For childhood friends Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann, the Atlanta Braves have always been a way of life.
Growing up in the suburbs as the team blazed its way through the 1990s, the two dreamed of suiting up side by side with their baseball heroes.
kAmtG6? H:E9 E96:C A=2J:?8 42C66CD 369:?5 E96>[ uC2?4@6FC 2?5 |4r2?? H6C6 23=6 E@ C62=:K6 E92E 5C62> @?46 282:? @? (65?6D52J 2D E96J E@@< A2CE :? E96 H:=5=J A@AF=2C q2==J $A@CED $@FE9 A=2J6CD @?=J E6=6G:D:@? 3C@2542DE]k^Am
kAm%96 5F@ ;@:?65 w2== @7 u2>6CD 2?5 7@C>6C E62>>2E6D r9:AA6C y@?6D 2?5 %@> v=2G:?6 7@C E96 =2E6DE :?42C?2E:@? @7 E9:D F?:BF6 3C@2542DE:?8 6IA6C:6?46] tG6? E9@F89 76==@H w2== @7 u2>6C y@9? $>@=EK H2D 23D6?E E9:D E:>6 2C@F?5[ E96 3C@2542DE =:?6FA DE:== A24<65 A=6?EJ @7 AF?49 2?5 >@C6 E92? 2 76H =2F89D]k^Am
kAm%96 82>6 H2D =:<6 @=5 E:>6D 2== @G6C 282:? 7@C uC2?4@6FC 2?5 |4r2??]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 <?@H? 6249 @E96C D:?46 H6 H6C6 `_ @C `` J62CD @=5[ D@ E@ 36 23=6 E@ 5@ 2== E96D6 E9:?8D E@86E96C 2?5 E96? 42== D@>6 82>6D[ >2? H6 925 7F?[” uC2?4@F6C D2:5] “(6 E2=<65 32D632==[ 925 D@>6 8@@5 =2F89D[ 2?5 2==\:?\2== :E H2D 2 8C62E ?:89E]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 uC2?4@6FC :D 2 G6E6C2? @7 9F?5C65D @7 3C@2542DED :? 2 E6=6G:D:@? 42C66C E92E 3682? 324< :? a_`f[ E9:D H2D D@>6E9:?8 5:776C6?E 2?5 6I4:E:?8 7@C |4r2??]k^Am
kAm“x =@G65 6G6CJ D64@?5 @7 :E[” |4r2?? D2:5 27E6C pE=2?E2’D f\` =@DD E@ E96 r9:428@ rF3D] “%96 82>6 5:5?’E 8@ @FC H2J[ 3FE E@ 36 23=6 E@ 7:== :? 7@C $>@=EK:6 2?5 36 23=6 E@ D:E FA E96C6 2?5 E2=< H:E9 r9:AA6C 2?5 v=2G 2?5 y677[ H96? E96J 42>6 E@ >6 H:E9 :E[ :E H2D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ A2DD FA]”k^Am
kAm%9:D D62D@? >2C<D a_ J62CD D:?46 |4r2?? 2?5 uC2?4@6FC >256 E96:C >2;@C =628F6 563FED 7@C pE=2?E2] |4r2?? 7:CDE 2AA62C65 @? yF?6 `_[ a__d[ H9:=6 uC2?4@6FC 7@==@H65 @? yF=J f E92E D2>6 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm%H@ 564256D =2E6C[ uC2?4@6FC[ H9@ D42=65 324< 9:D 3C@2542DE D4965F=6 :? @C56C E@ DA6?5 >@C6 E:>6 2E 9@>6[ H2D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ >:DD 2 492?46 E@ C64@??64E H:E9 9:D @=5 E62>>2E6D 2?5 DA6?5 2 ?:89E 2E E96 32==A2C<]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96C6 H2D ?@ 36EE6C H2J E@ 5@ D@ E92? 