Dunn vows improvement

[The Entertainer]

[quote][size=3][b]Dunn vows improvement[/b][/size]

BY JOHN FAY | JFAY@ENQUIRER.COM


SARASOTA, Fla. – Adam Dunn doesn’t do predictions. He doesn’t say how many homers he’s going to hit or how many runs he’s going to drive in.

That’s what makes what he said this morning significant. When asked about being a good left fielder, Dunn said:

“I’m going to be. I’ve probably taken that a little too lightly in the past. That’s going to be my main focus this spring – not to be a good one, to be a great one. I think I can.”

Dunn reported to the Ed Smith Stadium Complex this morning looking very fit. He said he wasn’t sure how much weight he had lost – if any.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m sure I have. I feel better.”

Dunn did change things this offseason.

“I did eat a lot better,” he said. “That’s the main thing. I didn’t change a lot in my workouts, just ate better.”

All this is a result of ugly end to Dunn’s season last year. He hit 40 home runs or more for the third straight year. He drove in the 92 runs and walked 112 times.

That’s the good.

The bad: He hit .234 and led the majors with 194 strikeouts, one off his Major League record.

“Everybody gets on him about a lot of different things,” Reds manager Jerry Narron said. “I think there’s lot of people who look at him for what he cannot do instead of what he does for us.

“That’s part of the business we’re in. In the baseball business, people look at the negative side of things a lot of times.”

The negativity was flying high late last season. But with good reason. The most troubling part of 2006 for Dunn was his utter failure in August and September when the Reds needed him in the pennant race.

He hit .188 with seven home runs and 16 RBI in August. September was worse -- .157, two home runs and five RBI.

“I’m trying to get that out of my head first of all,” he said. “I spent all of offseason thinking about . . . the last two months of the season were terrible. I try to do everything I can to not let that happen again.”

Dunn, 27, is at a point in his career where it could go either way. The club holds a $13 million option for next year. The Reds could conceivably let him walk -- something seemed inconceivable after 2004 when he hit .266 with 46 home runs and 102 RBI.

But his average has gone from .266 to .247 to .234 the last three years. And his on-base plus slugging has gone from .956 to .927 to .855.

Dunn decided to do something about it in the offseason.

“I lifted a lot, and I did a lot more running,” he said. “I had a guy I worked with (in Houston),” Dunn said. “I don’t know if I did anything that much more different – other than running. I tried to clear my mind and just start over.”

Dunn’s struggles late last year coincided with Ken Griffey Jr.’s injury. Dunn also went through a spring training where he played first base and left field. That’s not going to happen this year.

“I don’t think he’s going use it an excuse,” Narron said. “But it had to affect him.”

Narron was right, Dunn did not use the first base experiment as an excuse.

“The season as a whole was a very disappointing season,” he said. “It’s out of my head now.”

One of the big reasons the Reds brought in Brook Jacoby as hitting coach was because they thought he could help Dunn. Jacoby was a roving instructor in the Reds minor league system in 2000 and hitting coach at Louisville in 2001-02 when Dunn blossomed.

Jacoby went to Houston in January to work with Dunn.

“We talked about some stuff,” Dunn said. “We hit a little bit. He’s seen me at my best.”

If Dunn could return to his best at the plate and play even a good left field, the Reds fortunes for 2007 would look considerably better.[/quote]



[url="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070219/SPT04/302190048"]Enquirer.com[/url]

[TDB]

He's fast becoming one of the Reds' worst starters. If he does improve any noteable amount, then great. He has plenty of room for it.

[Palmer4HOF]

[quote name='TDB' post='442828' date='Feb 19 2007, 02:42 PM']He's fast becoming one of the Reds' worst starters. If he does improve any noteable amount, then great. He has plenty of room for it.[/quote]

WOW ... are you serious? Worst starters? Other than Edwin and maybe Hatteberg, I dont see anyone else better than him.

He's a left fielder, he doesnt need to field great, his job is to hit home runs, get on base, and score runners.

[Jamie_B]

If he could cut down on his strike outs by just 25% he's be an all star again.

[tracenuts]

[quote name='Palmer4HOF' post='442832' date='Feb 19 2007, 02:54 PM']WOW ... are you serious? Worst starters? Other than Edwin and maybe Hatteberg, I dont see anyone else better than him.

He's a left fielder, he doesnt need to field great, his job is to hit home runs, get on base, and score runners.[/quote]

i think phillips is also a better starter than dunn, but i agree there are alot worse starters on this team... i think griffey is fast becoming one of the worst starters on this team, hes to unrealiable to be one of our guys we have to count on.

