If Uggla doesn’t turn things around, Braves are sunk
It seems like Dan Uggla has been swinging half of a bat all season. (AP photo)
When the Braves signed Dan Uggla to a five-year, $62 million extension in January, I didn’t have a big problem with it. True, it was a significant commitment from a team that has been struggling to create some payroll flexibility in recent years. But if Uggla’s next five seasons were similar to his previous five, the investment was worthy.
The problem: Uggla has face-planted. If he doesn’t turn it around, this contract will turn into one of the worst albatrosses in pro sports.
He is hitting .172 through 60 games. Perspective: He would have to add 66 points to his average just to be as good as Nate McLouth (.238). It’s even worse over the last 16 games: Uggla is 5-for-60 (.083) with an on-base percentage of .152.
But the Braves have no options here. The contract extension means Uggla can’t really be benched for an extended period, and he certainly can’t be traded. Sending him to Triple-A Gwinnett, which he likely would have to sign off on, also seems implausible, although the Braves have done it with other high-priced fizzles.
In short, they have no choice but to wait and hope that Uggla turns it around.
This is a bad position for a general manager to be in, because no matter what Frank Wren eventually decides to do with the roster, he’s going to have to work around the annual salaries that the team has committed to Uggla though 2015: $10 million (including a $1 million signing bonus) this season, $13 million in each of the four that follow.
Of all that has gone wrong so far this season, the lack of production from Uggla and Jason Heyward stands out. The Braves are sunk unless that changes. Manager Fredi Gonzalez continues to hope that the numbers eventually reflect the back of the players’ bubble gum cards.
So, how confident are you? Is this an aberration for Uggla or do you expect him to struggle all season? Also, what were your thoughts on the $62 million contract back in January (be honest)?
By Jeff Schultz
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320 comments Add your comment
count_schemula
June 6th, 2011
7:56 pm
“What was his avg. the second half of last year. Pitchers have adjusted to him.”
After a pretty electric start, he hurt his thumb, and payed through.
“What was his avg. before going on the disabled list?”
Claims the shoulder was bum since during spring training. Tried to play through, got a numb hand and a tingling arm out of it.
When he has been healthy, he looks good. I have no problem agreeing that he has not been able to either stay healthy or on the field. For now, I’m willing to defend him, but he will have to figure out the difference between being hurt and being injured as they say.
LakeDawg
June 6th, 2011
7:57 pm
@count_schemula….thanks for the explanation. LOL
LakeDawg
June 6th, 2011
7:59 pm
@count_schemula…I hope you’re right and its just that he’s been battling injuries. He has the look of an all-timer.
rex
June 6th, 2011
8:00 pm
DU doesn’t have a clue. He thinks he is a home run hitter. Look at the way he swings the bat. You can’t teach anyone with this attitude. I don’t think he will improve untill he is sent down to A or AA where there is no pressure and then you can change the Muscleman approach to hitting. If the Braves continue to play him, the Braves season is doomed and so is DU. Get this man out of the line up and get him some help.
iTiSi
June 6th, 2011
8:04 pm
Nothing more than DY SOB’s (DIFFERENT YEAR, SAME OLD BRAVES) so it is all somewhat immaterial. I’m predicting two things (one, Heyward same as I did end of last year) that UGGLA will slowly come around but it will be too late to make a difference. Braves will finish 3rd this year. As for Heyward, he will follow the same road Jeff Francoeur did. From day one, I did not see in him what most others did. Case in point: where are all those home runs he was hitting in spring training? Quite different when you are facing a team’s top pitchers day after day.
count_schemula
June 6th, 2011
8:11 pm
“He thinks he is a home run hitter.”
Um, he is a home run hiiter? It’s about all he is.
He does look like he has been going for the ESPN highlight reel with majestic blasts unrivaled by his peers, but… most know that that is not the way. He should be trying to hit balls through the fence, not over it. The home runs would follow. Of course, now, he’s just screwed up and not any kind of hitter.
NO MORE BOBBY
June 6th, 2011
8:27 pm
Take away Uggla’s stats against Braves as a Marlin and not that impressive. He killed us when in Florida now killing us in Atlanta. This might go down as worse than Mike Hampton. Yikes!
