Uggla lugs slump into matchup with former team
MIAMI — The Braves and Dan Uggla hope this weeks’ series against his old Marlins team will help the second baseman snap out of his alarming slump.
Uggla had a two-homer, five-RBI game against the Marlins at Miami on June 5. His slump began the next day, and he was hitting just .121 (15-for-124) with a meager .185 slugging percentage in his past 38 games before Monday’s series opener at Miami.
During that dreadful stretch, Uggla had two doubles, two homers, 27 walks (.305 OBP) and 51 strikeouts in 124 at-bats.
Against the Marlins, he had seven homers, 20 RBIs and a .511 slugging percentage in 23 games since they traded him to Braves after the 2010 season. Uggla was 14-for-46 (.304) with four homers, 12 RBIs and a .396 OPB in his past 12 games against them before Monday.
Etc.
Braves backup shortstop Jack Wilson began an injury-rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, eight days after going on the 15-day disabled list with a dislocated pinkie finger on his throwing hand….
Rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons is still probably at least a month away from returning from the DL. He’s had his lower right arm and hand in a cast since breaking the fifth metacarpal on July 8.
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49 comments Add your comment
Grandma Giffin
July 23rd, 2012
8:38 pm
Was he prone to such long extended slumps with the Marlins?
Weaseal
July 23rd, 2012
8:39 pm
* Your
TN Jeff
July 23rd, 2012
8:46 pm
OK folks, perhaps someone has already broken this down but in case not – here it goes. The Braves record on Mondays is 0 & 11. The most runs they have scored in any one game on Mondays is 3 (which they have done 2 times). They have scored a grand total of 17 runs on Mondays which averages out to 1.5 runs a game. Their opponents have scored 63 runs. Why in the world would anyone go to the next Monday home game?
Peter
July 23rd, 2012
8:51 pm
Another genius move by Frank Wren. and he is being paid how much for how long ?
Ralph
July 23rd, 2012
8:55 pm
Uggla is not in a slump, he simply can’t hit the baseball anymore, the sooner Wren realizes that the better off we will be.
LakeDawg
July 23rd, 2012
9:16 pm
Is Uggla currently the worst hitter in baseball? Probably, but I’m sure he’s doing the best he can. I’ve lost the heart to continue to bash him.
Tampa Gator
July 23rd, 2012
9:17 pm
Anyone notice what a hell of a game Minor pitched tonight….makes two in a row. The kid is starting to get it. He is really keeping the hitters off balance and is pitching now. He reminded me a lot of Glavine tonight with him mixing up his pitches and keeping the Marlin hitters off balance. He just needs to come out hot in the first two innings in the future.
Uggla sure in struggling….that is for sure. Not sure what the Braves will do if this continues. No replacement at second unless they want to play Pastornicky there and give him a rest.
LakeDawg
July 23rd, 2012
9:21 pm
Braves need a right hand bat. They thought Uggla was it and paid him a ton of money. Now they’re back where they started.
Mike from the coast
July 23rd, 2012
9:22 pm
I’m hoping we’ll see a little of Prado at second, and Constanza in left.
Dozer
July 23rd, 2012
9:29 pm
I would be the first to say but not sure you can blame Wren a la Suspenders (as in Texiera disaster).Uggla never showed this bad in Miami – maybe he’s just not up to playing in front of more than 600 people. In any case he’s been a DISASTER since he got here.
go-BRAVOS
July 23rd, 2012
9:31 pm
I’m sure if Fredi is asked about Struggla it will be the same tired line of, “just keep running him out there and trust the back of his baseball card”. That didn’t work for DLowe last year and it’s not working for Struggla. He is costing this team dearly and for those who talk about his OBP, the guy is not paid 12MILLION/YEAR to walk. He is paid to drive in runs and every time the team gets a rally started he puts an end to it.
Go Braves!
TONIGHT is the problem
July 23rd, 2012
9:37 pm
We have got to get a left fielder, why not Constanza, and move Prado back to 2nd. Uggla is completely lost, totally, out of control with his swing lost. No adjustment, just swing as hard as he can and hope for the best. Hope is gone. If Constanza doesn’t move to left and Uggs get extended time off, I think we are done.
TONIGHT is the problem
July 23rd, 2012
9:39 pm
Oh, good go$$$, what a horrible call at first.
Chipper'll call em out...
July 23rd, 2012
9:41 pm
Is Uggly the new Nate Mclouth??
Yogi Berra
July 23rd, 2012
9:41 pm
Fredi finally got some Balls and got the Axe.
Yogi Berra
July 23rd, 2012
9:44 pm
NEVER ON MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
LakeDawg
July 23rd, 2012
9:45 pm
Mercy me! The Braves shore do suck.
