Heat Check: The Braves are hot, and so is Dan Uggla (sort of)
Even old codgers are excited by recent Braves' doings. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Our weekly Heat Check begins with the hottest team in town. Technically, it’s also the only team in town that’s actually playing games — the Dream is on Olympic hiatus — but never mind. We take our warmth where we find it.
BRAVES: They went 5-2 for the week and shaved a game off Washington’s lead. (Down to three games, as we speak.) They were 8-2 over the homestand that concluded Sunday, and we should probably prepare ourselves for similar surges the rest of the way.
Of the Braves’ remaining 54 games, only 16 will come against teams currently above .500. By way of contrast, Washington has 22 games left against plus-.500 teams. (Including three at Arizona and three at San Francisco over the next 10 days.) That’s not a major difference, but it is a difference. And with the new playoff format, there’s a major bonus to being division champ. It means you get to skip that terrifying play-in tilt against the other wild-card club. Heat Index: The Braves are 16-7 since the All-Star break. That’ll do.
DAN UGGLA: The good news is that he had eight RBI’s on the 10-game homestand. The less-good news is that he only had six hits (against 10 strikeouts). Heat Index: Hey, at least he’s making ‘em count. And if you’re hitting .209, you’d better.
GEORGIA: Well, here’s a switch. Rather than lose yet another defensive back to suspension,which was a repeating offseason riff, the Bulldogs announced that Branden Smith will be eligible for the all-important opening game against … er, Buffalo. Heat Index: Oddsmakers immediately announced that Georgia, which had opened as a three-point home underdog, is now a one-point favorite over the Bulls. (Yes, I’m lying. Georgia was and is favored by 37.)
GEORGIA TECH: Speaking of opening games, the Jackets are a 7 1/2-point underdog for their Labor Day lid-lifter in Blacksburg, Va. For the record, David Sims told me Saturday he thinks Georgia Tech will win. For the record, David Sims plays B-back for Georgia Tech. Heat Index: Confidence is always a sign of hotness!
FALCONS: They’re practicing against the Tennessee Titans tonight and will open their exhibition schedule against Baltimore on Thursday. The remainder of the preseason includes games against Cincinnati, Miami and Jacksonville. The first three regular-season games are against Kansas City, Denver and San Diego. Just wondering: Has any NFC entry ever gone through an entire preseason (plus a controlled scrimmage) and three weeks into a regular season without facing another NFC team? Heat Index: Trivia is fun, is it not?
By Mark Bradley
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66 comments Add your comment
gt bs 04
August 6th, 2012
10:46 am
just to try and disrupt the race….I won’t say it…
juvenal
August 6th, 2012
10:46 am
how about some olympics?
juvenal
August 6th, 2012
10:52 am
several in-state folks are involved, after all…congrats to Mr. Hoffa, a very articulate dude…please pick vt…
Rick
August 6th, 2012
11:01 am
WHAT IS THAT SMELL!?!?!? Its Uggla he stinks right now!
Ken Stallings
August 6th, 2012
11:09 am
Mark,
Uggla does have those RBI’s, but the unsaid fact is his spot in the order has allowed him to get PA’s with lots of RBI opportunities, and he’s failed to advance runners in most of them. Also, by not getting on base, Uggla is shifting the burden to Janish and the pitcher since he’s now batting 7th most of the time.
Uggla is the highest paid second baseman in baseball because he was supposed to be hitting in the .250 area, with an OBP of .375 (or higher), hitting 25 HR and driving in 75-85 RBI. Instead, he is on pace to hit around .210 with an OBP of .342 with 16 HR and 65 RBI. His fielding percentage is deceptively high even though it is currently at one of his poorest levels in his career. Second base is one of the easiest positions to field as you don’t have to make the long throws from the hole such as at shortstop nor do you get the hot grounders at third or first since you can play further away from the plate.
Uggla’s production is woefully below the mark the Braves expected when they agreed to pay him a 5 year $62 million contract.