JT
June 6th, 2011
8:35 pm
Honestly I thought it was excessive in the amount they paid Uggla, but holy crap! 172 avg. Will they now call it the Uggla line instead of Mendoza??? How embarrasing for Uggla! Bet he really don’t give a crap while he cashes his way too high pay check. The guy who should be embarassed is Frank Wren.
Old Dawg Fan
June 6th, 2011
8:37 pm
If I performed at my job the way Uggla has then I would be fired!!!! If you Jeff wrote terrible columns (which yours are always on the money) then you would be gone!!! To bad Wren put the Braves in this situation.
Uggla is a millionaire and that is all that matters to him and his family even though it was at the expense of the Braves.
JoefromGA
June 6th, 2011
8:43 pm
what makes me sick is at this rate he is making $89k+ per hit.
PMC
June 6th, 2011
8:46 pm
I still don’t blame Wren for making this trade or getting this deal signed, his past performance indicated that he was a middle of the order hitter with power, exactly what the Braves STILL lack.
Only, because that trade included Infante, we lost a lot one of the best bats on the team at the same time.
There are tons of pitchers on the team and scarcely any true everyday players. The good news, nearly everyone in baseball is average to bad this year so they aren’t that far back.
The bad news, there is no telling when if ever this team is going to find enough baseball players that can hit near .300 and drive in 100 runs.
Skillet
June 6th, 2011
8:51 pm
” Uggla would have to add 66 points to his average just to be as good as Nate McLouth (.238)”
That’s too funny, LOL
Nate took the money and sucked. Kinda like what Andruw Jones did to the Dodgers.
Skillet
June 6th, 2011
9:02 pm
correction…..Uggla took the money and sucked, not Nate…Wait a minute, Nate & Uggla took the money and sucked…Well Nate not so much as Uggla…. Uggla has sucked to epic proportions, while Nate has just sucked to regular proportions.
Ok, never mind all that…From now on, the 2-headed beast will be referred to as Nate Uggla.
benchwarmer
June 6th, 2011
9:07 pm
Wow! Is Larry Parrish actually promoting an aggrssive philosopy at the plate? Just when it seemed that the Bravos as a group had finally learned to be more patient this is the new philosopy? I hope not. I think aggresion is called for in some situations but the key word is situations. Parrish ought to be teaching how to identify those times to be aggressive and how to apply other strategems when when aggression is not called for.
benchwarmer
June 6th, 2011
9:09 pm
And is Jason Heyward brittle? Starting to look like it. Not something he can correct maybe. Some guys just break easily.
Ron Hyatt
June 6th, 2011
9:15 pm
I told you so last October.
The psychiatrist
June 6th, 2011
9:25 pm
The thought of going to AAA may drive Uggs crazy, but then Lawrenceville IS a short drive, isn’t it?
Skillet
June 6th, 2011
9:30 pm
Heyward’s biggest problem is that his birth certificate is bogus…Dude was born in 1969, not 1989.
I’d like Pa Pa Heyward to tell me stories about what it was like to be on the DL back in the olden days.
The psychiatrist
June 6th, 2011
9:34 pm
If Valentine knows, then we must assume Parrish knows, and Uggla knows, they look at the video analyzing every facet of the swing, so where does that leave it? If any fan who knows a shred about the game can see the inability or lack of desire to change the most obvious flaws in approach, i.e. trying to pull outside pitches as opposed to going to the opposite field, not shortening up the swing with 2 strikes, not being able to carry out a basic sac bunt, and constant inability to get a runner home from 3rd with less than 2 outs, seriously, what the hell is wrong with this team?
Honest Ingine
June 6th, 2011
9:38 pm
What a waste of good money.. period….hope he is reading this blog, and gets off his a… and plays baseball the way he used to, and what we are paying for…
BB
June 6th, 2011
9:38 pm
Uggla, don’t point your left striding foot towards left field anymore or give your 12 million dollars a year back. We are suppose to learn this in little league.