[TDB]

[quote name='Palmer4HOF' post='442832' date='Feb 19 2007, 02:54 PM']WOW ... are you serious? Worst starters? Other than Edwin and maybe Hatteberg, I dont see anyone else better than him.

He's a left fielder, he doesnt need to field great, his job is to hit home runs, get on base, and [b]score runners[/b].[/quote]

I've probably become a little biased over the years as my Dunn skepticism has grown gradually with his continued struggles.

I bolded "score runners" because I agree with you. That's his primary duty as a cleanup hitter, or as a #5 guy. While he is usually good for 95-110 RBIs, I don't think he does the job as well as other power hitters of his caliber. His strikeouts speak for themselves, but I'm more worried about his horrible career batting average with runners in scoring position. He is never reliable in that department, and it makes for countless frustrating at bats.

His overall batting average leaves much to be desired as well.

[TDB]

[quote name='tracenuts' post='442841' date='Feb 19 2007, 03:41 PM']i think phillips is also a better starter than dunn, but i agree there are alot worse starters on this team... i think griffey is fast becoming one of the worst starters on this team, hes to unrealiable to be one of our guys we have to count on.[/quote]

Honestly I'd list Hatteberg, Freel, Griffey, Phillips, Encarnacion, and Ross all over Dunn.

[Palmer4HOF]

[quote name='TDB' post='442843' date='Feb 19 2007, 03:44 PM']Honestly I'd list Hatteberg, Freel, Griffey, Phillips, Encarnacion, and Ross all over Dunn.[/quote]

Look up Ross', Phillips' and Freels batting stats then get back to me.

Also, look up Freels stats when he plays more than 3 or 4 games in a week.

Dunn is either our best player or Edwin ... hands down You take Dunn out of our lineup and this team sucks.

[Guest A-Men-HouseofPain]

id take Edwin and Phillips and Hatteberg b4 dunn ANYTIME.



there is not point in arguing with Palmer4HOF he doesnt care if u leave more % of runners on base than anyone else on the team. If u bat 4th or 5th and get 90 RBIs u are a god in his eyes.

[|Bunghole|]

Dunn is certainly good, but if he could improve on the areas where he is quite lacking (strikeouts, getting RBI's when it matters, his defense, etc) he could be GREAT.

[JC]

Phillips is a badass. He is amazing at D and has a good avg. and a little pop on top of that.


Dunn is alright...but has a horrible avg and doesn't get a lot of hits w/ runners in scoring position. Defense is horrid as well. Not the player i would build a team around.

[TDB]

[quote name='Palmer4HOF' post='442859' date='Feb 19 2007, 04:29 PM']Dunn is either our best player or Edwin ... hands down You take Dunn out of our lineup and this team sucks.[/quote]

If a player as unreliable as Dunn is the Reds' best player (or one of the top two), then the Reds are screwed.

[TDB]

[quote name='Palmer4HOF' post='442859' date='Feb 19 2007, 04:29 PM']Look up Ross', Phillips' and Freels batting stats then get back to me.

Also, look up Freels stats when he plays more than 3 or 4 games in a week.[/quote]

Who would you rather have at the plate with two outs and the bases loaded with the team down a run in the bottom of the ninth... Adam Dunn or Ryan Freel?

[Guest BengalsOwn]

[quote name='TDB' post='442828' date='Feb 19 2007, 02:42 PM']He's fast becoming one of the Reds' worst starters. If he does improve any noteable amount, then great. He has plenty of room for it.[/quote]

Worst starters? Are you kidding me?

[TDB]

[quote name='BengalsOwn' post='442872' date='Feb 19 2007, 05:07 PM']Worst starters? Are you kidding me?[/quote]

Not at all. Who is less reliable at the plate than Dunn among current Reds starters? I like 40 homers as much as the next guy, but I really think he hurts the team more than he helps it.

[Palmer4HOF]

[quote name='A-Men-HouseofPain' post='442860' date='Feb 19 2007, 04:35 PM']id take Edwin and Phillips and Hatteberg b4 dunn ANYTIME.
there is not point in arguing with Palmer4HOF he doesnt care if u leave more % of runners on base than anyone else on the team. If u bat 4th or 5th and get 90 RBIs u are a god in his eyes.[/quote]

The funny thing is that I said the same thing minus Phillips.

You truely are a huge dueche bag my friend.

I never once said Dunn is god, but to say he is one of our worst starters? You are all insane.

