LOS ANGELES - Maikel Franco spent almost two months this spring as Matt Stairs' top pupil. The first-year hitting coach did not want Franco to change his approach to hitting, but he instructed the slugger to alter his mind-set. Relax, Stairs told Franco, and try to hit the ball up the middle.
It produced in spring training as Franco used a balanced attack to have a strong camp. Then the season started and Franco struggled with a .148 batting average in his first 14 games. His spring work seemed wasted. The third baseman rallied last week and boarded the team's plane for Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon with .