G-Man
June 6th, 2011
9:44 pm
What stinks is that you don’t have options. It’s one thing if it’s Nate McClouth, it’s totally different if it’s your highest paid players. Does our highest paid players reflect who our best players have been so far? Answer = Nope
Derek Lowe $ 15,000,000 Chipper Jones $ 14,000,000 Dan Uggla $ 9,146,942 Tim Hudson $ 9,000,000 Nate McLouth $ 7,000,000
p.s. The issue is leadership. Other than Prado, I don’t see or have heard anyone talking about extra time in the video room or extra batting practice.
Mookie
June 6th, 2011
9:48 pm
Dan’s swing is Uggla. Feet work bad. Pulling off the ball. Can’t reach outside. Arm swinging. Can’t go the other way.
Joshua Barlowe
June 6th, 2011
9:51 pm
I’m more worried about that fact that Heyward can’t stay healthy. That’s a bad sign.
k483
June 6th, 2011
10:05 pm
I think it would be an interesting study to compare the stats of players the year before they sign a huge contract and the year after. My guess is that the pre-signing numbers are closer to their career highs and the post-signing numbers are closer to their career lows.
G-Man
June 6th, 2011
10:09 pm
k483
they have done studies on this. It’s now called the Uggla syndrome.
Andrew A
June 6th, 2011
10:15 pm
“Of all that has gone wrong so far this season . . .” Relax. That’s baseball. We’re 3 1/2 out. Playing the fish tomorrow, and a chance for Uggla to shine against his old club.
rally
June 6th, 2011
10:23 pm
The only saving grace for the Braves right now is their pitching which has kept them in ballgames. If it wasn’t for that we would be a dead last team. Thats right a bottom cellar team probably 18 games out of first place before the allstar break. Dan Uggla has been the worst problem I have seen since Hamptons last three years. The problem with Uggla is he is a linchpin of the lineup and drags everybody else down. I cant think of how many times he has killed rallys this year. DUMB DUMB DUMB. Till he heats up I’ll keep drinking tequila….and cursing like a sailor.
GLE
June 6th, 2011
10:38 pm
THE BRAVES COULD SIGN TY COBB AND HE WOULD BAT .150 FOR THE SEASON.
AG
June 6th, 2011
10:44 pm
The Atlanta chokers.
POON
June 6th, 2011
10:55 pm
Pull the Mike Hampton trade…find someone to eat the back-end of his contract and see who is willing to take a flyer on this guy…HR’s don’t win WS, ask the Giants
Wright
June 6th, 2011
11:58 pm
Its just Loserville, happens to every pro sports player that comes to this city.
eddie willers
June 7th, 2011
12:20 am
“they have done studies on this. It’s now called the Uggla syndrome.’
Previously known as Andruw Jones Syndrome.
ab initio
June 7th, 2011
12:51 am
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that good hitters can’t hit in a Braves’ uni. The approach to offense for this team has been weak for years. There simply is no excuse with all the tools that teams have, both technological and technical, for the team to suck so bad at offense. Everything, from the approach at the plate; the plan to move runners, and seeing the ball, is practically atrocious.
While offense is certainly down league-wide, that is an easy excuse, and not applicable for the lousy approaches at the plate.
The Braves need to seriously rethink their methodology, or get some people, either players or coaches, who have a clue.
JASon
June 7th, 2011
12:59 am
Honestly, I liked the signing of uggla in January. Unfortunately he signed with a team that has some crazy voodoo curse that happens for every player we sign that makes him suck offensively (pun intended) once they sign with us. I guarantee you that if we were to trade uggla to another team today he would start producing instantly. This team is cursed.
ab initio
June 7th, 2011
2:19 am
“If he (Uggla) doesn’t turn it around, this contract will turn into one of the worst albatrosses in pro sports.” – Jeff Schultz
No, the worst albatross in pro sports was trading half our farm system, and the future of this ballclub for the next few seasons, for Texeira.
I’m not surprised Wren will own both birds.
Rufino Linares
June 7th, 2011
7:10 am
That’s what they get for extending someone who hadn’t done squat for the franchise….shoulda taken care of Jurrjens & Prado.
Lil' Barry Bailout
June 7th, 2011
7:42 am
Uggla needs to level out his swing–he’s got too much uppercut. Note how his bat ends up twirling over his head when he whiffs (which is frequent). Quit trying to hit that five-run homer.
