Addict - It's funny. Uggla was regarded as one of the great Rule 5 picks ever, had a terrific couple of years. What do you see him doing different? Was he just figured out?
Since August 30, 2006, he has been in a slump. Pitchers adjusted to him (well, those not coached by St. Claire), and he hasn't made any adjustments to counter it. He only made the 2006 All-Start game to make a story. If he hadn't been a Rule 5 pick that year, and picked up off waivers, he would have not been selected. There was no way he should have made the ASG last year - and he proved it in dramatic fashion.
He is one of the easiest guys to K in the game, and either last or next to last in FPCT, ZR, and RF. The worst thing that he has no approach at the plate. He just make boneheaded play after boneheaded play. He is difficult to watch. He does usually have a single streak of 10 decent games a year, and that's it. Last year it was in May, and some got all excited because being so early in the season, it distorted his OPS. I made a side bet with another member here that much maligned Felipe Lopez would have a higher OPS the second half last year, and Lopez did - by 164 points. I talk with a lot of scouts at NCAA games, and there isn't one that likes Uggla. Chicks and those who have no idea of how to evaluate talent love the long ball and can be enamored by the power when he does connect on a HR. But there isn't anyone I know in the business of evaluating talent that likes him at all. If he doesn't HR, he either K's or makes poor contact. In the NL, all players, the BaBIP of all players, including pitchers, and that of Uggla has widened again, and currently sits on a 74 point spread. He's not unlucky, he just makes poor contact about 90% of the time he makes contact at all.
Also, I was incorrect before - he was 1 out of his last 33. He doubled up one that I left out. This afternoon he upped it to 1 out of the last 35.
Uggla is like Bonds in that he doesn't play for the team, doesn't care about W and L, just if he hits a HR. No matter what will swing for the fences when all you need is a ball in play. As a result, if he were just average of all players, no exceptional power or anything, he'd already have 23 more RBI based upon the opportunities provided to him (which is why Fredi needs to quit wasting opportunities on this a$$hole). That's probably about 4 games right there that he's already cost the Fish this year, plus at least one where his fielding single-handedly cost the game. He alone causes a deficit of about 80 points in the team's WPCT.