This is no personal attack as I am sure he’s a good person, but he’s being paid to produce at a vastly higher level than he is doing. That’s the truth.
sidslid
August 6th, 2012
11:23 am
Prado is hitting again. That makes a big difference. We are also getting great numbers from Francisco recently when Chipper is out.
Puttin’ 2 and 2 together, Chipper made a flippant comment about his “wives” this morning and is attending to “family matters” today. Hope he has a good pre-nup from the second wife.
Bill
August 6th, 2012
11:24 am
Uggla= 364 ab,76 hits, 54 rbi’s, 66 walks, 123 k’s = 209 ba….$13 millions this year. A JOKE THATS NOT FUNNY.
afan
August 6th, 2012
11:28 am
Hope Chipper and his 2nd wife get back together. Know how much he loves the boys and family.
Ted M
August 6th, 2012
11:30 am
Dan Uggla’s 0-for-4 game with two strikeouts Sunday dropped his home average to .185.
Holy Cow…everybody keeps saying that Uggla will always end the season with good numbers so you gotta keep running him out there.
I don’t know about that anymore. The only good reason now to keep running him out there is there is not a viable alternative.
WhoCares?
August 6th, 2012
11:35 am
Pretty good post-All Star record considering they lost Simmons and the pitching staff has been up and down a bit. Makes me feel pretty good, too. Now if Uggla can somehow find his stroke….
RM
August 6th, 2012
11:38 am
So far Str-Uggla has been a big dissappointment IMO.
WhoCares?
August 6th, 2012
11:40 am
So what do you do with Uggla? Got three more years on his contract, I think. Wait and hope he gets it together? Trade him and absorb the millions in the contract? Do the Braves have a good second baseman in the minors just waiting to come up (like Simmons at SSS?)
DIT
August 6th, 2012
12:00 pm
Not a tech fan here, but I say they upset VT at the dome by 10. Just a gut feeling!
iBALL
August 6th, 2012
12:01 pm
Uggla should be our go to guy when he is at bat with the money he is making. Unfortunately, he is a disappointment. Not going to be much help for us if we make the playoffs. We can’t ride Chipper too much longer.
DIT
August 6th, 2012
12:01 pm
I wish Uggla would turn it around, but I’m almost at the point to say trade him for a sick horse then shoot the horse. He just looks awful at the plate!
crose714
August 6th, 2012
12:15 pm
VT has had plenty of time to prepare for the triple option. GT loses by 13 at least.
P Rose
August 6th, 2012
12:30 pm
The Braves struggled offensively for years because they just needed that one big, right-handed bat. Uggla was supposed to fill that need, which is why they gave him that huge contract. He was such a slugger with the Marlins. What the hell? Just what is the problem with the Braves’ ability to acquire good right-handed batters?
Delbert D.
August 6th, 2012
12:33 pm
@DIT – The game is in Blacksburg, not the Dome.
GT Fan
August 6th, 2012
12:34 pm
GT has had plenty of time to prepare for Virginia Tech. I predict that basing a prediction on that is stupid given equal amounts of time to prepare.
Delbert D.
August 6th, 2012
12:40 pm
And Uggla continues to amaze with his OBP of .342. 1 point behind Bourn, 9 behind Freeman, 31 ahead of McCann. The guy is a veritable walk machine.
T-Bone
August 6th, 2012
12:41 pm
Uggla needs to double what he’s paying his agent.
fan
August 6th, 2012
12:45 pm
Ugli = MOOP – Most Overpaid Overated Player in baseball.
urban redneck
August 6th, 2012
12:52 pm
it’s not his fault. most men are easily distracted by porn stars. i have faith he will get his act together this year, but it may be a moot point by the time he figures it out. go bravos.
DIT
August 6th, 2012
1:09 pm
Crap Thanks Delbert D. – I don’t why I was thinking it was at the dome???