Now, if anyone else needs help with their swing, just let me know.
Chopdawg
June 7th, 2011
7:44 am
I have no problem with Uggla’s original contract, but I don’t understand the contract extension, before the player had ever taken the field. Why not let him play a few months, see if he’s the player you thought you were getting, make sure he’s a good fit for your team, before signing him to a multi-year, multi-million-dollar extension?
wardenerd
June 7th, 2011
8:01 am
swinging at every pitch in one at bat and then taking a called third strike with runners in scoring position indicates that the Braves are unprepared. Most teams have an attack plan at the beginning of the game like hitting Hanson’s first pitch or making Hudson work his pitch count up by taking and being patient. I do not see this type of strategy with the Braves . Each guy is on his own.
KCWag52
June 7th, 2011
8:27 am
I’m growing concerned about understated injuries. Is there something wrong with Tim Hudson? He doesn’t seem his old reliable self lately. Heyward? Beachy? How bad are these injuries? It is truly amazing that we’re hanging around the division lead and this might just be indicative of a very different Phillies team.
We need a big Fred McGriff trade as a catalyst.
The Mick
June 7th, 2011
8:59 am
1 man doesn’t make or break a team.. The remainder of the team has to pick up the slack. The Braves has the talent.Uggla will eventually work out of his slump. I don t know if he will do it this year but looks like we ll have to be patience with him because of his contract.
I agree so far Uggla has not played to his potential..We can t trade him .Give him a day off every week .Let se what happens.To early to give up on him now. Go Braves..Good Luck Matty Diaz . Wish u were in Atlanta as so with Bobby the skipper
Joycee Banicheck
June 7th, 2011
9:02 am
I wish Bobby were still in the dugout….
Ted Abernathy
June 7th, 2011
9:09 am
Uggla is standing too far from the plate, my submarine stuff could still get him out. What are we paying Larry Parrish to do?
bb
June 7th, 2011
9:09 am
It was a good trade and good signing when it happened there was no way for them to know this would happen. Yeah it sucks but at least it’s not as bad as Hampton.
Joycee Banicheck
June 7th, 2011
9:17 am
And I think Frank Wren sucks as a GM.
What percentage of this years payroll is tied up in McLouth, Kawakami, and Uggla?
J-man
June 7th, 2011
9:20 am
To be honest, I thought the contract was OK at the time. I was a lot more concerned about his defense though. I really didn’t think he would just forget how to hit.
Joycee – Freddi is a players’ manager just like Bobby was. I don’t think Bobby would have had any more idea what to do here than Freddi does. Bobby’s idea was always for the player to play through it. He never had any useful suggestions for Frenchy or anyone else in a slump.
Dirty Dawg
June 7th, 2011
9:22 am
Maybe being back in Florida will turn him around…but clearly the Braves have no choice but to play him unless he ‘volunteers’ to go down to AAA and see if he can get something of his timing back. Then again, he’s playing every day here, so what’s the use of improving his ‘timing’ against AAA pitchers?
Fact is the Braves are experiencing that ‘age-old’ question and answer that all of us go through at some time in our lives whenever something truly regrettable happens…Question: What were you thinking?…Answer: It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Joycee Banicheck
June 7th, 2011
9:28 am
I just miss Bobby being the skipper, regardless of how Uggla is doing. I miss the fire when he hobbled out of the dugout to dispute a call, then rip the the you know what our of an ump, then get tossed. Teams respond to a manager that shows fire, Fredi appears to walk out, ask the ump if he was sure about that call, then say “ok” and turn back for the dugout. You think for two seconds there wouldn’t have been fireworks after the missed call at third the other day on the triple from Reyes?
toni
June 7th, 2011
9:34 am
It is exactly this kind of story, telling Uggla that he has the whole future of the team on his back, that is putting more and more pressure on him and will only make the problem worse. To me, the solution is a sports psychologist which they used on Smoltz early in his career. The guy even sat in the stands behind home plate for a time. But if you guys would just SHUT UP about it. It might get better. Maybe not, But it certainly won’t if you keep harping on it.