Shut Your Face Frenchy

The New York Daily News reported that former Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur called Citi Field, the Mets two-year old ballpark "a damn joke."
Now with the Royals, Fancoeur belted 21 home runs for the Mets in his two partial seasons with the team, just 9 of them at Citi Field. He only hit .268 for the Mets in 199 games.
Aww, the ballpark is too big for Frenchy. I really feel bad for him. When a ballplayer uses the ballpark as an excuse for his lack of production to me that is code for "I stink."
Some ballparks are hitters parks, some are pitchers parks. Baseball is a game of adjustments and obviously Francoeur didn't adjust very well to the Mets new digs.
Really it's pathetic when players use the "stadium sucks" excuse.
In 2009, Mets third baseman David Wright hit just 5 home runs all season at Citi Field. He only hit 5 on the road too so he just had a bad power year all around. Did you hear Wright complain that Citi Field is "a damn joke"?
Last season, Wright belted 29 home runs, just 12 coming at home. So in two seasons, Wright has just 17 home runs at Citi Field, including the first Mets homer in the new yard (Jody Gerut of the Padres hit the historic first home run at Citi Field). But Wright goes about his business like a pro, not making excuses.
I remember being in the visiting clubhouse at Coors Field in 2002 when Yankees relief pitcher Steve Karsay gave up a 3-run homer to Rockies third baseman Todd Zeile in the bottom of the 10th to give Colorado a 14-11 win. Both teams combines for 37 hits. A typical old fashioned Coors Field slugfest. In his post-game comments, Karsay didn't talk about making a bad pitch or crediting Zeile, he moaned about the crappy ballpark and how they shouldn't have a team in Colorado because of the high altitude. He was completely delusional in blaming the stadium for the loss. Take it like a man. If you are a pitcher in a hitters park or a hitter in a pitchers park, adjust. If you succeed great if not don't blame the park.
As fictional coach Ron Stilanovich says in the Hardball Made Easy spoof videos, "Excuses are like poems. They're for sissies and no one want to hear 'em."
So to Fancoeur and others like him, don't blame the ballpark for your failures. Look in the mirror and admit to yourself what others already know. You stink.