For a slump like Uggla’s, waiting (and hoping) is the only cure
The most recent of Dan Uggla's 15 RBIs. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
On May 25, 2004, Derek Jeter was hitting .189. He would finish the season at .292. He would hit .300 or better in each of the next five seasons. Today he’s 25 hits from No. 3,000.
On May 23, 2011, Dan Uggla is hitting .185. Braves fans have been in a dither over Uggla, who was imported from Florida and then re-upped for $62 million over five years, since April, but Aprils can deceive. Besides, Uggla never hits in April.
Now, however, we’re a week from Memorial Day, the first checkpoint of the baseball season, and Uggla was actually better in April, when he hit .194, than he has been in May. On Friday, Uggla was bumped up to second in the Braves’ batting order for the first time this season. (Manager Fredi Gonzalez justified by the change by quoting the loose definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”)
Uggla went 0-for-3 that night. On Saturday he batted sixth, also for the first time this season, and went 1-for-6. On Sunday he batted fifth and went 0-for-4.
He’s 2-for-28 since his game-winning home run off Roy Halladay on May 15. Esteemed colleague Dave O’Brien reported from Anaheim that Uggla “toss[ed] equipment after a couple of at-bats” Sunday and afterward sat alone at his locker for a half-hour.
A month ago, Uggla was a man off to a slow start. Today he’s 30 percent of his way into a season, and he has 15 RBIs, 11 of which have come from home runs. Of his seven homers, five have come with the bases empty. He’s 6-for-47 (.128) with runners in scoring position.
The Braves knew, or at least thought they knew, what they were getting in Uggla: A second baseman of uncertain glove but consistent power. He’d averaged 30 homers and 93 RBIs over the previous five seasons, and a man who hits that well for that long doesn’t just forget how to hit. (Does he?)
But now a man expected to do much is doing little, and the cruel truth is that there’s little the Braves can do. They could bench Uggla for two or three games, but with Jason Heyward on the disabled list and Nate McLouth hurting this team is running short on bodies. And it’s not clear that benching an established hitter, or even moving him in the batting order, does much good: Phillies manager Charlie Manuel tried both tacks with Jimmy Rollins in 2009, and the former MVP still wound up hitting .250.
Regarding Uggla, the good news is that a good hitter invariably starts to hit. (Rollins has never been quite himself again, but he has been injured.) And it isn’t as if Uggla is the only proven hitter underperforming: Albert Pujols, the best in the business, is batting .269 and has gone 103 at-bats without a homer.
In sum, it happens. Trouble is, it has happened to Uggla at a particularly bad time. With a new team and a new contract, this season was to be his moment of true arrival. (”Nobody had ever seen me play,” he told USA Today last week. “I was in Florida.”) Instead it has been a period of reinvention, and not in a good way. He has fielded better than he has hit, but the Braves aren’t paying him to be Jose Lind.
As Uggla told O’Brien: “You can only take the playing-good-defense thing so far before you’ve got to get some hits and score some runs and drive in some runs. It’s a trying time right now.”
It is, and Uggla is doing what men in slumps invariably do: He’s swinging too hard, trying to compensate for two bad months in one at-bat. Baseball doesn’t work that way. According to ESPN’s Inside Edge, anything off-speed will get him out. He’s hitting .306 on fastballs, .210 on curves, .204 on sliders, .183 on changeups. (He’s also hitting .118 against lefthanders, which makes no sense; he hit .306 against them last season.)
It’s a trying time, but times can and do change. Jeter’s great slump of 2004 was broken by a couple of bloop doubles. That’s the time-honored ticket. After a protracted period of lineouts and frustration, a guy hits a few where they ain’t and the world looks different. Surely it will happen that way for Dan Uggla. Surely, I say.
By Mark Bradley
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180 comments Add your comment
Ron Roberts
May 23rd, 2011
12:01 pm
Problem is, I don’t see Dan Uggla being robbed of hits or hitting it sharply “right at” people; he’s striking out and grounding out, softly. I have zero empirical data to back this up; just my perception. I could understand if he were tattooing the ball, but not getting the lucky bounce or hitting it in the right spots… he’s just not hitting well, at all, aside from the seven dingers.
FIRE WREN
May 23rd, 2011
12:01 pm
Ron you are right….. Yesterday with the bases loaded Uggla looked lost…. Like a damn fool. He has got to get it together or no chance for playoffs this year. HE was supposed to be the peice that put us over the top!!!
Auburn University Payroll Dept.
May 23rd, 2011
12:01 pm
Does anyone have Cam’s latest address? We need to send him his last paycheck.
