You knew it was coming.....another Dunn thread:)

[bgwilly31]

Well i for one am going to the game saturday. Not to see the nationals or adam dunn primarily. But for the bobblehead:)

Although i am kinda excited to see adam dunn again. I was one of those guys that wanted him outta here. Kinda thought he was like griffey and pulling down the attitude around the clubhouse. Which i still think im right and the way ive been hearing about dunn's new and improved work habits since he left. which pissed me off. But none the less he's having a pretty darn good season. And watching the reds pitiful offensive capabilities this season. You kinda wonder what could have been.

Anyhow wondering if anyone else is excited to see dunn back in town.

[Jack Burton]

I see he's been playing a lot of first base for the Nats, anyone been following his performance? Is he holding his own over there on the defensive side or is it a disaster?

[GIDP]

Well considering 1st is probably the easiest position to play and the great 1st basemen arent much worse than the terrible ones he is probably doing fine. As long as he can catch balls thrown at him the position is easy.

[Hondo]

I don't care what anyone says... I wish we would have NEVER traded Adam Dunn... Wish he could have kept it Red for the whole career... Guy is going to swat 500+ Homers...

Hall Of Fame credentials...

[lidspinner]

I don't care what anyone says... I wish we would have NEVER traded Adam Dunn... Wish he could have kept it Red for the whole career... Guy is going to swat 500+ Homers...

Hall Of Fame credentials...

Yes, he is a shoe in for the Hall if his numbers continue on the pace there are now and no injuries occur..ala griff.....But I think AD and the Reds are better off with him not here.....He would make 3 lefties, 2 of which might go 0-8 with 8K's, the other going 3-4(votto).......I am glad he is gone but I wish we would at least make a valid attempt to replace him with a RH bat with comparable stats.........Oh yeah, for everyone mad a WillyT's defense, I say he is a gold glover compared to Dunner....lets not forget the whole scope of his game.

[JayBruce]

Well i for one am going to the game saturday. Not to see the nationals or adam dunn primarily. But for the bobblehead:)

Although i am kinda excited to see adam dunn again. I was one of those guys that wanted him outta here. Kinda thought he was like griffey and pulling down the attitude around the clubhouse. Which i still think im right and the way ive been hearing about dunn's new and improved work habits since he left. which pissed me off. But none the less he's having a pretty darn good season. And watching the reds pitiful offensive capabilities this season. You kinda wonder what could have been.

Anyhow wondering if anyone else is excited to see dunn back in town.

So you were in the clubhouse with those guys?

I'd say Griffey's dwindling ability and Dunn's propensity to strikeout and mis-play balls in the OF contributed more the team losing than either being a bad teammate. Dunn struck me as quite aloof sometimes, but seemed to be popular with the team. If he hit .280 every year instead of .230 with his annual 40/100/100, something tells me he is no longer a clubhouse cancer and would be welcome by most Reds fans, regardless of his defensive abilties...

[BlastFurnace]

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090813/SPT04/308130088/-1/NLETTER02/Dunn+returns+to+Cincinnati?source=nletter-sports

The batting-practice jersey was navy. That was an unfamiliar look. And he sported a full beard. And a .281 average, some 31 points above his career mark.


Otherwise, it was the same Adam Dunn back at Great American Ball Park on Thursday night, if from the unfamiliar vantage point of the visitors’ dugout.

“It’s really red out here,” Dunn said, scanning the empty park from the visitors’ dugout a few hours before the game. “Redder than I remember.”

• Photos: Adam Dunn then and now


After parts of eight seasons with the Reds, Dunn was shipped out, one year ago Tuesday, to Arizona, where he played out the final seven weeks of another 40-homer, 100-RBI season. He signed with Washington in the offseason, for two years and $20 million, less than the average salary of his last three-year deal with the Reds.

Thursday’s game was his first in Cincinnati as a visitor. He seemed pleased to be back, and insisted he held no hard feelings over how he left.

“I’m not bitter at all,” Dunn said, sitting on the back of the dugout bench and holding court with Cincinnati media. “Not bitter at all. I got an opportunity to play here for however many years, since ’01, and I enjoyed my time here. It’s a business. I don’t hold any grudges.”

