October 28
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
Former Marlin Dan Uggla and Terry Bross, his Gaylord Sports agent, are at the center of an alleged porn star scandal. Bibi Jones, a k a Britney Beth, told Boston radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub on Monday a Phoenix-based agent would "kind of use me to get baseball players to sign him as an agent." Maury Brown of the Business of Sports Network and Business Insider later reported that agent was Bross. Jones in an interview with Business Insider said she slept with at least 10 baseball players she met through Bross. During her radio interview with The Sports Hub, Jones named Uggla. The radio station's interest in Jones stemmed from Twitter pictures of her with Patriots tight end Rob"
September 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was asked Friday afternoon about the New York Mets' six-run ninth-inning rally to beat St. Louis a day earlier, which cut a game off Atlanta's magic number to clinch the wild card. "We've still got to go out and win ballgames ourselves," he said. "Not only to clinch the wild card, but to go into the postseason with some kind of momentum. We're playing good baseball. ... We just haven't been able to get the hit when we need it." A few hours later, they got the big hit. Then another. And a couple of more. The Braves scored three runs in the first inning against phenom Stephen Strasburg and rolled to a 7-4 win over Washington at Nationals Park. "Huge,""
September 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla capped a personal worst-to-first in-season turnaround with a National League player of the month award Tuesday, and Craig Kimbrel made it a record streak of Braves NL rookie award winners. Uggla won his first-ever player of the month honors after hitting .340 with 10 homers and 21 RBIs in August, and Kimbrel was named NL rookie of the month after converting 10 of 10 August save opportunities with 23 strikeouts and four walks in 12-2/3 scoreless innings. For Uggla, it's been an unforgettable ride from a career-worst first half. He lugged a league-worst .173 average on July 4, the day before he began a 33-game hitting streak in which he hit .340 with 15 homers, 32 RBIs and a 1.200"
August 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnsit David O'Brien
"
Can you believe it was just seven weeks ago when many angry Braves fans were calling for Dan Uggla to be benched and Larry Parrish to be fired? OK, some still suggest Parrish should be fired. But it's safe to assume that's not going to happen in the foreseeable future. Because whether or not some care to acknowledge it, the Braves have been one of the league's best-hitting teams since midseason. And Uggla? He's had an in-season, flip-a-switch turnaround so extreme that we aren't likely to see anything quite like it again. By the way, for those who might not have noticed, the Braves' wild-card lead has increased to eight games over San Francisco. That's 1-1/2 games larger than the Phillies'"
August 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
His hitting streak ended more than a week ago, but Dan Uggla's bat hasn't cooled. Uggla hit his 30th home run to extend his own long-ball record and help the Braves and Jair Jurrjens beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Monday night in a series opener at Wrigley Field. Uggla made this his fifth season with at least 30 homers, two more seasons than any other second baseman in major league history. His first four came with the Florida Marlins. "It's kind of crazy. Who'd have thought, right?" Uggla said of his fraternity of one second baseman with that many 30-homer seasons. "It's the fastest I've ever gotten to 30. But I've been saying all year long, that's why you play the full season. That's why"
August 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
When Dan Uggla's improbable hitting streak ended Sunday, Braves teammates seemed even sadder than he was. Uggla hit .377 with 15 homers and 32 RBIs during a 33-game hitting streak that was the longest in the majors this season, third-longest ever by a second baseman, and four shy of Tommy Holmes' franchise-record streak for the 1945 Boston Braves. "It was awesome to watch," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "He carried us for the month. He was hitting the ball out of the park. People think of long streaks like that and they think of slap hitters who get a lot of singles, but he was doing a lot of damage." Uggla was hitting a league-worst .173 when the streak began July 5. He raised his"
August 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
If Dan Uggla's streak was to end at 33 games, he would've preferred that it happened in a win, or at least a well-played loss in which his Braves came from behind before falling short. Uggla's Atlanta Braves-record hitting streak ended Sunday in an ugly 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Turner Field, a game that was neither well played nor tempered by any positive developments for the home nine. The Cubs, trailing 4-0 through five innings, came back to beat the Braves despite making four errors and striking out 18 times without drawing a walk. "The streak is one thing; I'm more disappointed in the loss," said Uggla, who went 0-for-3 with two pop-ups, a groundout and a sacrifice fly. "It was"