Betty
May 23rd, 2011
12:02 pm
Uggla is pressing, trying to hit the ball to hard. Cut back the swing slightly, go to the opposite field, stop trting to hit a homerun every time at bat.
Cousin Vicker
May 23rd, 2011
12:03 pm
his overall stats are still better than anyone on the Braves roster.
Matt
May 23rd, 2011
12:03 pm
One way to look at it: This team was a playoff team last year for one reason, last at bat wins. That is not really an indication of how good a team actually is. That gave alot of false hope as to how good this team really is. Couple that with the fact they don’t have a legit base stealing threat and this is not a playoff team.
Another way to look at it: With the hitters they have in that lineup there is no excuse (other than mass injury) to not score runs. This is not a team full of bums by any means. Cox wasn’t able to get much out of this lineup (you don’t coach last ab wins)and you hired Gonzalez to keep it as close to Cox as possible. Maybe they need to change it up a bit and get someone outside of the Braves bubble in there.
Mark Bradley
May 23rd, 2011
12:09 pm
Kenshin Kawakami is 1-1 with the Double-A Mississippi Braves. He has an ERA of 7.59.
TennBravesFan
May 23rd, 2011
12:10 pm
I don’t understand why Braves hitters (i.e. Uggla and Heyward) refuse to adjust. They each need to move about 6 inches toward the plate and take a step up in the box. This makes the outside pitch more reachable and dares oppossing pitchers to throw them fastballs. I have heard Joe Simpson say this several times and he is completely right.
Mark Bradley
May 23rd, 2011
12:11 pm
And this lineup is much better, at least on paper, than last season’s. No reason this club shouldn’t hit.
Skeezix
May 23rd, 2011
12:13 pm
Uggla is a major concern and I hope he gets it going soon. You have to think that he has put added pressure on himself to perform (with that fat contract of his). Heyward also has been a real disappointment. But with the exception of a couple of guys, the offense to date has stunk.
The Braves have very good to excellent pitching and a solid defense. I hope the offense gets in gear, because with some run support, this pitching staff can take us a long way. Without run support, it will be a very, very disappointing season.
Sweet Old Buck
May 23rd, 2011
12:14 pm
Gadawgs has “drilled” it.
Skeezix
May 23rd, 2011
12:14 pm
To Dan Uggla: Where is the Dan Uggla who used to feast on Braves pitchers? We want that Dan Uggla.
Ted M
May 23rd, 2011
12:20 pm
Uggla needs to hit .385 over 10 games before anyone can even begin to talk about him busting out of his slump.
His base running has been great.
Herbie HamHocks
May 23rd, 2011
12:23 pm
I know Infante is off to a slow start as well, but I think, in time, replacing him at 2nd base with Uggla will turn out to be one of the worst decisions in Brave’s history. Infante, Prado, and Gregor Blanco, added a lot of speed and athleticism to the lineup. It’s too bad. The other thing is that Uggla and Chipper’s salaries are killing us. You have a potential all-star 3rd baseman in Prado, and if Jones will JUST RETIRE, it will free up money to bring in a big time left fielder. You see the effects of Uggla’s salary at other positions as well. Especially some of the setup guys in the bullpen.
Warren Spahn
May 23rd, 2011
12:28 pm
It is always interesting to read all the smart mouths as they continue to take shots at Jeff Francoeur. Francoeur apears to be doing quite well in Kansas City. When you look at some of the others who are now doing well (Harrison, Feliz, Saltalamacchia, Morton, Cabrera, et als.), one must conclude that all they needed was to have a time to adjust and cleanse themselves. None of this success would have occurred if they had not escaped Atlanta.
Hike!!!
May 23rd, 2011
12:36 pm
I have been saying for weeks that he cannot hit the off speed pitches. Where is the pitching coach. Can’t he recommend a more patient approach at the plate. Most of the off speed stuff are balls. He should be patient and he will get more fast balls, which he can hit. Either that or he needs to develop a “golf club” swing.
O'Brien
May 23rd, 2011
12:40 pm
Braves are very aggressive at the plate, and have nothing to show for it. A few days ago, DOB reported they had a .309 OBP. That’s crazy.
Terry Pendleton received a lot of heat when he was the hitting coach. Should our new hitting coach be receiving some heat as well? Or is he still in the honeymoon stage because its his first season?
GStateBen
May 23rd, 2011
12:41 pm
Enough with the “he always starts slow” nonsense. The last few years thru May 23rd:
2011: .189 BA, .261 OBP, 7 HRs, 15 RBI
2010: .276 BA, .355 OBP, 12 HRs, 31 RBI
2009: .208 BA, .324 OBP, 8 HRs, 30 RBI
2008: .320 BA, .396 OBP, 15 HRs, 34 RBI
This is an awful stretch and he has been embarassingly bad through this point. Defensively, a rock star. Offensively, awful.