He was supposedly the problem. Remember? That’s what every talk-show caller and message-board pundit said. Half the problem, anyway, with Ken Griffey Jr. said to be the other half.

Get rid of Dunn, they clamored. He’s a liability in left, strikes out too much, doesn’t hit in the clutch. He doesn’t even like baseball that much. (Actually, that notion came not from a talk-show ranter; that was Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi ranting on a talk show.)

But here was Dunn, enjoying a 30-homer, 85-RBI season, on pace for a sixth straight season of 40 homers – currently, he’s the only major leaguer with five straight – and a fifth season in six for 100 RBI. With 83 walks, he’s on pace for 100 for a sixth straight season.

The injury-riddled Reds, at 49-64 on pace for a ninth straight losing season, have started seven different players in left field this year. Still, Dunn wasn’t about to engage in any I-told-you-sos.

“Fans are fans,” he said good-naturedly. “I’m a fan. I jump all over my fantasy team when they don’t play well.

“It’s part of being a fan.”

Coming into Thursday’s game, Dunn was hitting .281, 15 points over his best average for any single season, .266 in 2004. He was hitting .358 in his past 24 games.

The secret?

“Just hitting more singles. That’s pretty much it. I don’t think I’ve changed too much. I’ve found a heavier bat.

“You can make up something if you want,” he said, smiling. “I don’t really have anything for you.”

Dunn said he planned to hit a few favorite restaurants while in town, visit the zoo – “I love the zoo here,” he said – but that he mostly missed the people. He said he talks or texts with Jay Bruce and Aaron Harang. Griffey, now in Seattle, he speaks to weekly.

He was asked if he was surprised, given his good relationship with owner Bob Castellini, that his stint with the Reds came to an end.

“A little bit,” he answered. “But I know this is a business. They obviously did what they thought was best for the organization. I still think Mr. Castellini is one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. They’ll definitely turn this thing around here.”

When the cameras clicked off, Dunn peered out and scanned his old stomping grounds again. His eyes found the red pickup truck propped up beyond the bleachers in left-center.

“Hey,” he asked, “anybody ever hit the Tundra?”

[RedLegsToday]

Oh yeah, for everyone mad a WillyT's defense, I say he is a gold glover compared to Dunner....lets not forget the whole scope of his game

Adam Dunn... maybe top 5, definitely top 10 offensive player in the NL this year.
Willy Taveras... having the worst offensive season ever by an outfielder that has enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title.

There is no amount of defense that can make up for the Grand Canyon-like gulf between them.

[RedLegsToday]

to back up my previous statement with some facts:

of the 158 players with at least 350 pa this season (in all of MLB), Adam Dunn ranks 10th with 43.4 VORP; Willy Taveras ranks 158, at -16.1. VORP just counts offensive contribution though.

by WARP, which combines offense and defense, has Adam at 3.4 WARP to 0.2 WARP for Taveras.

Oh, and Taveras's 45 OPS+ is the lowest for any outfielder with at least 400 pa, in the entire history of Major League Baseball!

[bgwilly31]

Well considering 1st is probably the easiest position to play and the great 1st basemen arent much worse than the terrible ones he is probably doing fine. As long as he can catch balls thrown at him the position is easy.

Well...i could really get going with this comment. Im going to choose not to just because its you. But in short i think your undervalueing the position just a bit.


So you were in the clubhouse with those guys?

I'd say Griffey's dwindling ability and Dunn's propensity to strikeout and mis-play balls in the OF contributed more the team losing than either being a bad teammate. Dunn struck me as quite aloof sometimes, but seemed to be popular with the team. If he hit .280 every year instead of .230 with his annual 40/100/100, something tells me he is no longer a clubhouse cancer and would be welcome by most Reds fans, regardless of his defensive abilties...

yeah i was one of those guys. If you think dunns work ethic and attitude in cincinnati wasnt poor how do you explain the facts of him working much harder and losing weight and hitting the cages and shortening his swing since he left. Really immediately after he left.

Dunn was "comfortable" in cincy. Its just like a job for regular people. You get comfortable in a position you are in. Some might tend to slack a bit. Than if you get fired or move to a new job it tends to light a fire under your bottom and you kick it back in first gear.

Nobody could get that fire under dunns bottom while he was in cincy. So we moved him.