August 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
A festive weekend for the Braves took a turn for the dour on Saturday night, as the Cubs interrupted the combination Bobby Cox/1991-reunion weekend with an 8-4 win at Turner Field to even the series. Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 33 games, but the Braves saw their winning streak snapped at five after Uggla's two-hit, one-homer night wasn't enough to power the Braves past the Cubs. Chicago's dynamic young shortstop Starlin Castro went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, giving the Cubs' faithful in a sold-out crowd of 49,781 plenty to cheer about. The Cubs put Friday's Carlos Zambrano fiasco behind them, and won for the 10th time in 13 games. The Braves loaded the bases in"
August 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
"
A man hitting .224 sent a Carlos Zambrano pitch over the fence in left-center, and with that swing, his first of the festive night, the .224 hitter passed Rico Carty to annex the record for hitting in consecutive games by an Atlanta Brave. It was another in a series of Bobby Cox testimonials at the ballyard - on this night his No. 6 was retired in a pregame ceremony - and Dan Uggla gave us no cause to linger in suspense. First at-bat, second pitch, ball over the wall, streak extended to 32 games. (That the pitcher was Chicago's Zambrano only figured. Last year the not-so-big Z yielded Jason Heyward's Opening Day homer.) And here we pause to note with equal parts wonder and disbelief: The"
August 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
After the Braves retired Bobby Cox's No. 6 in a pregame ceremony Friday night, they gave the iconic ex-manager plenty more to enjoy by pounding five homers off Carlos Zambrano in a 10-4 thrashing of the Chicago Cubs, including two homers by record-streaking Dan Uggla. Uggla hit a leadoff homer in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 32 games, moving past Rico Carty's 31-game streak in 1970 to set a new Atlanta Braves record. "Definitely a lot more fun when you get it out of the way early, especially with a homer,' said Uggla, who went 3-for-3 and has a .370 average with 13 homers and 31 RBIs during his 32-game streak. It's the longest in the majors this season and five behind"
August 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
After Dan Uggla waited until the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak Monday and again Tuesday, Braves third baseman Chipper Jones told him he should get a hit in his first at-bat for the benefit of his nervous teammates. Uggla obliged Wednesday night with a two-run single in the first inning of a 6-2 win against Florida, pushing his hitting streak to 31 games to tie the Atlanta Braves record and providing Tim Hudson with all the run support he would need. Uggla went 3-for-5 to raise his average to .224 -- up 51 points since the streak began July 5 -- and equaled the Atlanta-era Braves record 31-game streak by Rico Carty in 1970. "It's crazy," said Uggla, a power hitter with a modest"
August 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
On a night when Dan Uggla's hitting streak reached the lofty 30-game plateau and the Braves blew a late lead, newcomer Michael Bourn's speed proved decisive in a win. Bourn scored from second base on Martin Prado's fourth hit of the night, a one-out single in the 11th inning that lifted the Braves a 4-3 win over the Marlins at mostly empty Sun Life Stadium. "I'm seeing my team start to the do the little things and not worry about who's hot or who's not," said Prado, who drove in three runs with his first four-hit game of the season. "Just somebody step up and get the big hit. Thank God I was the guy that got the big hit tonight." Craig Kimbrel induced a game-inning double play for his"
August 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist David O'Brien
"
The last time the Marlins faced their former slugger Dan Uggla, he hit a pair of three-run homers for the Braves' winning RBIs in consecutive games July 29-30 at Turner Field, in the 19th and 20th games of his hitting streak. He's back to face them in South Florida now, still streaking, this Popeye-armed second baseman who was the coldest hitter in the National League before he became the hottest. His hitting streak is at 28 games entering tonight's series opener against the Marlins and 21-year-old Brad Hand. This is the same kid lefty who, in his June 7 major league debut, held the Braves to one hit — an Alex Gonzalez homer that was all the offense in a 1-0 win for Tommy Hanson, who got"
August 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla spoke Monday about the difficult aspect of playing for the Marlins with Sun Life Stadium as a home field. "It would get tough sometimes going on the road and playing in front of packed houses, then coming home to this," said the Braves second baseman, who spent the previous five seasons with Florida. "You'd go out to stretch and there'd be 500 people in the stands." Playing in the mostly empty multi-purpose stadium isn't as depressing in short stints for visiting former Marlins, particularly when things go like they did Monday night for Uggla and the Braves in a 8-5 series-opening win. Uggla extended his hitting streak to 29 games, two shy of the Atlanta franchise record, and"
