every category.
As my question to him, Isaid, could you imagine that legitimately
your whole starting rotation is out rightnow? I mean, if you're healthy,
you have your five guys that arepitching, and none of them are
there right now. That being said, you know JV's probably coming back.
(02:12):
You're gonna have Frombert hopefully here inyou know, another week or two,
and then of course those other guysas a summer unfold. So yeah,
look at that last four or fiveyears, Astros have got off to slow
starts, and I you know,there's still way too much talent on this
team and too many good players.So I it's just one of those things.
Sometimes you get off to a slowstart. You know. I step
back doing some of the Brave gamesobviously this year to spend more time at
(02:36):
home. But if you remember twoyears ago, guys, the Braves won
one hundred games. They didn't evengo over five hundred until June second,
So there's a lot of baseball leftwell, And that's the thing, Jeff.
It's not as easy as just saying, well, when they get healthy,
everything will be fine because it's baseball. But we were talking earlier about
this, like there's so many differentdirections that Joe A Spotta can look right
(02:57):
now and say, Okay, thisis not working for whatever reason, and
that can be can that could bepretty overwhelming for a first year manager,
even somebody like him who has notonly experience, but experience in this particular
clubhouse. Well, that right,that's the thing, and I thought it
was pretty cool seeing it. Hewas very upbeat today, and I think
that's one thing he's going to haveto do is stay up beat for these
(03:17):
guys. You know, if there'ssome guys that you know have not performed
yet this year, like you know, we're used to seeing and so I
think for him to be able tostay upbeat, h to show him look,
I'm still very much in control.Uh, I think is important.
Like I said, I I've knownJoe for a long time from the Yankee
bas to here, and he ishe. I think he is going to
(03:38):
do just fine. It's just oneof those things. Man, Sometimes you
get off to a rough start,and for him it just happened to be
in his first year. As yougo through tonight's game, Jeff francore Tbs
joining us here on the A team, and Ronald Cooney Junior comes to the
plate, and maybe you say somethinglike, man, I really think this
is this might be the best besthitter in baseball, best best most fun
(04:00):
watch player in baseball. And thenmaybe in the bottom of the first inning,
Jordan Alvarez comes up and you kindof feel like you have to say
the same thing. I mean,are these two of the three, four
or five best players in baseball?Yeah, So this is how I feel
a lot when I tell people Ithink rond Betini is the best overall player
in baseball when you put the wholepackage together, base running, outfield,
(04:20):
arm, his ability to take overa game on the you know, the
bass passing off and on the otherside, I think, you're down's the
best hitter in baseball. And Ithink when he gets up to the plate,
the things he can do. Ialways throw out the big poppy,
you know comparison, because he goesto the opposite way as good as anybody.
Heaven. Freddie Freeman shoot that leftcenter left field line gap better than
(04:43):
anybody I've ever seen it. Andhe's so consistent. I mean, I'll
tell you guys. I still peopleask me what one of my best memories
while announcing a game was, andI always say it's that home run he
hit off Robbie right here when meand Brian Anderson were doing Game one.
I mean that sounded like could ashot out of a cannon. I mean,
it was still one of the greatone of the great things. And
(05:05):
of course it was fun going togoing to mister Crane's restaurant, having a
few cocktails after two in the house, so that that helped. But no,
you know, he he is somuch fun to watch. He's such
a big guy. When you seebig guys like that, you think high
power, right, But he's aflat hitter. I mean he's gonna win
that. You know. He cancelin batting titles. That's how good he
(05:26):
is. You know. It's crazyabout that too. And I don't know
if you could. I mean,you were there, but the perspective,
because we were sitting along the firstwe were all there. Yeah, but
you guys are behind home plate.We're sitting along the first base line.
And I tell everybody that I talkedto about that home run, that's the
fastest I've ever seen a ball gofrom home plate to anywhere in the outer
(05:46):
upper decks. And I've ever seenin my life at a live baseball game.
