Monday, May 19, 2014
Not a dream situation for the Braves, but they need to part ways with Dan Uggla
I had no dreams last night through this morning as I sit here typing up my latest blog entry.
One dream that may not come true for many people in their lifetimes is to play for the Atlanta Braves. That dream could soon come to an end for one Dan Uggla.
You see, he hasn't hit well for average since he came here from the Florida Marlins back in 2011. He hit no worse that .243 in any of his five seasons with the Marlins. He has hit no better than .233 since he has been a Brave.
Every season, we dream of him hitting .250 or better. Every year after that, we hope he can hit .240 or better. Then we plead for him to be able to get over the .230, .220, .210, well, you get the idea.
Surely, he can't be any worse than his .179 batting average from a year ago, can he? Unfortunately, yes he can.
So far, he's batting only .178 and we can only dream that it will go up. What he lacked in hitting, he made up for it in double-digit home run totals through 2013. So far, he only has two homers.
So, what to do with Dan Uggla?
Well, the Braves have to part ways with him, but not immediately.
They have to see if any of the 29 teams will trade for him. The Braves will have to absorb a lot of salary just to unload him onto some other team. If they can get some prospects and a player for him, well that's better than nothing.
If for some reason the Braves can't find a willing taker for Uggla, then they need to hold on to him.
If the Braves want to play on his desire to be a Brave, they need to put the fear of God in him, or at the very least send him down to (AAA) Gwinnett. That might just be the place Uggla can rediscover his stroke, his magic, and his mojo.
A little more seasoning can't hurt to see if he can be a major player or a contributor in the Braves lineup in the heat of a pennant chase.
Let's say the Braves hold on to him for the remainder of the season. If Uggla's struggles at the plate continue, don't trot him out there in the starting lineup every night like they did Derek Lowe for all of his September starts on the mound (all losses by the way). They need to use Uggla situationally for a chance to win and go back to the playoffs.
Finally, and this is a last resort: If Uggla can't hit or get back to a respectable .200+ batting average and be a cog in the lineup, they need to release him.
That last sentence pained me as I typed it up. He's one of the nicest Braves I've ever seen. I don't doubt that he's a hard worker and a great clubhouse guy. He came in with high expectations from his Florida days along with a huge contract in his Braves days.
The Braves can afford to eat a year's salary while re-stocking and re-loading after his contract is off the books after the 2015 season.
I wish Dan Uggla all the best in the world. You won't find anyone else rooting harder for him than me.
My dream is to see Dan Uggla succeed.
One dream that may not come true for many people in their lifetimes is to play for the Atlanta Braves. That dream could soon come to an end for one Dan Uggla.
You see, he hasn't hit well for average since he came here from the Florida Marlins back in 2011. He hit no worse that .243 in any of his five seasons with the Marlins. He has hit no better than .233 since he has been a Brave.
Every season, we dream of him hitting .250 or better. Every year after that, we hope he can hit .240 or better. Then we plead for him to be able to get over the .230, .220, .210, well, you get the idea.
Surely, he can't be any worse than his .179 batting average from a year ago, can he? Unfortunately, yes he can.
So far, he's batting only .178 and we can only dream that it will go up. What he lacked in hitting, he made up for it in double-digit home run totals through 2013. So far, he only has two homers.
So, what to do with Dan Uggla?
Well, the Braves have to part ways with him, but not immediately.
They have to see if any of the 29 teams will trade for him. The Braves will have to absorb a lot of salary just to unload him onto some other team. If they can get some prospects and a player for him, well that's better than nothing.
If for some reason the Braves can't find a willing taker for Uggla, then they need to hold on to him.
If the Braves want to play on his desire to be a Brave, they need to put the fear of God in him, or at the very least send him down to (AAA) Gwinnett. That might just be the place Uggla can rediscover his stroke, his magic, and his mojo.
A little more seasoning can't hurt to see if he can be a major player or a contributor in the Braves lineup in the heat of a pennant chase.
Let's say the Braves hold on to him for the remainder of the season. If Uggla's struggles at the plate continue, don't trot him out there in the starting lineup every night like they did Derek Lowe for all of his September starts on the mound (all losses by the way). They need to use Uggla situationally for a chance to win and go back to the playoffs.