August 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
For all that has ailed the Braves, Dan Uggla isn't feeling a thing. He has taken his share of lumps this season, and he's having none of that now. Uggla is reviving his season with a 25-game hitting streak and hitting home runs left and right to keep the Braves afloat during a rocky stretch without Chipper Jones and Brian McCann. His three-run homer lifted the Braves to a 6-4 win over the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon and helped them avoid their first sweep of the season. He has hit three game-deciding home runs in the past three wins by the Braves. "It's fun, first and foremost," said Uggla of a streak that's now the fourth longest in Atlanta Braves history. "It's nice to actually do"
August 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla singled in his third at-bat Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 24 games, matching Gary Sheffield for the fourth longest in Atlanta Braves history. "All that stuff is bittersweet because bottom line, we need a win," said Uggla, after the Braves 9-3 loss to the Nationals, their third in a row. "You're just finding a way to try to get on base." Uggla was a little more emphatic the night before when he went 3-for-4 with two home runs on Monday night to reach 23 games and match Edgar Renteria (2006) for the fifth-longest streak in Atlanta history. Uggla hit as many home runs Monday night as Renteria did in his entire streak in 2006. Uggla hit 10 home runs over those 23 games,"
July 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla used to kill the Braves when he played for Florida, and now seems intent on doing the same to his former team. For the second consecutive night, Uggla hit a three-run homer to power the Braves past the Marlins, his third-inning long ball the big blow in a 5-1 win Saturday night at Turner Field. His two-out homer was his 20th of the season and extended his hitting streak to 21 games, helping Tim Hudson to his 10th win and the injury-riddled Braves to their fourth win in their past five games. "It's always fun seeing them and playing against them," Uggla said of the Marlins, who traded him to in November. "They've got a lot of talent, which makes them a scary ballclub. I'm happy"
July 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Apparently after four days of the hitter-friendly conditions at Coors Field, the Braves picked up a thing or two on their way to Cincinnati: No matter what happens just keep swinging. Even when back-to-back home runs against the Reds weren't enough to give the Braves a lasting lead at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark on Friday night, the Braves just kept slugging. In a game in which the two teams combined for seven home runs, the Braves' Dan Uggla had the last word, and the last home run — a pinch-hit two-run shot for the winning blow in a 6-4 win. "Obviously best-case scenario," said Uggla, who hadn't played since Wednesday because of a sore left calf. The Braves' ailing second"
July 21
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
It was about a month ago. Dan Uggla and Braves hitting coach Larry Parrish were discussing Uggla's epic slump. Uggla had heard hitting tips from countless well-meaning fans, broadcasters, players and others for weeks on end, and perhaps listened too intently to a lot of it. "He was just trying to do too much, be too much, be what he wasn't," Parrish said. "Trying to be perfect and hit the ball all around the field. And one day we just talked about, 'Just be Dan Uggla. You've got your part of the plate that you command, so when they come in there, take advantage. And go back to being you, instead of trying to be something you're not.'" Whether that conversation triggered a change in his"
June 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla's season average sticks out in the Braves boxscore – it was only .177 after a 1-for-4 day on Wednesday. But Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez wants the struggling second baseman to focus on what he can do from this day forward, rather than trying to make up for lost time and average. On Wednesday, it was help the Braves beat Toronto 5-1 with a two-run home run off Jo-Jo Reyes. "It's going to be difficult for him from this point on to put up a .275 batting average, but you can't worry about April and May right now," Gonzalez said. "He's going to have start (focusing on) what's going on from the middle of June forward. I think at the end of the year some of the numbers are going to be"
June 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla provided reason for cautious optimism with consecutive two-hit games last weekend at Houston, but the struggling second baseman has gone 1-for-21 with one RBI, one walk and six strikeouts since then. Nevertheless, those wondering when he'll be benched long-term or even sent to the minor leagues to work on his swing, let me answer as I've answered before: I can't see it happening. It's a terrible position for the Braves to be in with one of their few "franchise players." And yes, when you give a give a five-year, $63 million contract and you're not the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, he's a franchise player. But it's the position they are in, and I'm almost certain the Braves"
