Adam Dunn

Adam Dunn
File:Opening Day 080.JPG
Cincinnati Reds – No. 44
Left fielder
Bats: Left Throws: Right
debut
July 20, 2001, for the Cincinnati Reds
Career statistics (through August 5, 2008)
Batting Average	.247
Home runs	270
Runs batted in	646
Teams
Cincinnati Reds (2001-present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star selection (2002)

Dunn during 2008 spring training.

Adam Troy Dunn (born November 9, 1979, in Houston, Texas), nicknamed "The Big Donkey" is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. A former standout quarterback at New Caney (Texas) High School, Dunn signed with the University of Texas however, Dunn quit football and concentrated on baseball. The Reds drafted Dunn in the second round of the 1998 amateur draft while he was still an active collegian.

Career

He was elected to the 2002 National League All-Star team. In that game, Dunn hit a ball to center field that was a few feet from being a game ending home run (the game famously ended in a tie). He also walked in his only other plate appearance.

At six feet, six inches (198 cm) in height and weighing 275 pounds, Dunn, who is one of the National League's most feared sluggers, invites frequent comparisons to Mark McGwire.

Adam Dunn's most productive season came in 2004, when he posted career highs in batting average (.266), home runs (46), runs (105), hits (151), on base percentage (.388), slugging average (.569), and OPS (.957). He also held the single-season strikeout record (195) before Ryan Howard broke it on September 27, 2007.

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. Later, Ryan Howard struck out 199 times in the 2007 season.

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 making him the only player in Reds history to do it more than once.

On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Dunn was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation.

In 2004, 2005, and 2006, he struck out 34.3%, 30.9%, and 34.6% of the time, in each year the highest percentage in major league baseball. 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 only .246, he has compiled a .384 on-base percentage while striking out about ten times for every six walks and averages more than one strikeout per game. He always is one of the top receivers in base on balls. However, his main weakness continues to be his tendency to strike out. Many point out that his on-base percentage is actually higher than several hitters with batting averages over .300 each year.

Adam Dunn has the fifth lowest career AB/HR (at bats per home run) average in major league history. His 13.96 (about 1 HR every 14 times he comes to bat) is eclipsed only by Mark McGwire (10.61), Babe Ruth (11.76), Barry Bonds (12.90), and Jim Thome (13.68). Stretching behind Dunn are such hall-of-famers as Kiner, Killebrew, Williams, Mantle, Foxx, and Schmidt, in that order.

On October 31, 2007, Dunn's $13 million dollar option was picked up by the Reds, making him the highest-paid player on the team.

On June 19, 2008, Toronto Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi cited Dunn's lack of passion for baseball as a deterrent for acquiring the outfielder during a Toronto call-in radio show. Ricciardi later publicly apologized for his statements but has yet to speak to Dunn personally about his comments.

On June 29th, 2008 Adam Dunn won the Ohio Cup MVP when he went 6-for-20 in the six-game series, with 5 home runs (HR) and 10 RBIs.

As of July 31, Dunn currently leads the majors in home runs with 32.

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 20 trade of outfielder Wily Mo Peña to the Boston Red Sox for right-handed pitcher Bronson Arroyo, the plan to convert Dunn was scrapped (Dunn had mentioned that he would rather not play 1B also) and, to date, he has only played 108 games there.

Personal

Adam is married to Rachel Brown of Kentucky, and the couple have a young son; Brady, who is 1.

Statistics

Major League

Year	Age	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	SH	SF	IBB	HBP	GDP
2001	21	Cincinnati	NL	66	244	54	64	18	1	19	43	4	2	38	74	.262	.371	.578	.949	141	0	0	2	4	4
2002	22	Cincinnati	NL	158	535	84	133	28	2	26	71	19	9	128	170	.249	.400	.454	.854	243	1	3	13	9	8
2003	23	Cincinnati	NL	116	381	70	82	12	1	27	57	8	2	74	126	.215	.354	.465	.819	177	0	4	8	10	4
2004	24	Cincinnati	NL	161	568	105	151	34	0	46	102	6	1	108	195	.266	.388	.569	.957	323	0	0	11	5	8
2005	25	Cincinnati	NL	160	543	107	134	35	2	40	101	4	2	114	168	.247	.387	.540	.927	293	0	2	14	12	6
2006	26	Cincinnati	NL	160	561	99	131	24	0	40	92	7	0	112	194	.234	.365	.490	.855	275	1	3	12	6	8
2007	27	Cincinnati	NL	152	522	101	138	27	2	40	106	9	2	101	165	.264	.386	.554	.940	289	0	4	8	5	12
2008	28	Cincinnati	NL	110	357	58	85	13	0	32	74	1	1	79	112	.238	.380	.543	.923	194	0	5	6	6	4
Totals:				1,083	3,711	678	918	191	8	270	646	58	19	754	1,204	.247	.381	.521	.902	1,935	2	21	74	57	54

Roll over stat abbreviations for definitions. Stats through August 6, 2008.

See also

• Top 500 home run hitters of all time

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• JockBio.com profile