In that case I wish to change my prediction……….. GT by 3!
I still think the Offense has the up on a defense. The defense does not have their legs under them as much. And you need to have legs to keep up with that offense. Just my opinion!
P B Orr
August 6th, 2012
1:36 pm
Struggla’s basic problem is his artificial physique. You don’t gain anything in baseball from being muscle-bound – the strength is wasted because you lack bat control. You can’t reliably make the shortest throws. You can’t run as fast. If he wants to lift weights or play defensive end, fine, but if I were his manager I’d tell him to stay out of the gym or sit down.
Ricky bobby
August 6th, 2012
1:51 pm
We need to get Bourn back and smackin em. He’s been in a bit of a funk
Bibi Jones
August 6th, 2012
1:53 pm
Ken Stallings…..you are right, Uggla is a good person….VERY GOOD
Ricky bobby
August 6th, 2012
1:55 pm
Oh and regarding Dan uggly, while he isn’t hitting anything where he’s got a lot of RBI opportunities, and he’s striking out tons, in my opinion obp is the most important stat for a hitter (does it really matter if yOu get to first with a hit or walk? no) and uggly isn’t too bad there. Obviously you dont pay him the big bucks to have a decent obp – you want him to knock homers – but at least he’s not doIng quite as bad as his average indicates
heat check
August 6th, 2012
2:05 pm
Uh oh, Mark. I hope you okay’ed using the phrase “heat check” with Nique before posting this. You saw what he did to the suit guy, right?? Your days may be nimbered.
Stumps OReilly
August 6th, 2012
2:30 pm
Maybe Uggla can squash the beer cans with his biceps after the games in Philly. Guy has to contribute anyways he can
He probably could crush my head like a grape,but hey its only baseball Uggs 
TuffShhhtuff
August 6th, 2012
2:36 pm
One thing MB failed to point out, which, in my opinion will determine the season for the Braves. It’s a “make or break” 10 day stretch in August. From 17-26 AUG they play the Giants, Dodgers, and Gnats. I’m saying that 10 game period will determine where the Braves end up. AND, don’t forget the last 3 games of the year are against the Pirates, and they are playing “lights out” right now. Meantime the Gnats last 3 games are vs the Phils, who should be pushovers by that time. It does not bode well for the the Atlanta Braves. Sorry, facts is facts! No need to “sugar coat” it as MB did.
cupcakes
August 6th, 2012
2:46 pm
Much like the dawgs usual schedule -this year the falcons have a cupcake schedule -24th hardest in the league–they better go to the playoffs!
Luscious Lucius
August 6th, 2012
3:02 pm
Mark b real… Uggla is a waste of money. U cpuld get a .209 hitter for 1 million not 13 million….
blazerdawg
August 6th, 2012
3:02 pm
Thank you gt bs 04. Hopefully you have established a new tradition.
Luscious Lucius
August 6th, 2012
3:07 pm
What good is a high obp for a number 7 hitter? The worst hitter number 8 and automatic out pitcher follows. Obp only matters at top of lineup.
Gimme a Break
August 6th, 2012
3:10 pm
Uggla is frustrating, to say the least. Combined with the low average and strikeouts, his total LOB must be league leading also. Braves would probably be in first place if his numbers were only marginally better.
Skeezix
August 6th, 2012
3:13 pm
Uggla has been a monumental flop. Maybe he can get us a few key hits before season’s end (is that asking too much?) and then I hope he gets traded during the offseason. FW will have to eat more $$$ to move him of course.
Joey
August 6th, 2012
3:23 pm
Go Braves!
Come on Uggla!
phoenix
August 6th, 2012
3:27 pm
Uggla batting 6th again today. UGH. If the Braves had almost any other 2nd baseman in MLB they would be leading the Nats by 5 games, at least.
JHarber
August 6th, 2012
3:33 pm
I vote pastor for second base for a couple of games so uggs can rest clear his head for a while.
