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Monday, September 03, 2012

Braves bench Dan Uggla

Even though they don’t explicitly say he’s being benched, that statement amounts to the Braves benching Dan Uggla. The Braves second baseman, who still has three years and $39 million left on his contract, has seen his bating average fall to and stay in the low-.200s for the past three months. Since the beginning of June he has hit just .165, though he has been able to get on base with a .311 on-base percentage, and still leads the lead in walks with 80.

The Braves will likely start Martin Prado at second base in place of Uggla, with Reed Johnson starting in left field in place of Prado. Johnson has hit .322 since being acquired by the Braves at the end of July. Despite a bit of a slump in July, Prado is hitting better lately, and has been a much better hitter than Uggla over the past three months.

Apparently Fredi Gonzalez values his job over Dan Uggla’s…

Rickey Fredonia Fudge Duckery Precious Twiddle Posted: September 03, 2012 at 12:49 PM | 17 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: braves, playoffs

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1. Colin Posted: September 03, 2012 at 04:42 PM (#4225647)

Especially in the AJC story about it he sounds pretty pissy. I understand one needs a level of arrogance to be a pro athlete that sometimes will obscure reality, but hitting .152 over your last 260+ PA (and that with weak defense) is hard to ignore.

2. Knock on any Iorg Posted: September 03, 2012 at 05:13 PM (#4225667)

The Braves second baseman...has seen his bating average fall

He's the master at that.

...and still leads the lead in walks with 80.

That's an accomplishment of note. I know everybody else trails the lead.

3. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 03, 2012 at 05:14 PM (#4225668)

uggla had a huge hit streak last year and his overall numbers were not that great. unless he was battling injury one could suspect that bad things were on the horizon.

4. Walt Davis Posted: September 03, 2012 at 05:14 PM (#4225669)

Of course Reed Johnson as an everyday starter hasn't been a recipe for success since 2006.

5. Sweatpants Posted: September 03, 2012 at 05:21 PM (#4225674)

Uggla went 4-5 with two homers on June 5th, which raised his numbers on the season to .276/.384/.492. In his last at-bat in that game, he hit a long home run off the Marlins' flashing light machine.

Since hitting that thing, he's gone .152/.304/.276. He'd started every game but six until yesterday. His OBP is still .340, well above average, but a platoon of Jose Constanza and Reed Johnson (in LF, with Prado moving to 2B, as noted) should be able to match that.

6. flournoy Posted: September 03, 2012 at 05:26 PM (#4225678)

uggla had a huge hit streak last year and his overall numbers were not that great.

I disagree wholeheartedly. Uggla's numbers were sensational during his streak last year. During the 33 game hit streak, he hit .377/.438/.762. After the streak, he obviously cooled off, but he hit .237/.343/.454 the rest of the way (178 PA), which is fine. If you mean that his numbers over the whole season aren't great, that's true. His first half was beyond abysmal, much worse than anything he's done this year. Maybe he's just prone to long streaks.

EDIT: I realize now that you probably meant "overall numbers" to be just that, overall numbers. I took it as a comment on the streak itself, like the criticism you may see every so often about how so-and-so has a long hitting streak, but generally only goes 1 for 4 with a single every day during that streak.

7. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 03, 2012 at 05:30 PM (#4225682)

flournoy

correct. relax big fella

guys like uggla who get late starts tend to see things end early on ye olde skill set. that's a generalization of course

8. DA Baracus is gritty and hits with RISP Posted: September 03, 2012 at 05:52 PM (#4225699)

unless he was battling injury one could suspect that bad things were on the horizon.

It's too late for "on the horizon." He's been awful all year.

9. Walt Davis Posted: September 03, 2012 at 09:27 PM (#4225809)

Since hitting that thing, he's gone .152/.304/.276

Given this, the Marlins' crappy season and the fact that it's a monstrosity, I think we can safely assume the thing is cursed.

10. flournoy Posted: September 03, 2012 at 09:56 PM (#4225824)

No, no, I won't hear a word against the Marlins' Home Run Machine. That thing is fantastic.

11. Brian White Posted: September 03, 2012 at 10:45 PM (#4225857)

It's too late for "on the horizon." He's been awful all year.

Well, he's looked horrible. But in terms of actual results, an OBP-heavy 92 OPS+ out of a middle infielder isn't exactly awful. He's not worth the money they're paying him, and the contract is going to end up being a huge problem. But benching Uggla for a Jose Constanza/Reed Johnson platoon may not actually improve the team right now.

12. Eric J can SABER all he wants to Posted: September 03, 2012 at 11:05 PM (#4225867)

Uggla's numbers were sensational during his streak last year.

Uggla's hitting streak last year included a stretch in which his batting average improved in 27 straight games. I'm reasonably confident that nobody has ever done that before.

13. MM1f Posted: September 03, 2012 at 11:29 PM (#4225880)

Well, he's looked horrible. But in terms of actual results, an OBP-heavy 92 OPS+ out of a middle infielder isn't exactly awful.

The problem with Uggla, though, is that he is only worth playing in the middle infield if he is posting a 110 OPS+.

14. charityslave is thinking about baseball Posted: September 04, 2012 at 01:23 AM (#4225934)

But let's talk about what's really important- Prado will have 2b eligability next year. Woot!

15. Brian White Posted: September 04, 2012 at 01:34 AM (#4225937)

The problem with Uggla, though, is that he is only worth playing in the middle infield if he is posting a 110 OPS+.

Uggla's fielding isn't great, but it isn't THAT bad. All MLB second basemen this year have an OBP/SLG of .317/.381. Uggla's at .340/.373. He gives back a bit on defense, but he's still a perfectly cromulent player.

He's headed in the wrong direction, of course. And most people (including me) can't stand to watch him, given that he's all walks and strikeouts now. But he's more of an asset in the lineup that Jose Constanza.

16. jingoist Posted: September 04, 2012 at 09:21 AM (#4226026)

"Uggla went 4-5 with two homers on June 5th, which raised his numbers on the season to .276/.384/.492. In his last at-bat in that game, he hit a long home run off the Marlins' flashing light machine."

I have two questions: What number does the flashing light machine wear, and; what kind of parents name their child flashing light machine?

17. Rickey Fredonia Fudge Duckery Precious Twiddle Posted: September 04, 2012 at 09:29 AM (#4226031)

Uggla's fielding isn't great, but it isn't THAT bad.

It's pretty bad, actually.

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Monday, September 03, 2012

Braves bench Dan Uggla

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