2=@?8D:56 @?6 @7 9:D 36DE 7C:6?5D]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 8C62E[ 6DA64:2==J H96? J@F DE2CE D9@H:?8 A:4EFC6D @7 @FC 323J 7246D 324< E96? 2?5 E96 >6>@C:6D[” uC2?4@6FC D2:5] “%96C6’D ?@ @?6 x’5 C2E96C 92G6 FA 96C6 H:E9 >6 E92? 9:>] %@ 5@ E9:D :D 2 =@E @7 7F? 2?5[ @7 4@FCD6[ 96’D D@ <?@H=658623=6 23@FE 32D632==] $@[ :E’D 8@@5 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 962C H92E 96 92D E@ D2J]”k^Am
kAm|4r2?? H2D E96 @3G:@FD E@A 49@:46 E@ ;@:? E96 3@@E9 27E6C 96 >256 2 42>6@ 5FC:?8 =2DE D62D@?’D D64@?5 A=2J6CD @?=J 3C@2542DE]k^Am
kAm%96 27723=6 42E496C <?6H 96 H2D H2=<:?8 :?E@ E96 =:@?’D 56?[ 9@H6G6C[ H96C6 96 H2D E96 E2C86E @7 BF:E6 2 76H 8@@5\?2EFC65 32C3D C682C5:?8 9:D =24< @7 7@@E DA665 2?5 BF6DE:@?23=6 D=:5:?8 7@C> @7 9:D A=2J:?8 52JD] w:D 7C:6?5D 7C6BF6?E=J C@==65 E96 9:89=:89E G:56@D E@ 324< :E FA]k^Am
kAm~7 4@FCD6[ |4r2?? 5:5 ?@E >2<6 2 =:G:?8 @? E96 32D6 A2E9D 3FE C2E96C 369:?5 E96 A=2E6[ H96C6 96 6?;@J65 2 `d\J62C 3:8 =628F6 42C66C]k^Am
kAm|4r2?? C6E:C65 7@==@H:?8 E96 a_`h D62D@?[ AFEE:?8 2 42A @? E9:?8D H:E9 @?6 7:?2= J62C H:E9 pE=2?E2] %92E 9@>64@>:?8 H2D 2 7F==\4:C4=6 >@>6?E 7@C E96 D6G6?\E:>6 p==\$E2C[ H9@ A=2J65 7@C 3@E9 w2== @7 u2>6C q@33J r@I 2?5 4FCC6?E >2?286C qC:2? $?:E<6C 5FC:?8 9:D `_\J62C qC2G6D E6?FC6]k^Am
kAm“x 766= G6CJ =F4<J[ 3642FD6 H96? x 42>6 324< 96C6 :? a_`h[ x A=2J65 H:E9 2 =@E @7 8FJD H9@ 2C6 @? E96 7:6=5 E@52J[” |4r2?? D2:5] “x C6>6>36C 8@:?8 E@ p=6I p?E9@A@F=@D 2?5 D2J:?8[ ‘*@F’C6 D6E FA 96C6 7@C E96 ?6IE 564256] *@F’G6 8@E 2 4=F39@FD6 7F== @7 8FJD E92E 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ 5@ H92E6G6C :E E2<6D E@ H:?]’ %96 4=F39@FD6 H:E9 $?:E[ :E ;FDE CF?D E96 H2J 2 492>A:@?D9:A 4=F39@FD6 :D DFAA@D65 E@]”k^Am
kAm$:?46 DE6AA:?8 2H2J 7C@> E96 82>6[ |4r2?? 92D 2DDF>65 2?@E96C :>A@CE2?E 7F==\E:>6 C@=6]k^Am
kAm%92E :D[ H96? 96’D ?@E 9:EE:?8 E96 =:?<D]k^Am
kAm“x’> A=2J:?8 2 =@E @7 8@=7[” |4r2?? ;@<65 367@C6 D92C:?8 E96 C62= 7@4FD @7 9:D C6E:C6>6?E D4965F=6] “|J D@? :D `` 2?5 >J 52F89E6C :D `_] x’> 3FDJ E@E:?8 E96> 2C@F?5[ 3FE x E@=5 >J H:76 E96 @E96C 52J E92E x’> G6CJ[ G6CJ[ G6CJ 92AAJ H:E9 H96C6 6G6CJE9:?8 :D 2E[ H2E49:?8 >J <:5D 8C@H FA 2?5 ECJ:?8 E@ 36 2 8@@5 525] %9:?8D 2C6 8C62E]”k^Am
kAm%92E D2>6 =:?6 @7 E9@F89E C:?8D ECF6 7@C uC2?4@6FC[ H9@ :D DA6?5:?8 =6DD E:>6 2E E96 A2C< 2?5 >@C6 E:>6 2E 9@>6 :? a_ac]k^Am