June 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla is less than three months into a five-years, $62 million contract — and he's not going anywhere. I normally wouldn't be passing along something that should seem obvious. But with the backdrop of Uggla's struggles, I've had so many readers ask me, "Why not just send him down to the minors?" So it seemed time to address it with someone on the Braves. I posed this question to manager Fredi Gonzalez following Thursday's win over the New York Mets: Is it too early to even consider something like sending him to Gwinnett? "We haven't reached that point," he said. "We haven't even had a conversation about that. This is the first time anybody's even mentioned it." And then this: "We're"
June 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla never imagined it would be 66 games into the season before he had back-to-back multi-hit games for the Braves. But it took that long for the second baseman, who showed signs over the weekend in Houston of coming out of the season-long slump that sunk his batting average to a majors-worst .170 before Saturday. Uggla went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Sunday's 4-2 win, after going 2-for-3 with two walks on Saturday. He said he finally was starting to feel like himself at the plate. "The way I can tell, the biggest difference, is the way I'm taking pitches now," Uggla said. "My timing has been better the last couple of days. When you're on time, you're going to give"
June 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla spent several hours Thursday watching video of his swing, working on that problematic swing in the indoor batting cage at Sun Life Stadium, and then taking batting practice with the rest of the Braves before the night game against the Florida Marlins. Then he found a seat on the bench for the start of the game. In the midst of a season-long slump the likes of which he's never had to endure, the second baseman was out of the lineup Thursday for the third time in 14 days. Uggla missed only four starts during his entire 2010 season with the Marlins. "Just to give him a breather," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, using what's become his stock answer to why Uggla isn't in the"
June 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla spent several hours Thursday watching video of his swing: working on that problematic swing in the indoor batting cage at Sun Life Stadium and taking batting practice with the rest of the Braves before the night game against the Florida Marlins. Then he found a seat on the bench. In the midst of a season-long slump the likes of which he has never had to endure, the second baseman was out of the lineup for the third time in 14 days. "Just to give him a breather," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, using what's become his stock answer. Uggla was 6-for-68 (.088) with one double and one RBI in his past 20 games before Wednesday, dropping his average to a major league-worst .170 and"
June 8
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
The words could have just as easily come out of Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez's mouth. Ex-Marlins manager and current Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez spoke about Dan Uggla's struggles before Tuesday's series opener. It might as well have been Rodriguez discussing Hanley Ramirez. Gonzalez said Uggla was helping the club win games in other ways, playing outstanding defensive, the way he's running the bases. Rodriguez on multiple occasions has said the same thing about Ramirez's play. Out of 82 qualifying National League hitters, Uggla ranks 82nd with a .172 batting average. Ramirez, currently on the disabled list with a strained back, is one slot ahead with a .210 average. In OPS, Ramirez"
June 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
After benching Dan Uggla twice in seven games, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez dropped the .178-hitting second baseman to seventh in the batting order Wednesday. Uggla last started a game hitting lower than sixth in July 2009, when then-Marlins manager Gonzalez batted him seventh in two consecutive games. Gonzalez penciled him into the 7-hole in three consecutive games Aug. 27-29, 2008, the only other times in a six-year major league career that Uggla hit lower than sixth in a starting lineup before Wednesday. Rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman was in the fifth spot and shortstop Alex Gonzalez sixth in the order for Wednesday night's game against San Diego, behind cleanup hitter Brian"
June 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla missed only four starts at second base all last season with the Marlins, so it was no small thing for him to sit out his second start in the past seven games as a Brave Tuesday night. That's how deep Uggla's slump has gotten. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez sat Uggla for the second time in a week to try to break up this hitless pattern he has going. "Just give him a little breather," Gonzalez said, who did the same thing May 24 at Pittsburgh. Since hitting a game-winning home run against Roy Halladay on May 15, Uggla went 4-for-47 (.035) with one RBI and no extra-base hits in 13 games. He knew he didn't have much room to argue when Gonzalez told him Tuesday afternoon he was out of"
