Adam Dunn
Encyclopedia : A : AD : ADA : Adam Dunn
| |
| Positions | Left field, First base |
| Team | Cincinnati Reds |
| Years of Experience | 5 years |
| Age | 25 |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Right |
| College | N/A |
| 2005 Salary | ,600,000 |
| Place of Birth | Houston, Texas |
| Selection | 2nd round amateur draft, 1998 |
| Drafted by | Cincinnati Reds |
| Major League Debut | July 20, 2001 |
In his five-season career, Dunn owns a .901 OPS with 158 home runs and 374 runs-batted-in in 501 games.
He was elected to the 2002 National League All-Stars team.
At six feet, six inches in height and weighing 275 pounds, Dunn, who is one of the National League's most feared sluggers, invites frequent comparisons to Mark McGwire. However, the consensus among baseball pundits and fans is that Dunn is far more athletic than McGwire.
Adam Dunn's most productive season came in 2004, when he posted career highs in batting average (.266), home runs (46), RBI (102), runs (105), hits (151), doubles (34), on base percentage (.388), slugging average (.569) and OPS (.957).
Dunn made his Major League debut on July 20, 2001 and set a National League rookie record for the most home runs in a month by hitting 12 in August. On September 30, 2004, Dunn once again got his name in Major League Baseball's record book — albeit not in the manner he wished. That day, Dunn struck out three times against Chicago Cubs right-hander Mark Prior, raising his season total to 191 and surpassing Bobby Bonds' single season strikeout record of 189, set in 1970. He finished the season with 195 strikeouts.
Dunn's 46 longballs in 2004 were the fourth most in Cincinnati Reds history. That year, he joined Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan as the only Reds players to score 100 runs, drive in 100 runs, and draw 100 walks in a single season. Dunn repeated the feat the following season.
Despite the high strikeout total, Dunn often exhibits good plate discipline. He is among the major league leaders every season in number of pitches per at-bat, an indication that he generally knows when to swing and when not to. Although his career batting average is .249, he has compiled a robust .382 on-base percentage while striking out about ten times for every six walks.
Position changes
In December, 2005, Reds manager Jerry Narron informed the press that, due to the trade of popular first baseman Sean Casey to the Pittsburgh Pirates for left-handed pitcher Dave Williams, Adam Dunn would be moving to first base for the 2006 season. However, with the acquisition of free agent first baseman Scott Hatteberg (who played for the Oakland Athletics in 2005) during spring training and the March 20th trade of outfielder Wily Mo Pena to the Boston Red Sox for right-handed pitcher Bronson Arroyo, the plan to convert Dunn was scrapped (Dunn had mentioned that he had rather not play 1B also) and, to date, he has only played a handful of games there. Currently, first base duties are presently handled by a loose platoon of the left-handed hitting Hatteberg and the right-handed hitting Rich Aurilia.
Interesting facts
- In 2004 Dunn hit an estimated 535-foot home run off of the Los Angeles Dodgers' José Lima that cleared the stands at Great American Ball Park, bounced on Mehring Way and finally coming to rest on driftwood in the Ohio River. It ranks as one of the longest home runs of the last 30 years and has been rumored to be both the longest recorded shot in Major League Baseball history and, since the Kentucky border is at lower water mark of the Ohio River in 1793, the first one to cross a state line in flight. Another Dunn home run struck during the 2006 season hit a car passing by the ballpark on Mehring Way. Reportedly, the owner retrieved the ball and has not come forward.
- On June 30, 2006, Adam Dunn was the inarguable star of the Reds' interleague game against the visiting Cleveland Indians. The Reds, who had trailed all of the game, scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. The ninth inning saw right fielder Austin Kearns score on pinch hitter Javier Valentin's single. With the bases loaded and Dunn facing Indians closer Bob Wickman, Dunn launched a line-drive into the Indians bullpen in right field for a dramatic walkoff grand slam. Dunn later donated the bat he used to hit the walk-off grand slam to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
- In 2003, Dunn had three home runs, two walks and eight RBI in six plate appearances as a pinch-hitter, giving him a .833 on base percentage and 3.000 slugging percentage.
- His nicknames are the Big Donkey, a joke about his speed, and Number One Dunner, a play-off the Big Tymers song "Number One Stunner".
- With 11 home runs, 31 RBI and .701 slugging average, Dunn was named the National League Player of the Month in July 2005.
External links
- [ESPN (profile and daily updates)]
- [Baseball-Reference.com] - career statistics and analysis
- [JockBio.com profile]
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.