Again, the Braves’ Dan Uggla pursues a weird slice of history
It might take more than tape to fix what ails Dan Uggla's bat. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
This not just in: Dan Uggla had a weird 2011 season. His batting average was .173 on the Fourth of July, whereupon he embarked on a 33-game hitting streak, the longest in Atlanta Braves annals and probably the strangest in the history of baseball.
So it shouldn’t come as a total shock that, in 2012, the same Uggla could join a select group of players, one of whom is the sainted Dale Murphy and another of whom is the rather famous George Herman Ruth, in another statistical oddity. At this moment, Uggla is tied for the National League lead in strikeouts (118) and walks (66).
According to Baseball-Reference.com, only nine big-leaguers have ever done that double over a full season: Babe Ruth (four times), Hack Wilson, Dolph Camilli, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, the aforementioned Murphy (in 1985), Jason Giambi, Jim Thome and the immortal Jack Cust. (Though it’s all but a given that Adam Dunn of the White Sox will lead the American League in walks and K’s this season. He’s way ahead in both categories. He also leads the majors in home runs.)
When the Braves traded for Uggla in November 2010 and signed him to a $60 million contract extension through 2015, they believed they’d invested in a proven run-producer. Over his first five big-league seasons he’d driven in at least 88 runs, and even last season, when he hit only .233, he had 82 RBI’s. Through 104 games this season, he has 50. Last season he hit a career-best 36 home runs; to date he has 12.
His batting average is .209, which is lower than it was a calendar year ago. (He was at .212 on Aug. 1, 2011, the day his hitting streak reached 23 games.) But get this: Owing to those walks, his on-base percentage is .346, only one point lower than Michael Bourn (who’s hitting .292) and Jason Heyward (.270).
The league-leading strikeout total might suggest that Uggla will swing at anything, but that doesn’t account for his league lead in walks. He has actually gotten better at not swinging. At least in that regard, the change in hitting coaches from Larry Parrish to Greg Walker/Scott Fletcher appears to have helped Uggla, who has already walked four more times than he did last season.
According to ESPN’s stats, Uggla is third among NL batters in pitches seen per plate appearance — 4.2o, up from 3.89 last season — and, per Baseball-Reference, his BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is a not-wretched .276, up from .253 last season. Trouble is, he isn’t putting many balls in play.
He’s waiting for his pitch, which is supposed to be a good thing, but either he doesn’t do much with it or his pitch never arrives. I say again: Weird.
By Mark Bradley
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167 comments Add your comment
Hillbilly D
August 2nd, 2012
3:48 pm
In his day, Dave Kingman was known as a strikeout king. The most he ever had in a season was 156. If he’d played last year, that would have tied him for 15th most with, you guessed it, Dan Uggla.
The game has changed and it ain’t for the better.
Wolf
August 2nd, 2012
3:52 pm
It seems to me that Uggla’s bat speed has slowed down somewhat, not unusual for big-muscle/thick- chest players in their 30’s. The good players find a way to adjust to this, to compensate, stop trying to pull EVERYTHING, go up the middle or to the opposite field sometimes. Uggla seems unwilling or unable to do this. He is NOT a natural athlete, is a “one-tool” player (hit for power but NOT hit for average, field, throw, or run). If he sees power as his only tool and is stubborn, he may never adjust. As for the walks, well, this guy has been CALLED out on third strikes a LOT of times, so maybe his walks have an element of luck. He isn’t “seeing” the ball, and if he takes a pitch on ball three, he will be lucky enough for it to be ball four rather frequently.
Old Dog
August 2nd, 2012
3:52 pm
Adam Dunn was averaging about 38-40 home runs and close to 100 RBIs when he went to the White Sox in 2011. There, he hit 11 home runs and 42 RBIs for the year. Walker was the hitting coach. With Walker no longer there, Dunn has hit 31 home runs and 74 RBIs so far in 2012 with much of the year left to go. Interesting.
When Pigs Fly
August 2nd, 2012
3:55 pm
It just seems that we have seen too many players come to the Braves and not produce as expected.
I would be very careful about long term deals until I could tell what I had.
Maybe Dan will be fine and the deal will turn out to be a real bargain but it doesn’t look that way right now.
Michael Bourne on the other hand has been great and I’m afraid we won’t be able to keep him here.
Next year without Chipper or Michael could be really frustating one.