Stinger 2
August 6th, 2012
3:36 pm
Tuffs: Why be so negative? You sound like doomsday is upon us.
Not saying you should sugarcoat anything but, if you are a real Braves fan
it does not hurt to be a little upbeat in your comments. Its possible that the Braves will be playing well. A reminder…they have a great road record.
JEB
August 6th, 2012
3:45 pm
Is that Simmons’ hand there behind Chipper in that picture??
joshua
August 6th, 2012
4:18 pm
Ken Stallings,
Thank you for sharing that insightful wisdom of which nobody else was aware. I’m so glad you took the time out of your busy day for that.
So you are saying that Dan Uggla is playing at a -8 WAR? WHOA man he has been less than expected but that is just dumb.
swhite
August 6th, 2012
4:43 pm
I’ve been giving Uggla the benefit of the doubt for quite some time, but I have to admit that when he came up to bat Saturday late in the game with men on base and a chance to get ahead of the Astros my first thought was “why doesn’t Gonzalez pinch-hit Johnson for him?” At some point that’s going to have to happen, because the Braves have got to have someone in there who is at least half-way dependable. Maybe he needs glasses?
Ted
August 6th, 2012
4:56 pm
Uggla did not spend $62M signing Frank Wren for five years, so at least we know who is smarter than whom.
steve brown
August 6th, 2012
5:30 pm
I miss Kelly Johnson, less muscles!
jerry
August 6th, 2012
6:37 pm
Uggla doesn’t seem to have a clue as to his hitting problems. Is he stupid? Well, yeah, it looks that way.
bfred
August 6th, 2012
6:40 pm
The real question is, how is Uggla getting those walks? What pitcher would bother throwing him anything outside the zone?
Alaska Braves Fan
August 6th, 2012
6:44 pm
Patience surely is a virtue – you know there’s a “but” coming – but Dan Uggla has just about used it all up. How would this team look is Prado moved in to second base and Reed Johnson played regularly in left field. Right now, that would have to appear to be a big step up, despite Uggla’s talent for earning bases on balls.
How to figure his problems? He hit consistently well for Miami for how many years, but he has been equally consistently unable to sustain any offense for us. And, those folks who believe his swing looks bad – they are absolutely correct! Paul Janish is not a high average hitter by any analysis, but his swing looks lovely compared to Uggla’s.
It is really, really, really hard to sit someone who’s being paid what Uggla’s getting, and I do understand how potent a hitter he can be. Nonetheless, it does seem something has to be done relatively soon. I just hope he turns it completely around right now, sort of like he did last year so the team doesn’t have to go through some mess to repair the lineup.
ABF
ChipperisGod
August 6th, 2012
7:26 pm
I like Uggla, but man is he frustrating to watch. I remember every game I watched him play against us, I was terrified when came to the plate. Now when he comes to the plate, you just hope he walks or somehow gets on base because 9 times out of ten he gets out. That’s not what we are paying him 62 million to do.
He has been hitting the ball better this month, so I hope he can continue this little thing he’s got going and get super hot in September and be the beast he was destined to be.
Fuggla
August 6th, 2012
7:37 pm
One thing is for sure. Uggla will be 0-for. What a monumental turd!
Thomas Brown
August 7th, 2012
2:31 am
SUSPENSIONS ? There have not been any suspensions announced of the 5 who failed the NCAA Drug Test during Spring Practice.
Mark Richt has announced through the freedom of information act that he has 72 football players 2012 on scholarship, but he declined to name them for you.
All me :
Kolton Houston, who has not been cleared according to anyone is on list.
4 walk-ons who play on our # 80 special teams are on the list, too :
Faloughi *
Frix*
Harton*
Sailors*
That is 72 minus 5 = 67 scholarship recruits of the 107 Mark Richt signed to play 2012 plus one transfer-in.
Until such time as anyone can show anyone saying that Kolton Houston is allowed to play 2012, he cannot play. It’s pretty simple.
