| The Conundrum that is Adam Dunn |
| By Sally Haase Septemeber 7, 2011 Call it a slump or call it the curse of the big contract, either way the big contract that the Chicago White Sox signed first baseman/designated hitter Adam Dunn to has been a waste of money, big money. The White Sox tried their best to acquire Dunn before the trade deadline last season but could not work out a deal, but they were able to put together a deal in the off season to acquire Dunn for money instead of players or prospects. Dunn accepted a four year 56 million dollar deal to be the White Sox designated hitter and part time first baseman. With the numbers Dunn put up when playing for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, the White Sox were very confident that Dunn would put up similar, maybe even bigger numbers in the hitter friendly park of US Cellular Field. With only a few weeks left to go in the regular season Dunn has been a massive disappointment. His batting average is a mere .161 and he has 157 strikeouts in 368 at bats. Not a good ratio. My theory with Dunn was that he has played the past few seasons in the National League which forces him to play in the field if he wants to be in the game. Dunn playing in the field led to his great hitting, there are several players in the Major Leagues who say that their hitting is better because they get to go out and play in the field. Dunn just might be one of those players who cannot be a full time DH, and he needs to play out in the field so he has something else to focus on. That theory may have been put to rest Tuesday night when I watched Dunn play first base against the Minnesota Twins. Dunn did draw a walk and score a run but did not get a hit. His play at first left something to be desired too, at one point in the game Dunn had a chance to catch a foul pop that ended up landing just inches behind the fence. Dunn casually jogged over to the ball and watched it land foul, it was a catch able ball that any first baseman worth his salt would have caught, but Dunn gave up on it. Luckily for the White Sox and Dunn the missed opportunity did not lead to a big inning for the Twins. Since Dunn is having such a hard time at the plate, one would think that he would make more of an effort when playing first base just to show that he can still be an asset to the team. There is no magic cure for a slump as epic as Dunn’s, his career numbers suggest that this is just an off year for him but he better figure it out soon otherwise he may get the dubious distinction of being the worst free agent pick up in the history of the game. |
Search this site
Leave A Comment