OTP
July 23rd, 2012
9:45 pm
Trade Uggla.
LAG
July 23rd, 2012
9:46 pm
Well, that was terrible.
Fire Laz Diaz.
rich
July 23rd, 2012
9:46 pm
Yep…1 run on 4 hits……Dempster is only the answer if he can hit too because this lineup sure cant
LAC
July 23rd, 2012
9:50 pm
I agree DUMP uggla while we still can, This guy STINKS !!!!!
AND… Just what we need… a 35 year old pitcher, GREAT !!!!!
FIRE CHICKEN wren NOW !!! Addition by subtraction of this STUPID FOOL, is the Only way we can improve !!!!
tnbravesfan
July 23rd, 2012
9:53 pm
What is up with the Dempster trade?
JoeyBagOBravos
July 23rd, 2012
9:56 pm
How bout that umpiring in the ninth? Game-changing incompetence wins out…
BFAN13
July 23rd, 2012
9:58 pm
Dan Uggla is horrible! He never had stetches like this in Florida. I dont know whats going on with him but the Braves should not tolerate another slump like this for a guy they are paying a boat load of money to. Its terrible!
Casey
July 23rd, 2012
10:00 pm
Why is Uggla playing every day? Does anyone have any idea? How long does he have to be in a slump before he is out of the lineup? No other team in baseball would have such a giant black whole in the order as the Braves do with Uggla, Janish, and then the pitcher.
LakeDawg
July 23rd, 2012
10:03 pm
Does anyone else find it strange that when the Braves trade for an up and coming hitter, that hitter does a face plant once he becomes a Brave? Hmmm
Casey
July 23rd, 2012
10:04 pm
And what about his fielding? Am I the only person on the planet who can see that he can’t play. He is the worst 2nd baseman I have ever seen at any level of baseball. I played from the age of 5 all the way through high school. He is worse than anyone I have seen. He falls on the ground every time the ball comes his way. He can’t catch. He can’t throw. He can’t run. He can’t hit. Why is he on the team?
BFAN13
July 23rd, 2012
10:12 pm
Can Prado play 2nd? If so, he should be there tomorrow with Costanza in the outfield. I cant deal with watching Uggla in this lineup. He needs to be sent down to work on his swing against minor league pitching. Everyone of these Braves homers keep saying he will work his way out of it, but by the tine that happens, the Brave will be out of the playoff race. Those wildcards will come from either Pitt or Cincy or LA or SFran. All of those teams have better pitching from top to bottom than the Braves and the braves have hitting games like this where they look clueless at the plate. Its frustrating bit I am a true Braves fan and I will continue to support my team, its just disheartening!
Casey
July 23rd, 2012
10:30 pm
@BFAN13 “Can Prado play 2nd?”
Where have you been? He has played second his whole life, until this season.
Yogi Berra
July 23rd, 2012
10:40 pm
If Cubs Mgr said no deal and is mad about the media getting out the news on trade: Let the damn Cubs keep him and go after Liriano.
Busch Leaguer
July 23rd, 2012
10:58 pm
Maybe Uggla needs glasses he has been swinging late on fast balls and has been missing breaking balls by two feet.
Kris
July 24th, 2012
12:56 am
Well right now uggla is stuck in the slump, its not new because we had it last year before he had the 33 game hit streak from the beggining of July through August. And still ended with the season with 36 homeruns and a BA of .233, I believe he can get snap back into hitting balls as soon as he finds his groove in the next couple of games. Not expecting him to end this season with the same results as last year, but he can get there.
IdahoBravesFan
July 24th, 2012
2:49 am
I have an idea. Put our worst pitcher in the rotation on Mondays and just forfeit the game. That way they get a night off because we are going to lose anyway and our worst pitcher won’t lose another game we need to win.
mid wicket
July 24th, 2012
4:47 am
The question for Frank is …… Do the Braves have enough to get deep in the postseason with dempster? I think the pressure is there from so many different angles.
1. Frank is feeling the heat from up top
2 Chipper is probably applying pressure given this is his last year and wants to go out a winner
3 Fredi knows this may be his last job for awhile if they don’t catch fire and win
4 The fan base has had just about a gut full of mediocrity.
I just hope that the people at the top are not going to mortgage the future because of their own job insecurities or to please the Old battle Axe in his last go round. Because the efeect of these decisions are going to be felt long after this current crop have departed.
my 2 cents
Charlie
July 24th, 2012
7:14 am
WORTHLESS DAN UGGLA will be the worst trade/extention in Braves history. Dan is a headcase, aparently incapable of making an adjustment. Dan is killing his team. He contributes NOTHING. At least put him on the bench, and put anyone at second. Anyone is capab;le of doing more than WORTHLESS DAN.