Oh dude, And let me tellyou could see it coming. When
he hopped out on deck, Iliterally tap Brian Anderson, you know he's
still talking, and just point outto the bullpen. I just my whole
point it was, if this happened, this could get real loud in here.
And that's why I think it was. The ball left his bat and
(06:06):
was in the right field upper decksbefore you could even blame. I mean,
it was incredible how fast that ballgot out. It really sets the
tone I felt like for the restof that playoff series because if you remember
man first six seven a's, Imean, the Mariners had them on the
ropes. I mean that game wasshould have been the Mariners in Game one
to steal, and it just kindof changed a whole to me rest of
(06:29):
that postseason. I was talking toa writer in the clubhouse after that game
and he just point blank said,I think the Mariners are getting swept after
that, and I was like really, and he was like, man,
it's just it's one of those things. And I totally get that. In
hindsight and you kind of it soundslike you kind of had the same feeling.
But fast forwarding to this season andall of the ailments and everything that
(06:49):
the Astros are dealing with right now, You've got a guy on the mounta
tonight for the Astros and Hunter Brown, and I'm very interested to hear your
perspective when you look at his stuff, because we hear about his stuff all
the time, and that stuff hasn'tgotten him anywhere of late and actually historically
bad as opposed to that in hislast outing, not only for the Astros,
(07:10):
but in major League history. Ifyou're looking at Hunter Brown tonight,
or if you're getting into his headand you're crawling around, how do you
approach things moving forward? Because thestuff is there, but it's just not
working right now. You know what, If I'm a brave hitter tonight,
I'm going up to plate and I'mbeing aggressive. And my point to that
(07:31):
is we talk about it. Yes, you like pictures of pound the strike
zones, there's also a difference betweenthrowing too many strikes getting too much of
the plate and I kind of lookat that, look he's not walking people,
but whether he's getting a head inthe count or not that ball is
over the middle part of the plate, and some of these good offensive teams
that the Astros have faced, youknow, Brave's another great one tonight.
(07:54):
If you get too much of theplate, they're aggressive and they're going to
barrow those balls up. So Ithink he's got to find a way to
throw better pitches ahead when he's aheadin the count, try to work the
corners more. If it's a balloff the plate, it's okay, But
you let that hitter think that okay, he's going to try to expand on
me here, whereas you know someI mean, as a hitter, a
(08:15):
lot of times it's some of theeasiest pictures to hit, or guys that
just throw nothing but strikes because honestly, you're in kind of swing mode and
you know eventually you're going to squareone up. So I think for him,
he's got to kind of take astep back and think I got to
start working corner some a little bitmore and stop getting this that part of
the plate. I don't think Ican let you go here in Houston without
asking you about this, because Ihave to imagine you're going to have a
(08:37):
good story to tell turn back theclock about twenty years to two thousand and
five when you and another twenty oneyear old rookie play their debut is with
the Atlanta Braves. His name wasBrian McCann. He played here for two
years. You must have a good, clean radio version of some awesome story
about Brian McCann. Well, goodlord, how many I've known. He's
(08:58):
been my best friend since years oldand we're up forty now. I mean,
I I can go on and on, but I do remember one of
the coolest things with Game two inAtlanta when he hit that three run home
er off Roger Clemons. You know, for both of us to be twenty
one, that was just like asurreal moment. I do remember we got
here before Game three and we wentto Vic and Anthony's that night, and
(09:20):
we probably ate about one hundred ouncesof steak between the two of us that
night. You know, you're noteating at the waffle houses at four in
the morning. You get the bigleague meals and Smoltsy took us and we
just, I mean, we puta herd in on things. But you
know it's funny because I still whenI come here, man, I still
hear the in my brain from Berkmanbig and Bagwell. I mean it just
(09:43):
a buzzing sound was so loud.And then of course every time I take
a picture to left field, sendit to Chris Burke and say, you're
one freaking home run. And itwas right there in the first Row game
three October eighth, Astro seven tothree. You did enjoy that steak?