May 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Big things were expected from the Braves' power-hitting duo of Jason Heyward and newcomer Dan Uggla, the former an All-Star as a rookie in 2010, the latter a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner last season with the Marlins. Considering how little production the Braves have gotten from the injury-slowed Heyward and underperforming Uggla, it shouldn't be surprising that the team was only four games above .500 (28-24) before Saturday. If anything, the surprise should've been that their record wasn't worse. In 2010, Heyward and Uggla had a combined .282 average with 52 doubles, 49 homers, 177 RBIs, 169 walks and 183 runs. With nearly one-third of the 2011 season completed,"
May 26
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
A day to clear his head didn't do much to change the course Dan Uggla has been on at the plate; and the struggling second baseman went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in his return to the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates. Uggla finished this three-city trip 2-for-26 (.077) to magnify an already troubling start to his season. His average on the season fell to .180. Heading into Wednesday's game, Uggla admitted that perhaps the pressure of signing a five-year $62 million extension with a team he was just traded to this winter has caught up. "It kind of comes with the territory," said Uggla, who signed his first big multi-year contract in January, a few months after being traded from the"
May 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez sat scuffling second baseman Dan Uggla for Tuesday night's opener against the Pirates. It's the first time all season Uggla has been out of the lineup, but after going 2-for-21 (.095) in the first five games of the Braves' road trip tohis season average to .185, Uggla conceded a breather was good. "I couldn't argue my way back into the lineup today," said Uggla, who talked to Gonzalez about it on the plane ride from Arizona on Sunday night. "It's one of those things where he could tell I was really frustrated, and he wanted to let me have a little break." The fact that it came after an off day Monday and in a game the Braves already were playing without Nate"
May 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
"
On May 25, 2004, Derek Jeter was hitting .189. He would finish the season at .292. He would hit .300 or better in each of the next five seasons. Today he's 25 hits from No. 3,000. On May 23, 2011, Dan Uggla is hitting .185. Braves fans have been in a dither over Uggla, who was imported from Florida and then re-upped for $62 million over five years, since April, but Aprils can deceive. Besides, Uggla never hits in April. Now, however, we're a week from Memorial Day, the first checkpoint of the baseball season, and Uggla was actually better in April, when he hit .194, than he has been in May. On Friday, Uggla was bumped up to second in the Braves' batting order for the first time this"
May 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Jeff Schultz
"
If you're wondering about Dan Uggla's game-day attire on Monday, he will arrive at the stadium wearing beige shorts, a plaid button-down shirt and tennis shoes with no socks. We know this because for as much as Uggla insists he is not superstitious, this just isn't the time to mess with the cosmic forces. "I'll wear the same thing I wore today - you ain't lying," he said, smiling. This was a good day - unlike most of his days as a Brave. He went into Sunday's game against Philadelphia carrying a .196 batting average the way a pageant queen carries a blemish in the middle of her forehead. The Braves traded for Uggla. They committed to him over the long term with a five-year, $62 million"
April 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez concedes when he scans box scores every morning, the first one he checks out is the Braves' upcoming opponent, and the second is his former Marlins. It got simple the past few days. The Braves open a three-game series against the team he managed for 3 ½ years on Tuesday. This series has the potential to be a little awkward for Gonzalez and Braves second baseman Dan Uggla. Gonzalez was fired by the Marlins last June, before getting hired in October to replace longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox. A few weeks later the Marlins traded Uggla to the Braves. "It's a situation that happens," said Gonzalez, who was born in Cuba and raised in Miami, where he lived for 40"
April 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
In his first 10 games as a Brave, fans have seen second baseman Dan Uggla tumble into shallow center field making an over-the-shoulder catch. He's barehanded a throw from a slipping Alex Gonzalez to complete a double play, and that was the second-most exciting double play they've completed this week, after the one in Milwaukee. In Saturday's game, Uggla snuffed out a grounder he had no business gloving to take a hit away from the Phillies' Wilson Valdez. Not bad for a player who was greeted by questions about his defense upon his arrival in November. A lot of that had to do with a reputation Uggla got from the 2008 All-Star when he committed three errors in the national spotlight. "I've"
