Dan Uggla
Encyclopedia
Daniel Cooley Uggla is an American professional baseball
second baseman
with the Atlanta Braves
of Major League Baseball
.
Uggla finished third in the 2006 National League
Rookie of the Year voting, behind teammate and winner Hanley Ramirez
, and Ryan Zimmerman
of the Washington Nationals
, but won the Players Choice and Sporting News NL ROY awards. He also had his own fan club at Sun Life Stadium, who called themselves "Uggla's Ugglies." Uggla is the all-time leader in home runs for the Marlins, and is the only second baseman in MLB history to hit at least 30 home runs in four consecutive seasons. He also holds the Atlanta Braves record for longest hitting streak.
, the son of Elizabeth Armistead (née
Cooley) and John Carl Uggla. After graduating from Columbia Central High School in Columbia, TN, in 1998, Uggla attended the University of Memphis
where after his junior season he was named an All-American by Baseball America
, Baseball Weekly, and Collegiate Baseball.
by the Arizona Diamondbacks
in the 11th Round (338th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
, Uggla spent five seasons in the Diamondbacks organization, including a year with the short season-advanced team, the Yakima Bears
in Yakima, Washington. He amassed a .276 career minor league batting average
, .341 on-base percentage, and .443 slugging percentage, to go along with 64 home run
s, 311 runs batted in, and 62 stolen base
s. Although he was 25 years old, which would make him the same age as many AAA players, and moderately successful in 2005, he never advanced past the AA level.
Uggla was left off the Diamondbacks
40-man roster in , and the Marlins
selected him in the Rule 5 Draft
.
season with the Marlins
, Uggla would get his first major league hit just three days later when he singled off Houston Astros
pitcher Andy Pettitte
; his first home run
was on April 13 against San Diego Padres
starter Dewon Brazelton
; his first stolen base
was a steal of home plate
against the Philadelphia Phillies
on April 21.
Uggla was named to the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
on July 2, 2006, as a reserve; he is believed to be the first player in history to be selected for the All-Star Game in the same season in which he had been a Rule 5 pick.
On September 15, 2006, Uggla hit his 25th home run, breaking Joe Gordon's record for most home runs by a rookie second baseman. Because he received less publicity as a prospect than some of his fellow rookies in Major League Baseball
, such as Prince Fielder
, Ryan Zimmerman
, and Nick Markakis
, Uggla's display of power in the majors and his selection to the National League All-Star team caused him to suddenly draw more attention. Throughout his rookie season, due to the many mispronunciations of his last name, Marlins television announcers Rich Waltz
and Tommy Hutton
have exclaimed, "And his name...is DAN UGGLA!!", when Uggla hit a home run. Waltz and Hutton continue to use this call for most of Uggla's home runs.
Uggla finished his rookie season with 27 homers and 90 runs batted in. He won numerous rookie awards, including the Players Choice NL ROY award and Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
.
The Marlins finished Uggla's second season in last place. Uggla finished the year with a .245 batting average, caused mainly by slumps in April and September. However, he did surpass his rookie home run total, hitting 31 home runs and knocking in 88 runs.
Uggla is considered media friendly. He has hosted This Week in Baseball
in the past with several of his teammates. He also appears weekly on Sirius' Mike & Murray Show (hosted by Bruce Murray
and Mike Yam on channel 123) every week during the 2008 baseball season and has made multiple appearances on the Bubba the Love Sponge
radio show.
On May 10, 2008, Uggla hit his first career Grand Slam
in the fourth inning of the game against the Nationals
off Joel Hanrahan
. On May 25, 2008 Uggla set a Marlins record for most home runs for a Marlins in any month (12) passing Gary Sheffield
. On June 11, 2008, about a month after his first grand slam, he hit a walk-off
grand slam off Tom Gordon
to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies
6–2 at Dolphin Stadium
.