I did, right, trust me, I was. I was feeling it
in the outfield that night, andI was also feeling Roy Oswald's curveball that
(10:07):
night. I was just about toask, that's not the guy you want
to be facing on a post steakmeal like that, either, But I
don't blame you. Vic and Anthony'sis good. Yeah, exactly, And
you're twenty one, man, whatare you gonna do? I'm getting a
big old porterhouse. Man. Ididn't know any better, Jeff. We
appreciate the time. Enjoy our cityas you already know how to, obviously,
(10:28):
but we appreciate catching up with you. And let's do it again soon.
Man. Hey, anytime, guys. I'll actually be on the call
next week in Chicago. So we'redoing Cubs afters next Tuesday night, so
that'll be fun. Too nice,all right, Jeff Francour here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. Good stuff there,
Pleasure for myself, Adam and myco host also Adam to be joined by
Jeff Frank coore here, MLB broadcaster, a longtime MLB player and broadcaster,
Jeff frank Core. Not to openup all wounds here, Jeff, as
you're in town to handle broadcast dutiestonight on TBS for Braves Astros, But
a couple of seasons ago, Bravesand Astros played for a big hunk of
(00:20):
metal. As some might say,do you recall what you thought was going
to happen in that series before itplayed out with the Braves winning. Well,
I'll tell you what it ended up, you know, if you think
about it. The pitching did prettydarn good though, so I thought it
would be more of an offensive kindof battle. But yeah, it was
kind of weird because you remember thosethree nights in Atlanta were like cold and
misty and rainy, so it wasjust it was kind of an odd world
(00:44):
series. But I will tell you, man, they were great games,
and you know, obviously being bornin Atlanta playing for Atlanta though in twenty
two, I was so happy forDusty, you know, and I actually
just got to spend all last Mondaywith Dusty as he was in town for
Hank Aaron's fiftieth celebrate fifth anniversary celebration, and that's that's what I was telling
him. I was so happy thatthey wanted that year. And actually we
(01:06):
just got done in Joe Spota's officeand I was telling him, I said,
Hey, got good news for youthat I am ten and oh calling
the last ten Astros games back tothe playoffs, the two Tuesday night games
last year, in the one atthe end of twenty two. So I'm
like, I'm hot for you rightnow. In light of those two conversations,
even though you're not still playing anddidn't for either of them, could
you imagine or maybe describe for ourlisteners what you think the difference might be,
(01:30):
not good way or bad way,just different playing for a guy who's
like Joe Aspota and a guy who'slike Dusty Baker, Right, I think
they both have their things. Obviously, Dusty secure and who he is,
right, He's done it forever.You know, He's going to do things
kind of his way. And Ithink for Joe, look, he's a
little more forward thinking, he's gotsome different stuff, but I know this
(01:51):
man, Joe's a great baseball man, and look, this team's going to
be fine. The offense is stillthere. They lead in almost every category.
As my question to him, Isaid, could you imagine that legitimately
your whole starting rotation is out rightnow? I mean, if you're healthy,
you have your five guys that arepitching, and none of them are
there right now. That being said, you know JV's probably coming back.
(02:12):
You're gonna have Frombert hopefully here inyou know, another week or two,
and then of course those other guysas a summer unfold. So yeah,
look at that last four or fiveyears, Astros have got off to slow
starts, and I you know,there's still way too much talent on this
team and too many good players.So I it's just one of those things.
Sometimes you get off to a slowstart. You know. I step
back doing some of the Brave gamesobviously this year to spend more time at
(02:36):
home. But if you remember twoyears ago, guys, the Braves won
one hundred games. They didn't evengo over five hundred until June second,
So there's a lot of baseball leftwell, And that's the thing, Jeff.
