Juan Uribe has not had the best of starts with the Dodgers. So far, he has just three hits in 27 at-bats, and is hitting .111/.172/.148. It's not quite J.D. Drew, who started his Dodger career 0-for-25 (with three walks!) in 2005, but it's close. However, slumping is nothing new for Uribe, nor is it unique to him. Since Uribe has just three hits, I wanted to look back to last year to see his worst stretches with three hits when he was with the Giants.
Here are Uribe's worst dry spells of 2010:
- 3 for 41, with a double, from June 26 to July 16
- 3 for 28, from August 14 to August 24
- 3 for 26, with a double and a home run, from May 1 to May 8
- 3 for 24, from September 15 to September 22
- 3 for 24, with two doubles and a home run, from June 15 to June 23
- 3 for 23, from August 25 to September 4
- 3 for 23, with a double and a home run, from September 23 to September 30
- 3 for 20, from May 31 to June 6
That seems like a lot of famine, which is understandable for someone who had a .310 on-base percentage. However, there was a lot of feasting as well. Uribe did hit 24 home runs and 24 doubles, and hit .248/.310/.440 on the season. Coupled with his defensive versatility -- he is an above average defender by multiple metrics at second base, third base, and shortstop -- makes Uribe a valuable player.
Yes, his swing is ugly and he looks off balance at the plate. Yes he is overpaid for his likely production. But Juan Uribe will be a good player this season, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Nobody ever said is was going to be pretty.