The rising star emerged in 2008, named to the 2008 MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium
, as well as opting to take part in the 2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
. Uggla hit six home runs in the first round of the derby, two on the first two balls. Uggla finished fifth, tied with Grady Sizemore
. In the All-Star Game, Uggla committed two consecutive errors on playable balls in the 10th inning that appeared to end the National League's hopes of victory, but those errors did not result in runs. He committed a third error in the bottom of the 13th, making him the first player with three errors in a single All-Star Game. Uggla also struck out three times, and grounded into a double play
.
On September 28, 2008, Uggla hit the last home run ever at Shea Stadium
.
During the 2008 offseason, Uggla went to arbitration
with the Marlins and was awarded $5.3 million dollars; the Marlins had offered him $4.4 million.
On June 5, 2009, Uggla became the fastest 2nd Basemen in history to get to the 100HR mark, in 502 games. He took the record from Alfonso Soriano
, in 34 fewer games.
Uggla signed a one-year, $7.8 million contract with the Marlins on January 18, 2010. On July 31, he hit his 144th career home run, setting the Marlins all-time career mark. On September 13, he became the first second baseman in Major League History to hit 30 or more home runs in four seasons.
for infielder Omar Infante
and reliever Michael Dunn
. On January 4, 2011, Uggla and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a 5-year, $62 million contract.
During the 2011 season with the Braves, Uggla became the 23rd player in MLB history to have a hitting streak
of at least 33 games. Uggla, who had gotten off to a poor start, had a .173 batting average after going hitless on July 4. The next day, he collected two hits in four at bats to start the streak. During the hitting streak, Uggla along with rookie Freddie Freeman
became the first Braves in the modern era to have concurrent 20-game hitting streaks. On August 12, Uggla his two home runs in a home game against the Chicago Cubs
to break the Atlanta Braves record for longest hitting streak, which had been set by Rico Carty
in 1970. He also hit a single and a home run in the next game, extending the streak to 33 games. The streak ended on August 14, 2011, after he went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly against the Chicago Cubs. He is the only player in the Modern Era to have a hitting streak of over 20+ games while batting under .200 during the hitting streak.
After the first few weeks, he raised his average over .200. Uggla hit .377 with 15 homers and 32 RBIs during his streak, which was the third-longest by a second baseman in major league history, and the longest in the majors since 2006.
On August 22, 2011, Uggla hit his 30th home run of the season for his fifth consecutive season of 30 or more home runs. As of the 2011 season, he is the only second baseman to have hit 30 or more home runs in more than three seasons. Uggla was named National League Player of the Month for August; for the month, he was tied for the Major League and led all National Leaguers with 10 home runs. He also had 21 RBI, 33 hits, a .340 (33-for-97) batting average and a .670 slugging percentage with a .405 on-base percentage.
For the season, on defense he tied for the major league lead in errors by a second baseman, with 15.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Uggla finished third in the 2006 National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Rookie of the Year voting, behind teammate and winner Hanley Ramirez
Hanley Ramirez
Hanley Ramirez is a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Miami Marlins. Ramírez was named 2006 NL Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In 2009, Ramírez won the NL batting title and is a three-time All-Star starter...
, and Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...
of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, but won the Players Choice and Sporting News NL ROY awards. He also had his own fan club at Sun Life Stadium, who called themselves "Uggla's Ugglies." Uggla is the all-time leader in home runs for the Marlins, and is the only second baseman in MLB history to hit at least 30 home runs in four consecutive seasons. He also holds the Atlanta Braves record for longest hitting streak.
Personal life and early career
Uggla was born in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, the son of Elizabeth Armistead (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Cooley) and John Carl Uggla. After graduating from Columbia Central High School in Columbia, TN, in 1998, Uggla attended the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
where after his junior season he was named an All-American by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, Baseball Weekly, and Collegiate Baseball.
Minor leagues
DraftedDraft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...
by the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the 11th Round (338th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
, Uggla spent five seasons in the Diamondbacks organization, including a year with the short season-advanced team, the Yakima Bears
Yakima Bears
The Yakima Bears are a minor league baseball team in Yakima, Washington. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2001, formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers from the team's creation in 1990 when the Salem...
in Yakima, Washington. He amassed a .276 career minor league batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, .341 on-base percentage, and .443 slugging percentage, to go along with 64 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 311 runs batted in, and 62 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. Although he was 25 years old, which would make him the same age as many AAA players, and moderately successful in 2005, he never advanced past the AA level.