Fully expect there to be a huge announcement, as there was 2011 last season about then 9 walk-ons provided full scholarship, 4 of whom are multi-year scholarships.
Atkins#
Floyd#
Any lists which list either of these 2 who are not on campus and not enrolled even at UGA, when both are transfers-out on a list of 29 transfers-out, is further bogus information.
Any lists which list 75 including Atkins# Floyd# Houston@ Faloughi * Frix* Harton* Sailors* Jones+, is a list of scholarship players today who were not recruited to UGA by Mark Richt as scholarship recruits, and is intended only to obscure the obvious that we face 2012 with but 67 scholarship recruits Mark Richt signed to play 2012 of the 107 he signed to play 2012 plus one transfer-in.
68 is 17 under the 85-man limit, and any article stating we signed 17 to the 2012 class 8 under such article states, is further bogus article, as there are only 14 who were signed to the 2012 class for the 2012 class who are on the roster. Why we signed only 14 to count toward the 2012 class when we are 17-under the 85-man limit, is the real problem.
We have our best chance 2012 playing only 1 game against The 5 SEC teams in the Coaches’ Poll Top 10, and do so facing this 14-game schedule with 67 scholarship recruits plus one transfer-in, 17-under the 85-man limit.
Roster Mis-Management.
Self-Imposed NCAA Probation of 17 Lost scholarship recruits 2012.
Fu Manchu
August 7th, 2012
3:17 am
Not beat a team making the top 10 since 2006
17 Lost Scholarship Recruits our best chance 2012
Play 1 game vs 5 SEC teams Coaches’ Poll top 10
And, our coach sports a Fu Manchu
Not impressed
RunninWithTheDawgs
August 7th, 2012
5:28 am
This blows me away ! The Braves are playing great (for right now) and a lot of the Fredi-bashing has slowed down. So what do they do? They come to a Braves blog and start bashing the UGA head football coach. There are some very miserable people out there.
GO BRAVES!
Fu Manchu
August 7th, 2012
6:23 am
How good are the braves or UGA ?
I mean come on.
billy bob baseball
August 7th, 2012
10:06 am
Uggla hurts us in another less obvious way in that batting after McCann, Brian never sees a decent pitch thus the bat is taken out of his hands. The upshot then is McCann isn’t allowed to hit, uggla can’t hit, then he is followed by the light hitting (but getting better) Yanish and the pitcher.
I’m repeating what I said last week, but its worth repeating. Good players when in a slump, watch video of themselves, ask other players and/or coaches for advice (and follow it), spend extra time in the cage, hit off the tee, and whatevr else it takes to come out of their slump. I can only conclude that our $12 Mil man is not doing these things and if not needs to be benched or fined or let go. If he is doing these things, and he still can’t hit, then it’s time to get rid of this dead wood, because let’s face it, he is not a major league hitter. Eat his contract or at least the better part of it, and put Prado back at 2nd and Johnson in left full time. If gonzales continues to play uggla and bat him anywhere other than 8th or 9th, be ready to watch Pitt & LA or SF play for the wild card. Hudson is a better hitter than uggla, bat ug 9th when Hudson pitches.
billy bob baseball
August 7th, 2012
10:17 am
And Mark, with your headline, re: uggla getting hot, I guess you are joining the joe simpson “uggla fan club,” where every foul tip by uggla, every squibbler that gets out of the infield is a “sign that he’s about to get hot.” Because he got hits the first three games in August we can expect him to “go on a tear like he did last August.” It would be nice if the announcers and reporters stopped treating the people paying uggla’s $12 mil, i.e. the fans, like we’re admiring 12 year old little leaguers, who don’t know a bum when we see one..
Fu Manchu
August 7th, 2012
10:27 am
After Ted Turner, the bravos haven’t played the off-season game; and, therefore are not in the hunt in the play-offs. It’s not an exciting team. If you think something is going to happen overnight, or by getting rid of one of many who cannot hit, you are spending your time telling yourself something that isn’t going to happen, is.