kAm“x >:DD D66:?8 6G6CJ3@5J 96C6[” uC2?4@6FC D2:5] “x >:DD 42==:?8 E96 82>6D[ 3FE 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ x’G6 4@24965 >J <:5D 6G6CJ ?:89E E9:D J62C] w2G6?’E >:DD65 2 82>6] u@C >6[ x 2> H9@ x 2> 3642FD6 >J 525 2?5 >@> H6C6 E96C6 2E 2== >J 82>6D E@ :?G6DE 2?5 x H2?E E@ 36 23=6 E@ 5@ E96 D2>6 7@C >J <:5D] pD >F49 2D x 92E6 ?@E 36:?8 96C6[ :E’D 366? ?:46 E@ 36 9@>6]”k^Am
kAmq24< :? E96 72>:=:2C DFCC@F?5:?8D @7 E96 E6=6G:D:@? 3@@E9 H:E9 y@?6D[ v=2G:?6[ |4r2?? 2?5 E96 C6DE @7 E96 3C@2542DE 4C6H[ uC2?4@F6C 6?;@J65 2 ?:89E DA6?E E2=<:?8 32D632== H:E9 @=5 7C:6?5D]k^Am
kAmv=2G:?6 2?5 y@?6D C6AC6D6?E 2 8@=56? 6C2 @7 qC2G6D 32D632== E92E 3682? 2 DEC62< @7 `c 4@?D64FE:G6 5:G:D:@? E:E=6D H9:49 4F=>:?2E65 H96? uC2?4@6FC 2?5 |4r2?? 563FE65 2D 7C6D9\72465 a`\J62C\@=5D :? a__d]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 2== 7@FC >6? 92G6 8@?6 7C@> 36:?8 A2CE @7 E96 DE@CJ @? E96 7:6=5 E@ 36:?8 E96 DE@CJE6==6CD[ E96J’== 2=H2JD 36 =:?<65 3J E96 >@>6?ED 2?5 >6>@C:6D D92C65 @? E96 5:2>@?5 7@C pE=2?E2]k^Am
kAm“~?6 E9:?8 x E9:?< E92E’D D@ 8C62E 23@FE E9:D A=246 2?5 $?:E D2:5 :E 36DE[ ‘(96? J@F’C6 H:E9 E96 qC2G6D[ :E’D 72>:=J[’” uC2?4@6FC D2:5] “(6 =62C?65 7C@> E9@D6 EJA6 8FJD 2?5 9@A67F==J H6 H6C6 23=6 E@ A2DD D@>6 5@H?] }@H[ E@ 36 23=6 E@ H2E49 E9:D <:?5 @7 4C6H 2?5 92G6 >J <:5D 8C@H FA H2E49:?8 E9:D <:?5 @7 qC2G6D E62> C:89E ?@H[ :E ;FDE <:?5 @7 <66AD 8@:?8] %92E’D H92E :D D@ 8C62E 23@FE E9:D A=246]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 2 ?6H 86?6C2E:@? 4FCC6?E=J A@H6C:?8 :ED H2J E9C@F89 2 5:G:D:@? E:E=6 DEC62< E92E DE2?5D 2E D:I J62CD 2?5 :?4=F56D 2 (@C=5 $6C:6D E:E=6[ |4r2?? 36=:6G6D E96 qC2G6D’ 7FEFC6 :D :? 8@@5 92?5D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D H92E 6G6CJ3@5J :D ECJ:?8 E@ 4@AJ E@ 36 9@?6DE H:E9 J@F[” |4r2?? D2:5] “%96J’G6 8@E 2 >2?286C H9@[ :? >J @A:?:@?[ :D E96 36DE :? E96 82>6] %96J’G6 8@E 2 v| H9@ :D AF==:?8 E96 C:89E DEC:?8D @? 6G6CJE9:?8 96 :D 5@:?8 2?5 E96 A=2J6CD E96J 92G6 96C6[ E96 4@C6 8C@FA @7 8FJD E96J 92G6[ 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 96C6 7@C 2? 6IE6?565 A6C:@5 @7 E:>6] $@[ E96J’C6 D6E FA 96C6 7@C DF446DD 7@C E96 ?6IE 564256]”k^Am
Recommended for you
The Henry County Christmas Festival was held at Nash Farm Park Saturday. Here are some scenes from the event. Click for more.PHOTOS: Henry County Christmas Festival
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.