Uggla was left off the Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
40-man roster in , and the Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
selected him in the Rule 5 Draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
Florida Marlins
Starting the 20062006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
season with the Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, Uggla would get his first major league hit just three days later when he singled off Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
pitcher Andy Pettitte
Andy Pettitte
Andrew Eugene Pettitte is a retired American left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher.In his major league career, he played for the New York Yankees from 1995–2003. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from 2004 through 2006. In 2007, Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...
; his first home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
was on April 13 against San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
starter Dewon Brazelton
Dewon Brazelton
Dewon Cortez Brazelton is a professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball, and is currently a free agent....
; his first stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
was a steal of home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on April 21.
Uggla was named to the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,...
on July 2, 2006, as a reserve; he is believed to be the first player in history to be selected for the All-Star Game in the same season in which he had been a Rule 5 pick.
On September 15, 2006, Uggla hit his 25th home run, breaking Joe Gordon's record for most home runs by a rookie second baseman. Because he received less publicity as a prospect than some of his fellow rookies in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, such as Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...
, and Nick Markakis
Nick Markakis
Nicholas William Markakis is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Of Greek and German descent , Markakis is known for his arm strength, stellar right field defense and smooth hitting....
, Uggla's display of power in the majors and his selection to the National League All-Star team caused him to suddenly draw more attention. Throughout his rookie season, due to the many mispronunciations of his last name, Marlins television announcers Rich Waltz
Rich Waltz
Rich Waltz is the current play-by-play commentator for Miami Marlins baseball, SEC Football-Basketball, and ACC Football-Basketball broadcasts on FSN. Waltz is currently in his 7th year as the television Play-by-Play Voice of the Marlins on FOX Sports Florida/Sun Sports and his 15th consecutive...
and Tommy Hutton
Tommy Hutton
Thomas George Hutton is a former Major League Baseball player and is currently the color analyst for Miami Marlins baseball broadcasts on FSN Florida and Sun Sports - a position he has held since the 1997 season...
have exclaimed, "And his name...is DAN UGGLA!!", when Uggla hit a home run. Waltz and Hutton continue to use this call for most of Uggla's home runs.
Uggla finished his rookie season with 27 homers and 90 runs batted in. He won numerous rookie awards, including the Players Choice NL ROY award and Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
Rookie of the Year award
K-League Rookie of the Year Award is newly established in 1985 that third season in K-League. Many star players were received this award such as Lee Dong-Gook, Lee Chun-Soo, and so on.- Winners :- See also:* K-League MVP Award...
.
The Marlins finished Uggla's second season in last place. Uggla finished the year with a .245 batting average, caused mainly by slumps in April and September. However, he did surpass his rookie home run total, hitting 31 home runs and knocking in 88 runs.
Uggla is considered media friendly. He has hosted This Week in Baseball
This Week in Baseball
This Week in Baseball is a weekly television program, originally designed to show highlights of the previous week's Major League Baseball action. TWIB debuted in .-Genesis of the series:...
in the past with several of his teammates. He also appears weekly on Sirius' Mike & Murray Show (hosted by Bruce Murray
Bruce Murray (sportscaster)
Bruce Murray is an American sports radio personality and is currently the host of a daily radio show on Mad Dog Radio on Sirius XM. Bruce can also be seen Tuesday and Thursday hosting "Daily News Live" on SNY in New York....
and Mike Yam on channel 123) every week during the 2008 baseball season and has made multiple appearances on the Bubba the Love Sponge
Bubba the Love Sponge
Todd Alan Clem is an American radio personality better known by his Legal name Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. He is the host of The Bubba the Love Sponge Show on various Cox Radio and Beasley Broadcast Group stations, formerly on Sirius XM Howard 101, as well as on RadioIO.-Early career and the...
radio show.
On May 10, 2008, Uggla hit his first career Grand Slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
in the fourth inning of the game against the Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
off Joel Hanrahan
Joel Hanrahan
Joel Ryan Hanrahan , nicknamed The Hammer, is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Los Angeles Dodgers:...