[Jack Burton]

Saw he made the highlights on a scoop at first yesterday, not bad. If the Nats can convert him to 1B, why couldn't the Reds?

[GIDP]

does anyone really doubt that it takes less ability to play 1st than any other position? If you can catch a ball you are pretty much golden.

[Ghosts of 1990]

I miss Adam Dunn so much. The guy is an absolute stud offensive player

[bgwilly31]

does anyone really doubt that it takes less ability to play 1st than any other position? If you can catch a ball you are pretty much golden.


Like i said im not going to get into it with ya. You'll just talk in circles and not address anybodies points like you have in the past. This thread would turn into 5 pages of the same crap.

If you think what you think seriously. Than i cant help you.

[bgwilly31]

Btw got my hands on some freebies tonight. So looks like im going for the next two nights.

Get to see harangatang throw tonight. The only game i went to prior was him throwing as well. He made every inning interesting but we came away with a win. So lets hope im a good luck charm.

[GIDP]

Like i said im not going to get into it with ya. You'll just talk in circles and not address anybodies points like you have in the past. This thread would turn into 5 pages of the same crap.

If you think what you think seriously. Than i cant help you.

speaking of not addressing a topic :laugh:

[GBC Red]

I've made known my feelings for Dunn, but I will give him credit for having a tremendous season. If he could have had seasons like now in Cincinnati, I may not criticize him as much as I do now. I hope the big guy has turned it around, but I am skeptical.

[bgwilly31]

I've made known my feelings for Dunn, but I will give him credit for having a tremendous season. If he could have had seasons like now in Cincinnati, I may not criticize him as much as I do now. I hope the big guy has turned it around, but I am skeptical.

Considering his tremendous change in attitude and work ethic since he left. Im not surprised at all he's a better ball player. And i dont think its a fluke.

[bgwilly31]

Dunn got on base. No hits though.

Did anybody see my outstanding catch over the 1b line wall.

I about face planted like the bloody face guy on ESPN a couple weeks back. :laugh:

[Slyder]

Could Dunn have been insulted with the way the last 5 months of the year happened that kicked him into gear?

A) Riccardi calling him a bum... Pot Kettle Black
B) Getting trading for a catcher that cant catch or hit, a hitter that can throw, and a Lottery ticket.
C) The offers he received during the offseason.
D) Led up to him taking Washington's offer and coming in with a chip on his shoulder?

[GIDP]

Could Dunn have been insulted with the way the last 5 months of the year happened that kicked him into gear?

A) Riccardi calling him a bum... Pot Kettle Black
B) Getting trading for a catcher that cant catch or hit, a hitter that can throw, and a Lottery ticket.
C) The offers he received during the offseason.
D) Led up to him taking Washington's offer and coming in with a chip on his shoulder?

if thats the case then Riccardi really wasnt that far off.

[gilpdawg]

Maybe he's just getting better results due to chance. These people who say "his work ethic" or "his attitude stinks" or "he's trying harder now" I would like to know how you know that? You in the clubhouse? Sometimes guys just start playing better. Maybe he's not playing that much better than he did when he was here.

His BABIP is a career-high .343. The rest of his numbers are in line with his career numbers. Nothing kicked him into gear except for some luck.

[Hondo]

He is also Batting .282 this late in the season. I wish this team had never traded Dunn... Guy is a special talent... Maybe a bad fielder but has a god given talent to Hit the Ball a Long way and a pilot fighters eye...

[bgwilly31]

Maybe he's just getting better results due to chance. These people who say "his work ethic" or "his attitude stinks" or "he's trying harder now" I would like to know how you know that? .

Well lets see the media told us. And the media talks to people inside the clubhouse.

[Moosie52]

He thought he could get by with less than 100% effort in Cincinnati?

[Slyder]

Well lets see the media told us. And the media talks to people inside the clubhouse.

The media is NEVER wrong.... Believe everything you see and twice for everything you read...

[gilpdawg]

Well lets see the media told us. And the media talks to people inside the clubhouse.
I don't recall many media people knocking Dunn while he was here, other than Marty, and he's senile.

I also enjoy how you cherry picked my post and conveniently ignored the part where I debunked this whole thread and cited proof.