It's not as easy as just saying, well, when they get healthy,
everything will be fine because it's baseball. But we were talking earlier about
this, like there's so many differentdirections that Joe A Spotta can look right
(02:57):
now and say, Okay, thisis not working for whatever reason, and
that can be can that could bepretty overwhelming for a first year manager,
even somebody like him who has notonly experience, but experience in this particular
clubhouse. Well, that right,that's the thing, and I thought it
was pretty cool seeing it. Hewas very upbeat today, and I think
that's one thing he's going to haveto do is stay up beat for these
(03:17):
guys. You know, if there'ssome guys that you know have not performed
yet this year, like you know, we're used to seeing and so I
think for him to be able tostay upbeat, h to show him look,
I'm still very much in control.Uh, I think is important.
Like I said, I I've knownJoe for a long time from the Yankee
bas to here, and he ishe. I think he is going to
(03:38):
do just fine. It's just oneof those things. Man, Sometimes you
get off to a rough start,and for him it just happened to be
in his first year. As yougo through tonight's game, Jeff francore Tbs
joining us here on the A team, and Ronald Cooney Junior comes to the
plate, and maybe you say somethinglike, man, I really think this
is this might be the best besthitter in baseball, best best most fun
(04:00):
watch player in baseball. And thenmaybe in the bottom of the first inning,
Jordan Alvarez comes up and you kindof feel like you have to say
the same thing. I mean,are these two of the three, four
or five best players in baseball?Yeah, So this is how I feel
a lot when I tell people Ithink rond Betini is the best overall player
in baseball when you put the wholepackage together, base running, outfield,
(04:20):
arm, his ability to take overa game on the you know, the
bass passing off and on the otherside, I think, you're down's the
best hitter in baseball. And Ithink when he gets up to the plate,
the things he can do. Ialways throw out the big poppy,
you know comparison, because he goesto the opposite way as good as anybody.
Heaven. Freddie Freeman shoot that leftcenter left field line gap better than
(04:43):
anybody I've ever seen it. Andhe's so consistent. I mean, I'll
tell you guys. I still peopleask me what one of my best memories
while announcing a game was, andI always say it's that home run he
hit off Robbie right here when meand Brian Anderson were doing Game one.
I mean that sounded like could ashot out of a cannon. I mean,
it was still one of the greatone of the great things. And
(05:05):
of course it was fun going togoing to mister Crane's restaurant, having a
few cocktails after two in the house, so that that helped. But no,
you know, he he is somuch fun to watch. He's such
a big guy. When you seebig guys like that, you think high
power, right, But he's aflat hitter. I mean he's gonna win
that. You know. He cancelin batting titles. That's how good he
(05:26):
is. You know. It's crazyabout that too. And I don't know
if you could. I mean,you were there, but the perspective,
because we were sitting along the firstwe were all there. Yeah, but
you guys are behind home plate.We're sitting along the first base line.
And I tell everybody that I talkedto about that home run, that's the
fastest I've ever seen a ball gofrom home plate to anywhere in the outer
(05:46):
upper decks. And I've ever seenin my life at a live baseball game.
Oh dude, And let me tellyou could see it coming. When
he hopped out on deck, Iliterally tap Brian Anderson, you know he's
still talking, and just point outto the bullpen. I just my whole
point it was, if this happened, this could get real loud in here.
And that's why I think it was. The ball left his bat and
(06:06):
was in the right field upper decksbefore you could even blame. I mean,
it was incredible how fast that ballgot out. It really sets the
tone I felt like for the restof that playoff series because if you remember
man first six seven a's, Imean, the Mariners had them on the
ropes. I mean that game wasshould have been the Mariners in Game one
to steal, and it just kindof changed a whole to me rest of
(06:29):
that postseason. I was talking toa writer in the clubhouse after that game
and he just point blank said,I think the Mariners are getting swept after
that, and I was like really, and he was like, man,
it's just it's one of those things. And I totally get that. In
hindsight and you kind of it soundslike you kind of had the same feeling.