Charlie
August 2nd, 2012
3:55 pm
Uggla has got to be a major head case, and is 100% delusional. Fredi, who appears to be a wack job of a manager, said recently that as long as Uggla has confidence when at the plate, he’ll keep running him out there. Uggla says he has confidence. REALLY? Hitting about .105 in the past month…and he swears he has confidence? The guy is either completely delusional, or brain dead. His plate approach is always the same.
The guy is toast, for a career. His signing will go down as the biggest bust in Braves history. It is no coincidence that Fredi G. was manager, and Fraki Wren was GM.
Sad deal. Nothing will get Worthlewss Dan “going”. He’s done, and the Braves are stuck with him. The worst of it is, they have to continue to play this loser, because of the size of hhis contract. Tyler P., or Martin are much better options at second. But,sadly, Worthless Dan will continue to be an automatic out, time after time. Dan’s career is over. He was paid big money, by the dumbest GM in the history of baseball.
The Marlins dumped Fredi and Dan on the Braves. They knew what they were doing. Now the Braves are stuck with both.
bobbymahlon
August 2nd, 2012
4:03 pm
Pitchers have caught on to Prado who takes the first pitch and a lot of times the second even if they are cripples and gets behind the count 0 and 2 and than swings at pitches that are not strikes because he has to worry about being called out. A little check I ran for 13 games showed him hitting .418 when he was not behind the count and .200 when he was behind in the count. Doesn’t hitting coaches point things like that out to him ? I also saw a short time ago that he was hitting .280 with two strikes and at that time he was hitting .323 overall.
nobobfan
August 2nd, 2012
4:04 pm
Agree with “Charlie”
and any pitcher who walks Uggla should be talked to…I’ts not like he’s fighting off pitches. He puts on his assinine “war face” and swings at anything. Let’s “give him a day”, retire his number & send him home.
Jfreak13713
August 2nd, 2012
4:09 pm
Not worth $60 million. I like him and enjoy how hard he plays but for whatever reason we give to his up and down seasons it just comes down to dollars and he isn’t worth what he is being paid. I hope he gets hot and carries down into playoffs but even if he does it still isn’t worth the money and looking back probably not worth what you gave up to get him when combined with the contract.
Iraq should have WMDs and the $800 billion dollar stimulas plan should have created shovel ready jobs. Good intentions don’t alway produce good results.
Nevada Roy
August 2nd, 2012
4:11 pm
Hitters go through slumps but with the good hitting coaches (plus Chipper) and tools we have he should have corrected his problem. If he gets turned around and someone is interested in him we should trade him otherwise we may be going through this same thing in 2013-2014-2015.
kral
August 2nd, 2012
4:13 pm
defensive metrics …wow..hope you on the blue ray dvd of moneyball
When Pigs Fly
August 2nd, 2012
4:14 pm
Due to the large contract they can’t just send him away. But they should send him to the minors right away to get his attention and let him work on his offence. It’s not like it would hurt the team at this point.
Luscious Lucius
August 2nd, 2012
4:14 pm
He needs to take batting practice until his hands bleed.
BigGTMike
August 2nd, 2012
4:17 pm
Buckhead Dan
Brave Hokie
August 2nd, 2012
4:27 pm
Look like Tarzan, hit like Jane…
what a waste ;(
what of it?
August 2nd, 2012
4:37 pm
I think the difference is the other hitters in this category were cranking home runs. Uggla misses a lot of fat pitches
jerry
August 2nd, 2012
4:42 pm
A little know fact: Uggla has left 1,372 men on base….or maybe it just seems like it.
Speedy Gonzalez
August 2nd, 2012
4:46 pm
12 homers & 50 rbi is a joke for what he should be doing, too bad cause Uggly’s a good dude, he swings like the 2nd coming of Andruw Jones, tries to pull a outside pitch to the left field seats, how about just going with the pitch, now there’s an idea!!!!!!!!
abby normal
August 2nd, 2012
4:52 pm
If Frank (The Genius) Wren thought Uggla was worth $12 million per year, how much is Prado or Freeman or Heyward worth?
When Wren signed Uggla to that insane extention I said we would end up with a underachiever and be stuck with an almost untradable contract. Pretty much where we are now.