[TDB]

[quote name='Palmer4HOF' post='442887' date='Feb 19 2007, 05:39 PM']The funny thing is that I said the same thing minus Phillips.

You truely are a huge dueche bag my friend.

I never once said Dunn is god, but to say he is one of our worst starters? You are all insane.[/quote]

I think the term "worst" might be a bit extreme (and I'll take the fall for using it first). Of the eight offensive starters, I'd say Dunn ranks 5th or 6th in my book.

[Guest A-Men-HouseofPain]

[quote name='Palmer4HOF' post='442887' date='Feb 19 2007, 05:39 PM'][b]The funny thing is that I said the same thing minus Phillips.
[/b]
You truely are a huge dueche bag my friend.

I never once said Dunn is god, but to say he is one of our worst starters? You are all insane.[/quote]
that was the point. to see if u could STILL get all riled up when we basically agree and yes u still lack the intelligence to read a post and figure it out.


dunn isnt one of the worst, but he is the worst per dollar spent on him. depends how u look at it.

[GinnDaMan7]

Watching Adam Dunn play baseball is like watching a poodle trying to fuck a great dane, its uncomfortable and embarassing. Watching this guy play year after year, its obvious to me that he doesn't take to coaching very well, because his swing is worse than when he came in to the bigs. His damn bat is bouncing off his back during the pitcher's windup, and every swing he takes he's trying to hit a 500 hundred foot shot. I mean, Jesus Christ, if he shortened his swing and choked up on the bat he could cut the K's down by at least a 1/3. I would take 55 375-foot blasts over 40 towering arcs anyday, a homerun is a homerun, but this guy seems to think he needs to prove his power to everyone, I'm sure most people in the league are beginning to think he's a joke. It's sad when the opposing team wants your leading RBI guy up at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. And all I have to say about his defense (if one can call it that) is that he should have stuck with football.

Basically, this guy might possibly be the worst 40/100 hitter in the history of baseball.

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='GinnDaMan7' post='442928' date='Feb 19 2007, 08:24 PM']Watching Adam Dunn play baseball is like watching a poodle trying to fuck a great dane, its uncomfortable and embarassing. Watching this guy play year after year, its obvious to me that he doesn't take to coaching very well, because his swing is worse than when he came in to the bigs. His damn bat is bouncing off his back during the pitcher's windup, and every swing he takes he's trying to hit a 500 hundred foot shot. I mean, Jesus Christ, if he shortened his swing and choked up on the bat he could cut the K's down by at least a 1/3. I would take 55 375-foot blasts over 40 towering arcs anyday, a homerun is a homerun, but this guy seems to think he needs to prove his power to everyone, I'm sure most people in the league are beginning to think he's a joke. It's sad when the opposing team wants your leading RBI guy up at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. And all I have to say about his defense (if one can call it that) is that he should have stuck with football.

Basically, this guy might possibly be the worst 40/100 hitter in the history of baseball.[/quote]
It is hard to disagree with this, but you still cannot look past his run production. My biggest beefs with him are his apparent lack of work ethic to improve (his ballooning weight, his lackluster defense, approach at the plate).
He needs to drop 30 lbs and take the advice of his coaches with regards to his hitting. Sadly, he'll never be a good defenseman in the outfield, but that would be OK if he improved in the other areas he's defecient in.
I'm rooting for him to be better as he has oodles of potential and he is on my team, but if he hasn't "gotten it" by now, then I'm not sure he will.

[Guest schotzee]

Dunn does not impress me at all.I would get rid of him in a heartbeat for a solid 3 or even 4 starting pitcher.He is definitely not worth his salary.

[Palmer4HOF]

If Dunn was traded for a 3 or 4 picther, this team would not win 75 games this year. You guys are crazy. Take Dunn out of our lineup, and who will be feared on this team? Do you think Griff or Edwin will see a single pitch without Dunn in there? WHo on this team has any pop besides Edwin and maybe Griff? Dunn, like it or not, is our ONLY power hitter and he does that well.

For those to think that he should be a singles hitter or a doubles hitter, is insane. Yes he strikes out, yes his fielding is terrible but the man does what he is paid to do. Hit HRs (11th in ML), drive in RBIs (50), get total bases (52) and get on base (52).


Oh and all you haters, chew on these stats for Dunn...