Finally, and this is a last resort: If Uggla can't hit or get back to a respectable .200+ batting average and be a cog in the lineup, they need to release him.
That last sentence pained me as I typed it up. He's one of the nicest Braves I've ever seen. I don't doubt that he's a hard worker and a great clubhouse guy. He came in with high expectations from his Florida days along with a huge contract in his Braves days.
The Braves can afford to eat a year's salary while re-stocking and re-loading after his contract is off the books after the 2015 season.
I wish Dan Uggla all the best in the world. You won't find anyone else rooting harder for him than me.
My dream is to see Dan Uggla succeed.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Dreaming of winning $4,000
Saturday Morning, I had a dream where I won $4,000 in "The Price is Right" 'Check Game.' I don't know what additional prize I won in the game, but I had a check for $4,000 waiting to be deposited.
Later on in my dream, I was moving along on what appeared to be a cable car in Phoenix, Arizona. I think I was headed towards Mesa without a particular destination in mind. I was floating along on a ride. Midway through the dream, I told myself that I was dreaming. Surely this $4,000 would not be mine in a few hours.
I was envisioning myself taking that check to my credit union and depositing it for the good of my family. I was imaging thousands of the things I could do with the additional cash. Spending it wildly was not one of them.
In the end, my baby boy and my cat woke me up and I was not $4,000 richer. I'm at the same spot I was when I went to sleep on Friday.
I still watch "The Price is Right" in the mornings when I'm at home. I'm getting baby Ben to watch with me. I am a huge fan of any pricing game that offers up a car. My favorite game is the 'Dice Game.'
Later on in my dream, I was moving along on what appeared to be a cable car in Phoenix, Arizona. I think I was headed towards Mesa without a particular destination in mind. I was floating along on a ride. Midway through the dream, I told myself that I was dreaming. Surely this $4,000 would not be mine in a few hours.
I was envisioning myself taking that check to my credit union and depositing it for the good of my family. I was imaging thousands of the things I could do with the additional cash. Spending it wildly was not one of them.
In the end, my baby boy and my cat woke me up and I was not $4,000 richer. I'm at the same spot I was when I went to sleep on Friday.
I still watch "The Price is Right" in the mornings when I'm at home. I'm getting baby Ben to watch with me. I am a huge fan of any pricing game that offers up a car. My favorite game is the 'Dice Game.'
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Finally, something new in the dream department, a trip to California
First of all, the dream department has run dry for a long time. Last Night/This Morning was the first dream that I can remember in weeks. I can now write a little bit about it.
I found myself inside the small terminal of the El Centro/Imperial Valley Regional Airport. First of all, I found myself in El Centro, California. El Centro is one of those cities to pass through in order to get to where you want to go. Sometimes I'd stop and get a bite to eat in real life or get gasoline.
Inside the small airport, I was looking to catch a flight to Phoenix for some reason. I didn't know what I was going there for or why I was going there. All I knew was that I was going to go to Phoenix.
Just before I boarded my flight, I went outside and I saw a big walkway on the side where I enter the airport. Seconds later, I look up, and I see a highway sign that had the state of "Kentucky" just above a set of black and white numbers over it. I expect to see a green highway sign with white numbering with the state of "California" over it when I'm in California.
In reality: I haven't been to California since 2008 and the closest to California I'll come is either on TV or when I go back to Arizona for a visit within the next 2 years.
I found myself inside the small terminal of the El Centro/Imperial Valley Regional Airport. First of all, I found myself in El Centro, California. El Centro is one of those cities to pass through in order to get to where you want to go. Sometimes I'd stop and get a bite to eat in real life or get gasoline.
Inside the small airport, I was looking to catch a flight to Phoenix for some reason. I didn't know what I was going there for or why I was going there. All I knew was that I was going to go to Phoenix.
Just before I boarded my flight, I went outside and I saw a big walkway on the side where I enter the airport. Seconds later, I look up, and I see a highway sign that had the state of "Kentucky" just above a set of black and white numbers over it. I expect to see a green highway sign with white numbering with the state of "California" over it when I'm in California.
In reality: I haven't been to California since 2008 and the closest to California I'll come is either on TV or when I go back to Arizona for a visit within the next 2 years.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
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