Jay
August 2nd, 2012
4:55 pm
Offseason Honey-Do list
1. Trade Uggla now before his value decreases anymore…we don’t want a repeat of Jurrjens. If he isn’t hitting, then all Uggla does is soak up a bunch of money and play terrible defense.
2. Move Prado back to 2nd base
3. Sign or trade for a legit left fielder…no more Matt Diaz/Hinske/Constanza revolving doors.
RyBrave
August 2nd, 2012
4:58 pm
Watch him swing, he fouls everything off his front foot, b/c he lifts his front shoulder, flies his hips open and everything is a upper cut. The only pitch he will do anything with is belt high, middle in….how I have noticed this an his hitting coach hasnt is beside me. Stop trying to hit the ball to buckhead and take some something off and drive the ball between right center gap and right field.
Hephzibah
August 2nd, 2012
5:01 pm
Dan is not seeing the ball all the way . He lifts his eyes right at the point of contact .So if he corrects this he will be the hitter he has worked so hard to be. It is so strange to see a player of his caliber to have only this unsound part of his game
Gone Fishin'
August 2nd, 2012
5:04 pm
Charlie obviously does not recall the wonderful trade for Lem Barker or the signing of Nick Essasky (spelling ??). Those were a couple of doozies for this 40 year old. And lest we forget the talent given up on Mark Texiera (again I don’t feel like spell checking it).
wallypip
August 2nd, 2012
5:10 pm
OK. I am befuddled by Uggs. He’s trying to pull everything and is pulling off pitches. If he’d try to hit the ball back at the pitcher, I think he’d resolve his funk fairly quickly. After all, there’s only one direction to go, up.
Having said that, I don’t think Uggla’s been that bad on defense. I think he’s held is own for the most part and has made some fairly spectacular plays, for him.
Let’s hope he snaps out of it at the plate. If he does, this team may be playing in October.
And let’s not forget that after a very good July…this is a team of inexplicable streaks. They might lose seven in a row again. Hope not, but….
BravesWin
August 2nd, 2012
5:10 pm
For The Love Of All That Is Good, somebody get Uggla to level off his swing on pitches! Argh!
Game Changer
August 2nd, 2012
5:15 pm
uggla sucks, very overrated from day one. Braves are doomed for failure under frank wren.
Mike S.
August 2nd, 2012
5:19 pm
I think Uggla is feeling the pressure more here. In Florida, there was no pressure to win at all. Add to that, he stands out more in this lineup. He was hitting behind Hanley Ramirez in Florida and often had a big bat like Wes Helms behind him. This Braves team just doesnt have that kind of pop around him. If Jones was 30 instead of 40, the 3 spot would be taken care of. Heyward and Freeman hit more for average than power. McCann isnt having the year he did last year which I thought was a bit of an aberration anyway. So Uggla is your basically lone power guy, and I dont think the roll suits him.
Mike S.
August 2nd, 2012
5:22 pm
Uggla is the kind of guy you want to supplement the middle of the order, not BE the middle of your order. Otherwise, he would be in a Yankees or Red Sox uni making twice the money he is now…something the Braves cant afford. They keep grabbing players from these small market teams and putting them in spots no one else will because the Braves are cheap. They wont go out and get a legit clean up hitter that can take the pressure off everyone else. Put Uggla at 5 or 6 behind a true cleanup, and I bet he performs a lot better.
1eyedJack
August 2nd, 2012
5:24 pm
No hit curve ball. Straight ball, hit it very much. Curve ball, bats are afraid. He should ask Jo-Buu to come. Take fear from bats. Gin and cigarettes not enough for Jo-Buu. He still can no hit curve ball for sheet. He hafta make a sacrifice to him.
Uggla needs to sacrifice an unborn chicken.
AlanFalcon
August 2nd, 2012
5:27 pm
I like Dan Uggla, I don’t like the fact that he continues to go out day after day and hurt the team, as I stated before he accounts for at least one inning of outs every game and is doing it on a regular daily basis, this is 1 9th of our opportunities, so how many innings has he been responsible for since this drought came about ( Its unbelievable ) and yet Freddie continues to let him struggle, it is not fair to his team mates.
Say What?