But fast forwarding to this season andall of the ailments and everything that
(06:49):
the Astros are dealing with right now, You've got a guy on the mounta
tonight for the Astros and Hunter Brown, and I'm very interested to hear your
perspective when you look at his stuff, because we hear about his stuff all
the time, and that stuff hasn'tgotten him anywhere of late and actually historically
bad as opposed to that in hislast outing, not only for the Astros,
(07:10):
but in major League history. Ifyou're looking at Hunter Brown tonight,
or if you're getting into his headand you're crawling around, how do you
approach things moving forward? Because thestuff is there, but it's just not
working right now. You know what, If I'm a brave hitter tonight,
I'm going up to plate and I'mbeing aggressive. And my point to that
(07:31):
is we talk about it. Yes, you like pictures of pound the strike
zones, there's also a difference betweenthrowing too many strikes getting too much of
the plate and I kind of lookat that, look he's not walking people,
but whether he's getting a head inthe count or not that ball is
over the middle part of the plate, and some of these good offensive teams
that the Astros have faced, youknow, Brave's another great one tonight.
(07:54):
If you get too much of theplate, they're aggressive and they're going to
barrow those balls up. So Ithink he's got to find a way to
throw better pitches ahead when he's aheadin the count, try to work the
corners more. If it's a balloff the plate, it's okay, But
you let that hitter think that okay, he's going to try to expand on
me here, whereas you know someI mean, as a hitter, a
(08:15):
lot of times it's some of theeasiest pictures to hit, or guys that
just throw nothing but strikes because honestly, you're in kind of swing mode and
you know eventually you're going to squareone up. So I think for him,
he's got to kind of take astep back and think I got to
start working corner some a little bitmore and stop getting this that part of
the plate. I don't think Ican let you go here in Houston without
asking you about this, because Ihave to imagine you're going to have a
(08:37):
good story to tell turn back theclock about twenty years to two thousand and
five when you and another twenty oneyear old rookie play their debut is with
the Atlanta Braves. His name wasBrian McCann. He played here for two
years. You must have a good, clean radio version of some awesome story
about Brian McCann. Well, goodlord, how many I've known. He's
(08:58):
been my best friend since years oldand we're up forty now. I mean,
I I can go on and on, but I do remember one of
the coolest things with Game two inAtlanta when he hit that three run home
er off Roger Clemons. You know, for both of us to be twenty
one, that was just like asurreal moment. I do remember we got
here before Game three and we wentto Vic and Anthony's that night, and
(09:20):
we probably ate about one hundred ouncesof steak between the two of us that
night. You know, you're noteating at the waffle houses at four in
the morning. You get the bigleague meals and Smoltsy took us and we
just, I mean, we puta herd in on things. But you
know it's funny because I still whenI come here, man, I still
hear the in my brain from Berkmanbig and Bagwell. I mean it just
(09:43):
a buzzing sound was so loud.And then of course every time I take
a picture to left field, sendit to Chris Burke and say, you're
one freaking home run. And itwas right there in the first Row game
three October eighth, Astro seven tothree. You did enjoy that steak?
I did, right, trust me, I was. I was feeling it
in the outfield that night, andI was also feeling Roy Oswald's curveball that
(10:07):
night. I was just about toask, that's not the guy you want
to be facing on a post steakmeal like that, either, But I
don't blame you. Vic and Anthony'sis good. Yeah, exactly, And
you're twenty one, man, whatare you gonna do? I'm getting a
big old porterhouse. Man. Ididn't know any better, Jeff. We
appreciate the time. Enjoy our cityas you already know how to, obviously,
(10:28):
but we appreciate catching up with you. And let's do it again soon.
Man. Hey, anytime, guys. I'll actually be on the call
next week in Chicago. So we'redoing Cubs afters next Tuesday night, so
that'll be fun. Too nice,all right, Jeff Francour here on Sports
Talk seven ninety. Good stuff there,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.