. On May 25, 2008 Uggla set a Marlins record for most home runs for a Marlins in any month (12) passing Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
. On June 11, 2008, about a month after his first grand slam, he hit a walk-off
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
grand slam off Tom Gordon
Tom Gordon
Thomas Gordon , nicknamed "Flash", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played with the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox , Chicago Cubs , Houston Astros , Chicago White Sox , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies and the...
to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
6–2 at Dolphin Stadium
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
.
The rising star emerged in 2008, named to the 2008 MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, as well as opting to take part in the 2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
The 2008 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was held on Monday, July 14, 2008, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York City...
. Uggla hit six home runs in the first round of the derby, two on the first two balls. Uggla finished fifth, tied with Grady Sizemore
Grady Sizemore
Gradius "Grady" Sizemore III is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
. In the All-Star Game, Uggla committed two consecutive errors on playable balls in the 10th inning that appeared to end the National League's hopes of victory, but those errors did not result in runs. He committed a third error in the bottom of the 13th, making him the first player with three errors in a single All-Star Game. Uggla also struck out three times, and grounded into a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
.
On September 28, 2008, Uggla hit the last home run ever at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
.
During the 2008 offseason, Uggla went to arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
with the Marlins and was awarded $5.3 million dollars; the Marlins had offered him $4.4 million.
On June 5, 2009, Uggla became the fastest 2nd Basemen in history to get to the 100HR mark, in 502 games. He took the record from Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
, in 34 fewer games.
Uggla signed a one-year, $7.8 million contract with the Marlins on January 18, 2010. On July 31, he hit his 144th career home run, setting the Marlins all-time career mark. On September 13, he became the first second baseman in Major League History to hit 30 or more home runs in four seasons.
Atlanta Braves
After the 2010 season, Uggla rejected a four-year, $48 million contract offer from the Marlins. Soon thereafter, Uggla was traded to the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for infielder Omar Infante
Omar Infante
Omar Rafael Infante [in-FAHN-tay] is a Major League Baseball utility player who is currently on the Miami Marlins...
and reliever Michael Dunn
Michael Dunn (baseball)
Michael G. Dunn is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins.-Baseball career:Dunn played collegiate baseball for the Community College of Southern Nevada from 2003 to 2005...
. On January 4, 2011, Uggla and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a 5-year, $62 million contract.
During the 2011 season with the Braves, Uggla became the 23rd player in MLB history to have a hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
of at least 33 games. Uggla, who had gotten off to a poor start, had a .173 batting average after going hitless on July 4. The next day, he collected two hits in four at bats to start the streak. During the hitting streak, Uggla along with rookie Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman
Frederick Charles "Freddie" Freeman is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.-Professional career:...
became the first Braves in the modern era to have concurrent 20-game hitting streaks. On August 12, Uggla his two home runs in a home game against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
to break the Atlanta Braves record for longest hitting streak, which had been set by Rico Carty
Rico Carty
Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty is a former professional baseball player. Nicknamed Beeg Boy, he played mostly as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from to...
in 1970. He also hit a single and a home run in the next game, extending the streak to 33 games. The streak ended on August 14, 2011, after he went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly against the Chicago Cubs. He is the only player in the Modern Era to have a hitting streak of over 20+ games while batting under .200 during the hitting streak.
After the first few weeks, he raised his average over .200. Uggla hit .377 with 15 homers and 32 RBIs during his streak, which was the third-longest by a second baseman in major league history, and the longest in the majors since 2006.
On August 22, 2011, Uggla hit his 30th home run of the season for his fifth consecutive season of 30 or more home runs. As of the 2011 season, he is the only second baseman to have hit 30 or more home runs in more than three seasons. Uggla was named National League Player of the Month for August; for the month, he was tied for the Major League and led all National Leaguers with 10 home runs. He also had 21 RBI, 33 hits, a .340 (33-for-97) batting average and a .670 slugging percentage with a .405 on-base percentage.
For the season, on defense he tied for the major league lead in errors by a second baseman, with 15.