August 2nd, 2012
5:34 pm
Just keep running him out there……
nobobfan
August 2nd, 2012
5:37 pm
SLUMP??? That’s like saying the Whig Party is in a slump..the Chicago Cubs are in “a slump”. Inability to perform over a lonnnnggg time is NOT a “slump”!
bravos 8
August 2nd, 2012
5:38 pm
Uggla need tripple bi-focals
BartBuzz
August 2nd, 2012
5:40 pm
I was holding out hope for Uggla. But with the passing of each plate appearance that hope has faded. I don’t know who I’m more frustrated with…Uggla or Gonzalez. My question is “why is Uggla still starting?”
Delbert D.
August 2nd, 2012
5:40 pm
His on base percentage is about the same as Heyward and Freeman. Let him be.
Mister Frisky
August 2nd, 2012
6:08 pm
KK,McClouth,Lowe and now Uggla.Braves always seem to have an albatross around its payrolls neck.
Bill
August 2nd, 2012
6:09 pm
Maybe he can get a ash log to hit with…lol
Glenn
August 2nd, 2012
6:10 pm
Watch how often Uggla’s right shoulder drops when he swings. That leads to either a pop up or a K.
Yunel Asscobar
August 2nd, 2012
6:15 pm
“The only good thing about this is the man’s character.” – When Pigs Fly 3:42
His wife apparently wasn’t buying the “character” line after the porn star romp. He seems a bit “distracted” this year, don’t you think?
Yunel Asscobar
August 2nd, 2012
6:17 pm
Apparently, Fredi said in the dugout, “Dan, you’re a born star.”
Uggla misunderstood Fredi to say, “Dan, you need a porn star.”
Hence, the troubles began.
Drewby
August 2nd, 2012
6:30 pm
Good perspective, thanks
Sonny Clusters
August 2nd, 2012
6:43 pm
Well, from reading this we learned a lot more about Uggla – worth keeping him out there because of his hustle and character. Where was you people when you typed that? Fredi hustles back and forth from the dugout but that doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing. Uggla hustles on the bases on those rare occasions he makes contact. As for his character, we think he played Long Dan Uggla in the movie. What is everybody thinking? .209 = $60 million.
marty
August 2nd, 2012
6:45 pm
needs too keep both hands on the bat when he swings instead of ending up with one hand ,looks like he wants a homer every time
Caseyatthebat
August 2nd, 2012
6:47 pm
Uggla should be coming to work each day and work with the hitting coaches. Now that we have Johnson, he should be playing left field and Prado should be playing second base. Every 4th or 5th day they should play Uggla to see about his progress. Gonzalez job is to field the most effective team and Uggla’s past two months have been anything but effective. I like Uggla and was happy when we got him but his performance certainly is not worth $12 million a year.
Ralph
August 2nd, 2012
6:47 pm
Just keep running him out there, to hell with a Div Title.
Sonny Clusters
August 2nd, 2012
6:47 pm
Star Wars Night can’t come soon enough for Dan Uggla. We read he’s planning on using a lightsaber at the plate. Now, those things look pretty powerful and if he could just somehow make contact . . .
and speaking about making contact – if he couldn’t make contact when he was making the movie how did he . . .
Hillbilly D
August 2nd, 2012
6:48 pm
These are Uggla’s lifetime BA stats
March/April .242
May .272
June .236
July .243
August .284
Sept/Oct .246
Looks like May and August are his months, for whatever reason.
bfred
August 2nd, 2012
6:50 pm
I agree with the diagnosis of his swing problem. This is like Andruw and Francouer under Bobby – does no one say anything to these guys? I see quotes like “well he’s a professional so when he needs our help he’ll come let us know” and it makes my head want to explode. Any pro who thinks it’s appropriate to try to pull a ball off the outside corner should be benched ASAP. Grab Uggla, say “look, this is what you’re doing and what you’re going to do until further notice to try to fix it, no matter the outcome” and get on with it. Just waiting and hoping for a miracle cure is insane.
Stinger 2
August 2nd, 2012
7:01 pm
Clusters: There you go again. I was hoping you had changed and would say something nice about a Braves player or Fredi. Please note that there are many fans who say nice things instead of mean or negative comments.
Joint us.
nobobfan
August 2nd, 2012
7:10 pm
who in HELL would trade anything for Uggla.
We KNOW he can no longer hit…
and “surprise” look up his fielding pct. compared to MLB.
nobobfan
August 2nd, 2012
7:12 pm
“Stinger”, I know you are young & in pain…but Mr. Clusters is right. It will be OK>