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Struggles have helped shape Kansas City Royals' Jeff Francoeur and Alex Gordon

Former top prospects Alex Gordon (left) and Jeff Francoeur (right) are veterans in the Kansas City Royal outfield. (Associated Press Photo)

By Bill Evans/South Jersey Times



Jeff Francoeur was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 2005 at the age of 21, dubbed "The Natural" by the magazine after a torrid first six weeks to his major-league career.

Through his first 37 games with his hometown Atlanta Braves, the free-swinging, rocket-armed right fielder hit .360. He finished his rookie season with a .300 average, 14 home runs, 44 RBIs and an incredible 13 assists in just 67 games.

Alex Gordon was drafted No. 2 overall in 2005, a month before Francoeur's spectacular debut. He came to the Kansas City Royals' organization with a litany of college Player of the Year awards and expectations of developing into a franchise player.

It took him less than two years to make it to the major leagues.

Francoeur, still not yet 30, is now in his ninth major-league season - though in his third year with the Royals, his fourth major-league team. While it has taken some time, Gordon - also 29 - is developing into the star many observers felt he would become as he starts his seventh year in the majors.

"I've definitely had my ups and downs, injuries, a position change (from third base to the outfield), maybe not living up to people's expectations," said Gordon. "I learned just work your tail off and whatever happens at the end of the day you can't be disappointed. It's just the experience and knowing what you're capable of doing and what you want to do.

"I just didn't handle (the pressure) right, especially rookie year. But last year, I started off 0-for-23 and knew I'd come through it and I had a good year."

Gordon hit .247 as a rookie in 2007 and never rose above .260 his first four years - falling off to .215 in 2010, a second straight injury-filled season. But he blossomed in 2011, hitting .303 and has been on an upward path ever since.

After following up 2011 with a .294 average and league-leading 51 doubles in 2012, Gordon is hitting .350 this year.

"I credit (former hitting coach) Kevin Seitzer a lot," said Gordon. "I made the position change and knew I had to step up, and he was instrumental in changing my approach, changing my swing and my overall perspective coming to the plate."

While Gordon is now blossoming into a star with the team that drafted him, Francoeur has taken a different path.

While Francoeur's good friend and fellow Atlanta-area native Brian McCann - who arrived in the majors around the same time with less fanfare - has developed into a six-time all-star catcher, Francoeur couldn't sustain his early success and fell out of favor.

In 2009, he was traded to the New York Mets and a year later was shipped off to Texas to be an extra outfielder on the Rangers' World Series team.

He signed with Kansas City in 2011 and is in his third year with the team.

"There were times for me early in my career, I put a lot of pressure on myself and it didn't help," said Francoeur, a .266 career hitter with 138 home runs. "When I first got to Atlanta it was nice, with Andruw (Jones) and Chipper (Jones) and Edgar Renteria and (Adam) LaRoche. But as I got a little older and some of those guys left or got hurt, I was expected to do more, and I tried so hard and couldn't get it.

"If it was up to me, I'd have loved to play my whole career (in Atlanta). But seeing where I've been, the cool places I've gone and the way it's played out, its been great. When I'm done playing, I'll take my kids to thousands of Braves game, but to go to different places has been a fun road."

Francoeur - who is in the last year of his contract - feels he has found a home in Kansas City. He batted .285 in 2011 before dropping off to .235 last year and is hitting .260 this season.

"Last year (stunk), you can say it," admitted Francoeur. "For me, winning is contagious and hitting is contagious. Last year we were losing and I was lost mechanically and it was bad.

"I put it behind me and had a good spring. You know what, it would have been harder before, but now I've had good seasons, I've had bad seasons and come back and had good seasons. It's all about adjustments. ...Last year I couldn't make them. But I'm looking forward to winning, and it's fun playing like we have been.

"When I first signed here, my wife asked 'Where are we going?' but now she loves it. It's our favorite place we've been."

Kansas City is off to an 8-6 start after completely revamping its starting pitching in the offseason, bringing in veterans like James Shields and Ervin Santana. The lineup is still young - every regular is under 30 - but Gordon and Francoeur's early arrival to the majors qualifies them as veterans.

"They're tremendously talented players who had to go through ups and downs," said Kansas City manager Ned Yost. "It makes you a better player if you can go through adversity and battle through it. You learn the best lessons that way. They have a lot of experience to offer. It helps everybody on your team they went through that.

"I've only seen two players come up and never have major adversity and that was Ryan Braun and Chipper Jones. Every good young player who comes up struggles somewhere early, and these guys have figured it out and went on to be successful major-league players."

Even nine years into the league, Francoeur still feels he has a lot of room to grow.

"I feel I can still get better," said Francoeur. "Jayson Werth hit 29, 30 and figured some stuff out. If I'm patient and get my pitch, I'm a good hitter. Sometimes I get myself out and I'm trying to limit those at-bats where I'm not being patient. I want to try to grind out every at-bat, and if I do that I'll be good.

"Becoming more disciplined is something I've worked hard on, getting in good hitting position. That raw and free-swinging. ... I want to bring that down a little bit, wait for my pitch, hit it and drive it. When the ball's around the plate, I can hit it."

For Gordon and Francoeur, where they have been is important. But not as much as where they're going.

"Everything happens for a reason, I'm not looking back," said Gordon. "I'm happy with where I'm at right now."