January 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Two days after agreeing to terms with the Braves on a five-year, $62 million contract extension, slugger Dan Uggla passed a physical Thursday and the deal was announced by general manager Frank Wren, who seemed as happy as his now-wealthy second baseman. "We're thrilled to get this done," said Wren, seated next to Uggla and manager Fredi Gonzalez at a news conference at Turner Field. "Like I've said, this gives us that big right-handed bat that we've been looking for for a long time to anchor the middle of our lineup." The $12.4 million average annual value of Uggla's contract is the highest in major league history for a second baseman, surpassing the $12.14 million average hauled in by"
January 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
"
Were Dan Uggla about to turn 29, as opposed to 31, this might be a good deal. Were the Braves based in the American League, as opposed to the ol' Senior Circuit, this might be a good deal. But he isn't and they aren't. The Braves have agreed to re-up Uggla, who hasn't yet played a game for them, for $62 million over five years. That's not nearly Jayson-Werth-to-Washington money, but it's a huge outlay by Braves standards. It's also the biggest contract afforded any second baseman in baseball, and Uggla is a second baseman in name only. Uggla's real position is batter, and he's really good there. And yes, the Braves needed a hitting upgrade, right-handed hitting especially. So that part"
January 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla and the Braves agreed to a five-year, $62 million extension that will give him the highest average salary ever for a second baseman and keep him under contract through 2015, three sources close to negotiations said. The sides agreed to terms Tuesday night on the deal, which covers Uggla's final year of arbitration in 2011 and what would have been his first four years of free agency. It's expected to be announced Thursday, after he passes a physical. Uggla averaged nearly 31 home runs and 93 RBIs in five seasons with the Marlins, including career-highs of 33 homers and 105 RBIs in 2010 to win the Silver Slugger award as best-hitting second baseman in the National League. He also"
December 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
While Braves officials talk to teams and representatives for free agents at baseball's winter meetings about deals to strengthen the bench and bullpen, negotiations on a potential Big Deal have been on hold. That will change soon, when general manager Frank Wren and Dan Uggla's agent ramp up negotiations on a possible contract extension to retain the power-hitting second baseman well beyond the 2011 season. The Braves got Uggla in a Nov. 16 trade for infielder Omar Infante and reliever Mike Dunn. "We had a nice discussion when he was in for the [introductory] press conference," Wren said. "We're going to get to further discussions probably in the near future. I've talked to his"
November 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
When the Marlins asked two weeks ago if Braves general manager Frank Wren would trade Martin Prado for Florida slugger Dan Uggla, Wren said he told them no and dangled Omar Infante instead. Since Marlins GM Larry Beinfest had not replied about Infante, Wren must have been a bit surprised when Beinfest passed him a note in a group session Tuesday at the general managers meetings in Orlando. On the slip of paper, Beinfest asked if Wren would do the Uggla trade for Infante and a pitcher. A few hours later, the two GMs announced the first big trade of baseball's offseason: Second baseman Uggla to the Braves for All-Star infielder Infante and Mike Dunn, the third lefty in the Braves' bullpen."
November 18
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
He called the Marlins' final four-year, $48 million offer life-changing money. Dan Uggla couldn't rationalize not being worthy of a fifth guaranteed season because his 30th birthday was behind him. Not when older free agents like Adrian Beltre and Jayson Werth can look forward to deals of at least five seasons in the current market. As a result, Uggla is now a member of the Atlanta Braves. Before boarding a cruise ship Wednesday, Uggla reflected on why he's no longer a Marlin. "I was very surprised because I was still thinking in a weird way that we were going to be able to get something done where I could stay in Florida," he said. "Turns out it wasn't the case. I tried to not to think"
November 18
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Dan Uggla's father in central Tennessee went looking for a foam tomahawk Tuesday, after Dan called to say he was traded from the Marlins to the Braves. For the Ugglas, this development was far from ugly. "Really, extremely happy that I was traded over to an organization like the Braves," said the slugging second baseman, dealt to the Braves in a trade that sent All-Star utility infielder Omar Infante and reliever Mike Dunn to the Marlins. Uggla is a two-time All-Star whose 154 home runs are the most ever for a middle infielder in his first five seasons. He hit .287 with 33 homers and 105 RBIs in 2010, and won the Silver Slugger award as the National League's best-hitting second baseman."