Games - 160 (1st for reds)
Runs - 99 (1st for reds)
Hits - 131 (3rd for reds - 1 hit behind Hatteburg)
HRs - 40 (1st for reds)
RBIs - 92 (1st for reds)
TBs - 275 (1st for reds)
Walks - 112 (1st for reds - 60 more than any other red)
OBP - .365 (2nd on reds behind Hatte)
SLG - 2nd on reds behind Ross
Grounded in double play - 6th (BP, Ross, Griff, Edwin, and Clayton all had more)
XBH - 1st on Reds
OPS - 2nd on Reds behind Ross

So then negatives ...
Ks (194 - 1st for reds)
Avg .234 - 7th out of regulars

Also, if you look at his D, he had 12 errors on the year. His Fielding % was .960. Not great. However, he is on this team to make plays with his bat, not glove.


I dont give a FUCK about Ks or AVG ... try replacing his positives on this team. For anyone not to want Dunn on this team for his offense is CRAZY.

Dunn is irreplaceable right now unless you can swing for a player who puts up the numbers he does.

On top of that, he has yet to hit his prime.

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='Palmer4HOF' post='442994' date='Feb 19 2007, 10:41 PM']If Dunn was traded for a 3 or 4 picther, this team would not win 75 games this year. You guys are crazy. Take Dunn out of our lineup, and who will be feared on this team? Do you think Griff or Edwin will see a single pitch without Dunn in there? WHo on this team has any pop besides Edwin and maybe Griff? Dunn, like it or not, is our ONLY power hitter and he does that well.

For those to think that he should be a singles hitter or a doubles hitter, is insane. Yes he strikes out, yes his fielding is terrible but the man does what he is paid to do. Hit HRs (11th in ML), drive in RBIs (50), get total bases (52) and get on base (52).
Oh and all you haters, chew on these stats for Dunn...

Games - 160 (1st for reds)
Runs - 99 (1st for reds)
Hits - 131 (3rd for reds - 1 hit behind Hatteburg)
HRs - 40 (1st for reds)
RBIs - 92 (1st for reds)
TBs - 275 (1st for reds)
Walks - 112 (1st for reds - 60 more than any other red)
OBP - .365 (2nd on reds behind Hatte)
SLG - 2nd on reds behind Ross
Grounded in double play - 6th (BP, Ross, Griff, Edwin, and Clayton all had more)
XBH - 1st on Reds
OPS - 2nd on Reds behind Ross

So then negatives ...
Ks (194 - 1st for reds)
Avg .234 - 7th out of regulars

Also, if you look at his D, he had 12 errors on the year. His Fielding % was .960. Not great. However, he is on this team to make plays with his bat, not glove.
I dont give a FUCK about Ks or AVG ... try replacing his positives on this team. For anyone not to want Dunn on this team for his offense is CRAZY.

Dunn is irreplaceable right now unless you can swing for a player who puts up the numbers he does.

On top of that, he has yet to hit his prime.[/quote]
Again, I'll grant you that Dunn is good and his run production is important. But FEARED? C'mon, man, starting pitcers DROOL at the prospect of Dunn up with two outs and runners on base. He's a lousy contact hitter, admit it. It's all or none with the guy. It is what it is. I don't care much other than wishing that he would improve on the other parts of his game that would set him apart and make him realize his potential. He could be a HOFer if he took charge of his game and his body.
That's all.

[Palmer4HOF]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='442998' date='Feb 19 2007, 10:45 PM']Again, I'll grant you that Dunn is good and his run production is important. But FEARED? C'mon, man, starting pitcers DROOL at the prospect of Dunn up with two outs and runners on base. He's a lousy contact hitter, admit it. It's all or none with the guy. It is what it is. I don't care much other than wishing that he would improve on the other parts of his game that would set him apart and make him realize his potential. He could be a HOFer if he took charge of his game and his body.
That's all.[/quote]

Ok... so who is "feared" then on the Reds? Griff? No. Phillips? No. Edwin? No. Dunn can change a game with one swing. I guarentee you pitchers realize they can K him, but if they mess up at all, game over.


All I'm saying is there is a lot of hatred out there on Dunn, but who do you get to replace those numbers?

The dude Ks, yes. But he gets on base more than anyone else right besides Scotty? So I dont get why you say it's all or nothing. Dude gets on base more than anyone else besides Hatte.

[TDB]

You left out the most important statistic people use to bash Dunn, myself included: batting average with runners in scoring position.

Don't compare Dunn's numbers to the rest of the team, but compare them to the other 40 homer hitters in the majors. He's the worst all around offensive player among power hitters in the league.

The Reds have players whom are much more reliable than Dunn for statistics that matter more to me than homers ever could... BA w/ RISP, overall BA, and defense.