Fredi "No Guts, No Glory" Gonzalez

One of the toughest things in professional sports is for a manager or coach to take a stand with a star player who makes several times what that manager or coach makes.  Usually when those tough stands have to be made, somebody pays a price.  More often than not, it seems that it is the manager or coach who ultimately pays because they are cheaper to replace and don't move merchandise the ways stars do.  But it is refreshing to see a manager take a stand; especially when he has already lost one position for making a statement and shows that he is not afraid to do so again.  That takes guts and in my opinion Fredi Gonzalez has guts. 

News came out on Monday that Fredi Gonzalez had benched All-Star second baseman, Dan Uggla, for the foreseeable future.  This was surely a difficult decision for Gonzalez who has managed Uggla for 5 1/2 of the past six seasons and has a close relationship with the star player.  As a matter of fact, after he was hired by the Atlanta Braves in late 2010 to replace the retiring Bobby Cox (the man who helped groom him), Gonzalez was instrumental in trading to get the Marlins star second baseman via trade.  Upon completing the trade, Uggla signed a five-year, $60 million contract extension with Atlanta. 

The problem with Uggla since coming to Atlanta is a severe case of inconsistency.  He has had two good half seasons and two of the worst half seasons anyone with his talent could possibly have.  Uggla struggled in the first part of the 2011 season trying to live up to his new contract.  His first half stats were atrocious, to say the least (15 HR, 34 RBI, and .185 AVG).  However, he rallied in the second half, boosted by a 33 game hitting streak (ended by a sensational play by Cubs second baseman, Darwin Barney).  His second half splits were as follows: 21 HR, 48 RBI, and .296 AVG.  Amidst a monumental team collapse last September, Uggla was one of the few Braves to have a decent month.

Uggla started the 2012 season much better, but not at the same pace at which he finished the previous season.  Based on his great numbers post All-Star break a year ago, Braves fans had reason to believe that he would do much the same this season.  Uggla finished the first half as the National League starting second basemen (at best a flawed selection system) with decent numbers (12 HR, 45 RBI, .221 AVG).  He was poised for another second half Superman routine.  But what seemed to be a once in a career slump last season turned into a twice since coming to Atlanta slump.  His second half numbers show as follows: 5 HR, 19 RBI, .182 AVG. 

With the harsh memories of last September in the front of everyone's mind, Fredi Gonzalez was faced with a difficult decision.  Should he stick with his three-time All-Star second baseman for the season or should he go with hot hands and see what happens?  The safe play would have been to stick with Uggla because history says that he is better than what he has played.  But Gonzalez didn't play it safe; he took a risk.  Martin Prado returns to second base where he played in 2010 when he was selected to the All-Star team that season.  Prado is the ultimate utility man having made multiple starts at five different positions this season (LF, 3B, SS, 2B, 1B). 

This isn't the first time Gonzalez has taken a risk.  As mentioned earlier, that risk cost him his job as the manager of the Florida Marlins.  In mid-May 2010, Marlins superstar shortstop, Hanley Ramirez, misplayed a ball in shallow left field and accidentally kicked it into the left field corner.  After misplaying the ball, Ramirez lackadaisically pursued the ball allowing two Arizona Diamondbacks to score and the hitter to reach third.  Immediately following the end of the inning, Gonzalez sent Ramirez to the shower and he did not play for a few days after the incident.  Dan Uggla, then a Marlin as well, supported his manager and was quick to reprimand the superstar shortstop.  A month later, Gonzalez was fired.  (A quick postscript on Hanley Ramirez.  He butted heads with flamboyant manager Ozzie Guillen and was sent packing to L.A. in July after finally wearing thin on Marlins management.)

It will take the rest of the season to determine whether this decision works.  The Braves have played two games since Uggla was informed that he would not be in the starting lineup for a while and they have won both (the first on Sunday in dramatic, comeback, Chipper Jones walkoff fashion).  Dan Uggla has stated that even though his is not happy with the situation he will handle it the best way possible and still be a great teammate.  Having watched Uggla play the game since coming up in 2006, I have no reason to expect anything less from him.  As for Fredi Gonzalez, it is his job to put the best team on the field to win games, and if that means making tough calls, then so be it.  In a day and age when you have so many people leading teams who appear to be puppets, it is extremely refreshing to see one take a stand and make the tough decision.  After all, when it comes to making the postseason, it's not guts, no glory.