MIAMI — Dan Uggla went out to that familiar spot in the infield, got on his toes, bent his knees, put his glove to the dirt and fielded balls time and time again without error.
Coming off one of the worst All-Star Games by a second baseman, Uggla took infield practice during a team workout Thursday night, two days after making a record three errors and going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the Midsummer Classic.
He looked his casual self in the clubhouse, passing out Home Run Derby balls, jeering teammates and telling stories from New York.
Now he looks to regain the prowess that has propelled the surprising Florida Marlins to within 1 1/2 games of the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who begin a three-game series in Miami tonight.
“I’m not worried about any carryover,” Uggla said. “I’ve made plenty of errors in my past, that’s nothing new for me. . . . I’ve made three errors in a game plenty of times. It’s not going to be the last time. You just go with it. I’ve already forgotten about it.”
It’s been an eventful year for Uggla. He hit his first game-ending home run, a grand slam to beat the Phillies. He witnessed the birth of his second child and participated in the Home Run Derby.
And Tuesday, he fulfilled a lifelong family dream when he played at Yankee Stadium in front of his dad, John, who grew up watching Mickey Mantle roam the same field — and those are the memories from that night Uggla said he’ll remember.
