Dan Uggla has struggled during the second half of the season. Since the infamous All-Star game where Uggla struck out three times and made three errors, Uggla has been awful, sporting a line of .189/.298/.336. The All-Star game may or may not have led to Uggla's struggles, but Uggla's struggles have led to him being
benched on Sunday by
Fredi Gonzalez.
"Some guys go through rough spots in the season," Gonzalez said. "He's going through one now. He's a big part of our offense."
"We need him to get back on track if we're going to win," Marlins outfielder Luis Gonzalez said. "He's huge for us."
Uggla says he has no explanation for his struggles. He scoffs at the amateur psychologists' belief that his performance in the All-Star Game - three strikeouts and three errors - plays a factor.
"That was over as soon as the game was over," he said.
But that hasn't stopped opposing fans from taunting him ... especially one group that's been particularly scorned by Marlins in the past.
"People have been all over him," Luis Gonzalez said. "Sometimes, you sit next to him on the bench and say, 'Sheesh, take it easy on him.' Especially the Cubs fans. They think they're going to the World Series and he cost them the home-field advantage.
Cubs fans are famous for misplaced blame.
Steve Bartman can't show his face in Chicago, while
Alex S. Gonzalez ... who made a huge error right after that Bartman play during the '03 NLCS, gets off relatively unscathed. Now, fans of a team that hasn't been to a World Series in 100 years has already placed blame for them losing this year's Series on three errors in an All-Star game which had absolutely zero to do with the outcome of that game. Yeah, that's why the Cubs will lose the Series. Must be.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-25-2008 @ 8:48AM
John Dorslchner said...
The Bartman curse is now in its fifth year. Not until the fans apologize profusely and abjectly to this fan will the curse be lifted. In October 2003 a fan tried for a foul ball (like any good fan would) and 17 runs scored, in that inning and the next night. All Cubbie followers can do is blame a fan for that. see marlinsmaniacs.blogspot.com for full details of the curse.
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8-25-2008 @ 11:13AM
Matt Snyder said...
I've been pushing for the '03 anger to be shifted to Gonzalez for years. That was a pathetic choke-job.
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8-25-2008 @ 3:57PM
JD said...
What a reach here.
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8-25-2008 @ 7:53PM
Chunk-Fu said...
Hey, I have an idea....
Why don't we wait until the Cubs actually MAKE it to the World Series before worrying about whether or not a frying-pan-for-a-mitt second baseman becomes part of the ever-growing conspiracy against the Cubs...
Thank MetsBlog.com for pointing me here!
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8-26-2008 @ 12:53AM
Jason said...
Ok dude, seriously, they pay you to state the obvious? Oh wait, you can't even do that. Uggla's play had zero to do with the outcome? Come on man, even my 8 year old, mentally challenged brother knows that it had SOMETHING to do with the game. The guy was up with 1st and 3rd and 1 out in extra innings and grounded into a double play to prevent any scoring (still had nothing to do with the outcome?) Oh, I forgot, 3 errors and other strikeout in a crucial situation had nothing to do with them losing the game....which MAY or MAY NOT have nothing to do with the World Series. To say it had NOTHING to do with the outcome with the World Series is absolutely ignorant. Having 4 games at home over 3 games at home is a big deal. Will it lead to one team taking the crown over the other?? That remains to be seen...but it is somewhat of a big deal. If Cub fans want to blame Uggla for the NL losing the All-Star game, then I think they have every right to.
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8-27-2008 @ 8:49PM
kathy said...
as far as uggla costing the nl home field advanatage, it's a team sport, he just had a bad nite.
as a lifelong CUBS fan, it wasn't "bartman" but alou who screwed up in '03.
and as a CUBS fan, we don't talk about october until october!!!!
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