Jeff Francoeur excited to be in New York, hoping to spark slumping Mets

Francoeur excited to be in New York

NEW YORK — Jeff Francoeur got a flood of phone calls and text messages after he was traded to the slumping Mets on Friday, including some advice from former New York left-hander Tom Glavine.

“He just told me, ‘Make the most of it. If you play hard, you hustle, you do the things right up here, the fans will love you,’” Francoeur said. “I like to believe I’m kind of that type of player, where I love to play hard. I love to get dirty and play the game the right way.”

Francoeur joined the Mets on Saturday and was inserted into the lineup immediately, playing right field and batting fifth against the Cincinnati Reds that night. He singled in two runs in his first at-bat after New York acquired the notorious free-swinger and cash from the Atlanta Braves for Ryan Church in a trade of outfielders in need of a change of scenery.

The Mets are counting on Francoeur to give their anemic lineup some punch while they await the return of their injured stars.

Francoeur didn’t waste any time getting to work. He took fly balls in right field hours before Saturday night’s game and sent a stir through Citi Field with a couple drives into the second deck in left during batting practice.

“He seems to bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “He seems very excited about being here, about playing in New York.”

An Atlanta native, Francoeur was a favorite with Braves fans and management during his first full season in 2006, when he hit 29 home runs with 103 RBIs while playing all 162 games.

Francoeur hit .293 with 19 homers and 105 RBIs in 2007, when he won a Gold Glove, but slumped badly last year and was demoted to Double-A Mississippi for three games last July, a move he found embarrassing. He was benched for three games last weekend by Braves manager Bobby Cox.

“I loved my time in Atlanta,” Francoeur said. “It’s where I was from. But at the same time I feel I needed a change and this is something that’s going to, I think, fit real well.”

That fit looked a little loose at first, when Francoeur’s name was misspelled when it was posted in the lineup outside the clubhouse. The Mets quickly corrected the mistake, and the slugger got off to a fast start with a bloop two-run single.

Francoeur’s big hit in the three-run first was a welcome sign for the Mets, who entered in desperate need of an offensive spark. New York had scored three runs or fewer in 13 of its previous 18 games and been shut out five times. The Mets had three shutout losses in a five-game span for the first time since getting blanked three times in a row July 25-27, 1992, according to STATS LLC.

With Carlos Delgado (hip surgery), Jose Reyes (right calf) and Carlos Beltran (bruised right knee) on the disabled list, New York’s offense has gone into a tailspin.

“You get those guys back in three or four weeks, you can make a run,” Francoeur said. “There’s still 80 games left or whatever, and this team, I’ve played them long enough to know that this team can beat you in a lot of different ways.”

Francoeur has played almost every day over the last three seasons, a plus for the Mets. But he struck out more than 100 times in each of the last three seasons and has only 127 career walks.

Manuel said he met with hitting coach Howard Johnson on Saturday, and the club plans to watch Francoeur for a while before advising him to make any changes. He was batting .250 with five homers and 35 RBIs before the game against the Reds.

“I’m 25 years old and I still feel like the best years are ahead of me,” said Francoeur, who makes $3.375 million and is eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.

The Mets, who optioned outfielder Nick Evans to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Francoeur, are hoping the strong-armed outfielder is right and just needs a new situation to deliver on the promise he showed earlier in his career.

“He’s got unbelievable potential,” said Delgado, who fielded grounders and hit off a tee before the game, and could take batting practice in the next couple days. “We all know that he’s got good power. He’s a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder. He’s got a great arm so he can be a big help.”