FREDI will keep running him out there. Hopefully, both FREDI and WORTHLESS DAN will soon get run out of Atlanta.
I hope Dempster nixes the trade to Atlanta. He isn’t an answer to anything.
erubi
July 24th, 2012
8:58 am
Did anybody notice how a world series manager, manages? Ozzie didn’t hesitate to change pitchers last night time and time again. Maybe he’d like to come back to ATL?? It’s about time Constanza was brought back up. With Past. back, why not start him at 2nd, Constanza in left, give Martin a day off? Send Uggla down to work on his swing….when was the last time he had his eyes checked? OR, trade Uggla along with Hanson…maybe there is an American League team who needs a 2nd basemen who they can DH for? If he is such a team player, I would think he would take himself out of the game…he’s losing games for the team! Hanson scares me everytime he takes the mound…and forget JJ….trade those 3 to some team and tell them they just need a change of scenery…..far far away from ATL!
harry taylor
July 24th, 2012
9:17 am
Need to start a lottery. $10 for each entry to guess when Uggla will hit the mendoza line. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN. And he was an all-star. I would hate to see the runner up in that contest.
Goliath
July 24th, 2012
10:19 am
What do we hear from the genius Fredi, “we’ll keep running him out there until he get his groove back”. Could anybody be THAT f’n stupid? How long do you keep “running him out there”? He is KILLING the team and any chances at the playoffs.
Send him down to work on his swing.
jt
July 24th, 2012
10:47 am
Man if we don’t do something with Uggla, they should go to dugout and take the Braves uniform off of Fredi, on TV. These guys do not have a clue on how to play or manage baseball.
That play the other day by Uggla, where he dropped a sure double play could have been made by any AA 2nd baseman. And if Uggla swings at one more down and outside pitch, someone (Chipper) should hit him in the head with a bat every time he does it, maybe that would get his attention that he is a lousy hitter. DUHH!!!!
jt
July 24th, 2012
10:50 am
What’s wrong with sending Uggla down to AAA to see if he could improve (don’t think that would happen as someone said he is a “head case”) Problem is he really does think he is a good ballplayer, that’s Wren’s fault for giving him that ungodly amount of money for No Talent> Uggla’s popeye arms are too short to hit outside pitches but he keeps on trying.
arizona brave
July 24th, 2012
11:35 am
Uggla should do something good for the team and take himself out of the line up.FGwon’t do it because he’s afraid to catch flak from upstairs.I have never seen another manager continue to play someone who is such a detriment to the rest of the team.
Sonny Jackson
July 24th, 2012
12:03 pm
I usually try to stay as positive as possible and never gave up on Uggla last year, but this is too much.
He looks as bad as Andruw Jones or Francour did in their worst days… our bottom third of the order really is a black hole where rally’s go to die. Would it be so bad if he sat for a series? We’ve got to try something to change this up or we’ll be taking an early vacation in October this year.
arizona brave
July 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
It’s hard to stay positive when things are not being done to change the situation.
PJ
July 24th, 2012
12:28 pm
Maybe if Uggla can’t stop swinging early, a heavier bat might slow him down. If that doesn’t work… anybody want an Uggla shirt? I’ll throw in a paper bag to wear over your head.
harry taylor
July 24th, 2012
2:04 pm
PJ- Maybe we should double-bag it. lol.
Beltrans right ear mole
July 24th, 2012
3:52 pm
Uggla need to take some kind of offering to the sun god in centerfield to make amends for when he disrespected the Sun when he slammed that homer into it last time the Braves were in Miami.
It is quite obvious that is when his troubles started.
Come on folks – add 2 + 2.
Bill Myers
July 24th, 2012
3:56 pm
Why is Jack Wilson and Juan Whatshisname even on the roster? That is two of the biggest jokes I have ever seen with the Braves. And 2 strike Ugly. Give me a break. It only take two strikes to strike him out. The first pitch is free to the pitcher. Dan will never swing so throw it down the middle. An where is the pitching coach? Or do they have one. Bobby we need you.
Gary Field
July 24th, 2012
4:26 pm
OK Braves, admit you made a mistake with Uggla. Try to trade him asap even if you have to pay a large portion of his salary the next 3 years. Move Prado to second base (his best position) and leave him there. This winter try to find a solid third baseman and left fielder. Meanwhile, Uggla please try to just make contact with the ball even if it means a slow dribbler to third. Why does every swing have to be a home run swing? Look at Chipper’s easy, smooth swings.
Pale Rider
July 25th, 2012
12:38 am
SmUggla is Freddie’s boy- he’ll keep sending him out there even when he’s hitting .100 over the last thirty days. Get rid of ‘em both. Freddie is no replacement for Bobby Cox. Both are overpaid.