“[The trade] definitely surprised me,” said Francoeur, who was hitting just .250 with five homers and 35 RBI at the time of the deal. “Not so much about the trade, but getting traded here. You know you are going to be playing one of your division rivals. But you know, New York is crazy, man. At the same time when things are going great, it's one of the best places to play. You want to play and you want to win here. When the guys get back and healthy, it's going to be a lot of fun and I think we are going to win a lot of ballgames.”

Francoeur has been through the rivalry with the Mets since he came up to the Braves in 2005. Even though it seemed fierce at the time, the newest Met never gave it a second thought.

“When I was there in '05-'06, it was big,” he said. “In '07, we were close, but the last two years it's been the Mets and Phillies. The rivalry has gone down a little bit. You are playing 18 times a year, so there's always going to be a rivalry.”

It's tough to wipe the smile off the face of the 25-year-old outfielder, even after two down years that caused the Braves to shop their hometown hero. Francoeur has a reason to grin these days, because he seems to have found his swing. In his first 85 at-bats with the Mets, he was batting .282 with four homers and 19 RBI. He credits his new teammates and coaches for his quick start.

First, pitching coach Dan Warthen gave the team's newest slugger his scouting report, which Francoeur said wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. “I came in here and listened a lot,” he said. “I took advice from [hitting coach] Howard Johnson and Gary [Sheffield]. I am a guy who likes to have a good time. That's what these guys like to do, so that's good for me.”

But the big change came after Sheffield noticed Francoeur's grip seemed odd – he was leading with his bottom hand. “I told him how to use his top hand,” Sheffield said. “At the point of contact, you want to have your top hand as your strong hand. The bottom hand is your guide hand and your top gives you power. It was something I saw in batting practice.”

With his on-field situation in order, Francoeur is now dealing with the side of baseball fans rarely see – players moving their families in the middle of the season. He is living in a Manhattan apartment with his wife and three dogs, but wants to re-locate to the suburbs during the offseason so his dogs can run around.

Otherwise, the young outfielder is having a grand time in New York. Francoeur said he always played his best in front of near-capacity crowds. “For me, from high school, I always liked to play in front of big crowds and get pumped for a game and here it's very easy,” he said. “In other places, you may have only 10,000 or 15,000 people at a game. You are going to go out there and there are a lot of people who want to watch you play and want to watch you play well.”

And, believe it or not, in New York, there's a lot less pressure on the Mets outfielder. Being from Atlanta, he had to endure numerous requests from various friends and relatives for tickets. He also had the pressure of being a hometown hero.

“Not many people can say this, but I come here and I have less pressure than playing in Atlanta,” he said. “It's a lot easier for me to come and play. For me to just come and fit in the lineup, it's good for me.”

Francoeur, though, knows the city from the various times the Braves visited the area over the past four years. “When I came to town, I went to the World Trade Center when the Braves were here,” Francoeur said. “I have been all around. I have been to Chinatown and Little Italy, so for me I have been here so many times. But it's nice to go into the city and have a nice dinner and relax. I am looking forward to that kind of stuff. In Atlanta, I was always getting together with family and friends, which is good, but now I have some time to be alone with my wife.”

But even in New York, Francoeur still roots for the Falcons and keeps an eye on the Thrashers, even though he grew up a Bruins fan because his father is from the Boston area. And all of this keeps the smile on his face. He fits in so well, it seems like he's been a Met for many years.

“He's been very enthusiastic in the clubhouse,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “He comes here ready to play. For the most part, the performance on the field dictates someone speaking in the clubhouse. He's fit in very, very well with the players we have. It doesn't look like he missed a step with the friendships. He has a different handshake with everyone, just like everybody else. He's adapted very well.”