Upper Deck cronies
August 7th, 2012
11:35 am
How does Uggs even stay in the lineup? Braves can’t wait for ever to see him hit. Money they are paying him must determine everything. Maybe Uggs will come through in the end
CDOG
August 7th, 2012
1:18 pm
UGGLA SHOULD TAKE HIS FRONT FOOT AND STEP AT THE PITCHER INSTEAD OF PULLING OUT AND AWAY. HE”S GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS OR HE WILL CONTINUE TO STRIKE OUT AND POP UP.HE”S A TERRIC HITTER IF HE DO THIS.
Teddy B
August 7th, 2012
1:38 pm
At least Uggla has been getting a hit here and there lately, so thats much warmer than what he was doing oh…the whole season pretty much. Heyward is blazing hot, I wasn’t happy he was 0-3 yesterday but he made the last 2 at bats count with that bomb in the 9th finishing 2-5.
single white dove
August 7th, 2012
1:42 pm
Stop harping on Uggla. He has the record of hrs/rbis streak through his career. Get off his back!
single white dove
August 7th, 2012
1:45 pm
Look at least he is NOT a McClouth, that only had one good year and sucked.
single white dove
August 7th, 2012
1:50 pm
billy bob baseball
August 7th, 2012
10:17 am
Thanks for your tip on socialized baseball. You would love to watch baseball in cuba….
RunninWithTheDawgs
August 7th, 2012
4:23 pm
If anyone is interested check into a vacation to Dominican Republic. Great baseball going on in the winter time. And a whole lot more………………. GO BRAVES !
Fu Manchu
August 7th, 2012
10:32 pm
Atlanta braves bat .257 as a TEAM and two-thirds of the season is GONE. We have 107 home runs on the entire season, not one home run threat on the entire team. The most home runs are 18 by any hitter.
Dan UGGLA has 124 strike-outs and only 134 total bases, batting .212 on the season, again, AND YOU SAY GET OFF HIS BACK ? Huh ?
There is not one man on the team who even will make it to 100 RBI.
Chipper Jones cannot run the bases; and, he NEVER could his entire career. He runs sideways around the bases. What’s up with that ?
Brian McCann is batting .241
That’s less than the TEAM AVERAGE.
There is not one single hitter on the entire stinking line-up who will have scored even 100 runs.
There is no one on the team who will get 200 hits.
This team cannot beat their way out of a wet-paper bag.
Every year in the standings, you look up and the braves are NEVER in 1st place in their own division, and the division sucks again 2012.
Dan UGGLA is the worst fielding player on the braves’ team.
Martin Prado is right behind him, unable to make routine plays BOTH of them all season long, leading the team in errors both with horrible fielding percentages.
Tim Hudson is the only pitcher on the team, and he has an ERA of 3.45.
Tim Hudson has only 11 wins and again this is August for heaven’s sake and might end the season with what ? 14 wins ? 15 ?
Craig Kimbrel has had a good season, but out of 1,000 innings this season, he has pitched only 42.
Our “pitching rotation” is only 3 guys. One with 3.45 ERA. one at 4.29 ERA and one at 4.95.
Good heavens.
A good baseball team is strong up the middle. We aren’t.
We are 32-26 at Turner Field. That’s not a home field advantage.
After the all-star break, we are hitting .247
Our # 3 hitter in the line-up all season long is batting .227 from 3rd in the line-up.
.227
Our opponents are batting .282 from 3rd in their line-ups
That’s is what the production has been all season long from 3rd in our line-up.
Our catchers are batting .258
Our 1st basemen are batting .260
Our 2nd sackers are hitting .213
Our shortstops are batting .242
Our pinch-hitters are batting .177
That is not a baseball team.
We lack a single big hitter; we have a way weak pitching staff; we are weak up the middle; and we have zero depth as per always after Ted Turner.