Warren Spahn
May 23rd, 2011
12:41 pm
I forgot to mention Marquis who is 5-1 in 9 starts for Washington and Betemit who is hitting .315 and doing a fine job at 3B for KC.
Wainwright is another prime example. I know he is on the DL and won’t play this year but he is still one of the best pitchers in the NL. Of course, the DL seems to attract present Braves at an amazing rate. If they cut off their paychecks I’ll bet they would suck it up and play with a little pain as Bulh, Burdette, Mathews, and the rest of us did back in the 1950s.
Reggie
May 23rd, 2011
12:45 pm
Skeezix
May 23rd, 2011
12:14 pm
To Dan Uggla: Where is the Dan Uggla who used to feast on Braves pitchers? We want that Dan Uggla.
Link
Report this commet ……………Umm we do have that Dan Uggla, the problem is he isn’t batting against Braves pitching anymore
Vote for me
May 23rd, 2011
12:48 pm
Wonder how many all star votes he will get? Maybe he should be selected for the HR Derby.
Blackberry Cobbler
May 23rd, 2011
12:51 pm
Dan Uggla is NOT Derek Jeter.
Gonzalez .254
Freeman .248
McOUT .238
Heyward .214
Uggla .185
Hell, even Chipper .262 and McCann .275 and Prado .287
Not a single starter even averaging 290 or better and most are below 250. Combine this with a much overrated pitching staff and you have what you have– a very mediocre ball club. But hey, we’re real good at tipping our hat to the other team and making opposing pitchers look real good.
The players and coaches have so answers, just excuses.
Mark (another one)
May 23rd, 2011
12:57 pm
Next time I have brain surgery, I will be sure to have a few bloggers talking to the surgeon. These guys know how to fix everything.
Uggla is in the first year of his first major contract, and he’s stuggling. It happens. The larger factor is that the Braves as a team are doing poorly. This puts a magnifying glass on Uggla but look at the hitters and pick out those performing up to expectations. From the regulars, its Chipper and McCann. Even giving Freeman a pass as he adjusts to the bigs, that’s five regulars under performing.
So no, what to do? This is the team Wren built and Fredi has to manage. Do you trust players to move towards their career averages, which would mean great improvement? Or do we have a fire sale and end up with nothing? I have to believe Uggla and some of the others will come around. WIth the current injuries, we are seeing Mathers and Hinske show what they can do, and it might help some of the guys struggling to take a day or two off and watch from the bench.
The other point is that McLouth is doing better than most of us expected, and Gonzales is a vacumn at short. Improvement over the rest of this season needs to come from first, second, left and right. We also need to appreciate the jobs being performed by Chipper and McCann and the pitching staff.
Chris Matthews
May 23rd, 2011
1:05 pm
The guy can’t hit more than 220 at most!
Braves Fan
May 23rd, 2011
1:06 pm
Keep your head up Dan. It will all come soon. Stay positive
Mitchell
May 23rd, 2011
1:07 pm
The first thing you do is fire Larry Parrish.
Then… well, then I don’t know what.
But at least you can say you’ve done something about it. This is too important not to make some kind of move, however Philadelphia-ish it may be.
We can’t go another year with such horrible underperformance by the offense and just sit there and do nothing.
This isn’t the case of guys who just can’t hit. These are proven, All Star caliber players who aren’t pulling their weight.
Do something Frank.
AK
May 23rd, 2011
1:14 pm
I sincerely hope Uggla can get it going, otherwise I think our season will be lost. Heyward is having major issues and Jones is one, bad move away from and extended stay on the disable list. Gonzalez/Wren hired an Hitting Coach, whose never even done the job in the Majors. They failed to land another legitimate leadoff man/outfielder. It’s time for them to make some changes, or else!
JTH
May 23rd, 2011
1:16 pm
Liberty Media has (holds pinky up to corner of mouth) one billion dollars to buy a outdated dinosaur like Barnes & Noble but they can’t pony up another 20-30 million to build a team with depth for a real championship run. Well to the Braves of 2011.
Monk Nash
May 23rd, 2011
1:18 pm
Maybe he should start a little Jobu shrine in his locker! At least if he has a crappy game he can drink the run and smoke a cigar!
JTH
May 23rd, 2011
1:19 pm
That should of been “Welcome to the Braves of 2011″.
At least we’re not the Mets or Dodgers anyways.
Dumbo
May 23rd, 2011
1:25 pm
UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
truthpaste
May 23rd, 2011
1:26 pm
Heyward hurt again? 21 year old getting lots of injuries is not encouraging for a long term deal.
truthpaste
May 23rd, 2011
1:31 pm
Blackberry Cobbler
The players and coaches have so answers, just excuses…
And yet 3.5 games out of first place. ROTFLMAO at you and your squirrel sized brain.
Greg Mendel
May 23rd, 2011
1:32 pm
It’s disappointing and puzzling. I was very happy we got Uggla. I don’t think he’s lazy or not trying. At the plate, it’s as if he’s been possessed by both Melky Cabrera and Troy Glaus. He doesn’t need a hitting coach — he needs and exorcist.
Bill
May 23rd, 2011
1:35 pm
Need to get McCann’s brother and Chipper’s daddy to talk to Uggla and tell him what to do…hitting coach can make suggestions but they can’t hit for’em.. Never blame TP & LP for someone else faults…Braves will return..have faith, lol
Jack G.
May 23rd, 2011
1:37 pm
The good ole boy approach to managing the Braves (Bobbie and Fredi) just dont seem to get the job done. Fredi needs to start kicking butt, and he needs to start NOW.
nc braves fan
May 23rd, 2011
1:41 pm
I can’t help but think if we got everybody hot and/or healthy at one time we could run away with this thing. The Phillies and Marlins aren’t exactly setting the world on fire either…
blue
May 23rd, 2011
1:42 pm
I think he said “free agents LATELY” Dave. I don’t think Maddox falls into that category.
BRAVESFAN
May 23rd, 2011
1:43 pm
MGT I have the solution. Get him to hang out with the pitchers and perhaps they can teach him “what not to do”. As well I’m sure him taking BP with a pitcher with real stuff might help rather than practice with a softy. Grow a beard, change what your eating, sit next to the hitting coach or someone who will actually tell you what you need to hear. What ever you have been thinking just don’t!
Largo
May 23rd, 2011
1:52 pm
To Dan Uggla – I’m sorry you’re going through such a bad time with the bat. You’ve taken a lot of abuse and I have been guilty of a lot of it. Have been trying to put myself in your place, and in doing so, kinda feel,in some small way, what you’re going through.
So, just keep trying and hopefully you will see a big improvement soon.
Mikey
May 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
Baseball is a game of making adjustments based on what the game dictates. If it is a fact that Uggla is NOT hitting the off speed and the outside strike, would it not be common sense that he begin going to the opposite field and make that adjustment. No adjustment = same outcome…how many more RISP wasted from our #5 slot??
Najeh Davenpoop
May 23rd, 2011
1:55 pm
In three of Uggla’s five seasons with the Marlins he hit .260 or below. He still managed a good OPS, but it’s not like struggles at the plate should have been unexpected with him. Maybe not to this extent, but the way he was being hyped at the time of the trade you would think the Braves were getting some sort of All Star rather than the streaky free swinging power bat that Uggla is.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 23rd, 2011
1:59 pm
And yeah I realize he made the All Star team twice; the point is we were sold on him doing that every year, when the inconsistency year to year that he had with the Marlins suggested otherwise.
Fish Bisch
May 23rd, 2011
2:00 pm
Uggla is owned
jonwan1353
May 23rd, 2011
2:00 pm
Uggla is an outstanding athlete. His slump is no different than what Jeter
went through. Careers are not made in 2 or 3 months. I would say that
every hall of famer went through slumps. Lets don’t panic, it will all work out.
Go Ugga !!!
larry
May 23rd, 2011
2:08 pm
It’s the Brave curse… Some who we get that are bad suddenly become good. and some we get that are good become bad
Bag-o Bats
May 23rd, 2011
2:09 pm
The announcers will still be saying, “Maybe this will bring Dan’s bat out of the closet” in September after hitting a two hopper past the short stop.
HereComesBream
May 23rd, 2011
2:09 pm
Where did Uggla bat in the FL line up? 4th? He was hitting in the clean up spot at 5/15 game against the Phillies. He did pretty good there! I was at the game and it was awesome to see him crack that HR! Maybe have him hit clean up for a week or 2, see how that goes.
HereComesBream
May 23rd, 2011
2:12 pm
BTW his defense has been pretty solid. All the Braves this year have played good defense.
chief pitchanono
May 23rd, 2011
2:15 pm
Who knows what is causing his struggles but he is way too good of a proven hitter to struggle like this for much longer. I believe he will come out of it and if we are still talking about this in August I will be shocked. Untill then we need other guys to step up and as of yet that has not happened allot. Nobody has got off to a great start offensively, but baseball is like that, the hitting will come and when it does this team is gonna be hard to stop. Looks like with Heyward on the DL and McClouth possibly next were gonna get to see the bench guys for a while, maybe they can be the spark plug that gets some guys going. Go Braves!!!