Adam Dunn K Watch
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Adam Dunn K Watch Sports News Hometown zero: With Adam Dunn batting cleanup, the White Sox have nothing to worry about
Posted by Steve Bogira on 04.25.13 at 12:33 PM
- Tom Cruze/Sun-Times
- Dunn at the Cell on Sunday, zeroing in on a new batting record
He must not be in touch with his feelings. When the White Sox cleanup hitter bats, nothing is guaranteed, or nearly.
Sabermetrics allows us to explore Dunn's situational nonhitting in this season's opening weeks. His average is approximately .000 against power pitchers (0-10) and lefties (0-12), on balls hit to the infield (0-23), and late in close games (0-12). When he's stepped to the plate in the third, fifth, eighth, ninth, and extra innings, he's soon stepped back to the dugout with zero, zip, zilch. When he's been up with a runner on first, or third, or runners on first and third, or second and third, he's produced nada, nil, nix.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Adam Dunn K Watch Sports News Dunn looks for his 400th Sox strikeout as baseball returns to Chicago
Posted by Steve Bogira on 04.01.13 at 12:32 PM
- Johnny Sampson
- And it's one, two, three strikes you're out again, starting today.
The Cubs take on the Pirates in Pittsburgh at 12:35 PM. The White Sox host the Royals at 3:10. At about that time, six-foot-six southpaw Chris Sale will toe the rubber 60 feet and six inches from the plate, and start striking out Royals. Last year, he fanned exactly 192 in 192 innings.
And at some point during the game, Sox cleanup hitter Adam Dunn undoubtedly will whiff for the 400th time since he joined the team two years ago. (He's at 399 right now.) Maybe they should stop the game and give Dunn the ball—but money is tight right now in the big leagues.
And there are endless chances to commemorate Dunn whiffs. He'll likely reach 500 Sox Ks by mid-season, and 600 by September.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Adam Dunn K Watch Sports News A Buddhist remedy for Adam Dunn
Posted by Steve Bogira on 02.26.13 at 11:33 AM
- Rob Tringali/Getty Images
- Dunn, focusing, at a spring training game in Arizona Saturday
So I'm happy to see that Ventura may be thinking about dropping Dunn in the order. (He's had him hitting fourth and fifth in the early going in Arizona.) The fans at South Side Sox offer strong reasons for Dunn batting fifth, which have to do with the base stealing of those ahead of him in the order. They boil down to this: it's usually not smart for someone to try to steal while Dunn's at the plate. He doesn't hit into many double plays (because he whiffs so often), reducing the benefit of stealing. And when he does make contact, the ball often flies over the fence, in which case it matters little if the runner was on first, second, or third.
Baseball statisticians have studied the matter and concluded that it makes less sense to steal when Dunn's batting than it does with almost anyone else in the big leagues at the plate. You'd better be Rickey Henderson if you're going to take off when Dunn's up. (Henderson in his prime, that is; he's 54 now, and may have lost a step.)
Monday, February 18, 2013
Adam Dunn K Watch Media Sports News On Michael Jordan, the White Sox, the Cubs, and Michael Jordan (and did we mention Michael Jordan?)
Posted by Steve Bogira on 02.18.13 at 02:33 PM
- Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images
- Michael Jordan, 15 years before his AARP days
Neither the White Sox nor the Cubs should disappoint this season, given the low expectations for both. Baseball Prospectus forecasts a 77-85 season for both teams. BP has the Sox finishing third, 15 games behind the Detroit Tigers, and the Cubs last, 15 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.
Last year, however, BP pegged the south-siders for 78-84, and they finished 85-77. The north-siders also surprised: BP predicted a 74-88 season, and the Cubs managed 61-101, second-worst in the majors. (The hapless Houston Astros were 55-107.)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Adam Dunn K Watch Mudville Sports Yahoo! blogger's scoop grounds White Sox
Posted by Steve Bogira on 09.26.12 at 09:49 AM
- John J. Kim/Sun-Times Media
- Alejandro De Aza, out at third in a game last September
Kaduk! writes for Big League Stew, a baseball blog for Yahoo! Sports. On Friday, Kaduk! pointed out that White Sox leadoff hitter Alejandro De Aza had "a shot at a rare achievement"—he'd been to the plate 555 times this season, and had yet to ground into a double play. Kaduk! said that if De Aza could go the rest of the season without grounding into a double play, he'd be just the fifth batting-title-qualified player since 1942 to do it. "It's a nice blend of achievement and luck for anyone to go through an entire season without grounding into a double play and we'll see if De Aza gets there," Kaduk! wrote.
I wondered how many no hitters Kaduk! had spoiled by blabbing about them in the seventh inning. The four other players who'd avoided GIDP for a full year—Craig Biggio in 1997, Rob Deer in 1990, Dick McAuliffe in 1968, and Pete Reiser in 1942—didn't have to worry about some Yahoo! blogging about it prematurely.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Adam Dunn K Watch Mudville Adam Dunn HR Watch Sports Dunn looks to break through—to postseason
Posted by Ted Cox on 09.25.12 at 11:15 AM
- Paul Boucher
- Adam Dunn turned frowns upside down at Sox Park Monday
To wit: he is the active big-league leader in most games played without appearing in the postseason.
In that, he has good company here in Chicago. The top two all-time are Ernie Banks of the Cubs and Luke Appling of the White Sox.
For all the splendor of his comeback season this year, when he's hit barely above .200 but also clouted 39 homers going into Monday's game at White Sox Park against the Cleveland Indians, Dunn has looked as if he wanted to extend that record this fall.
He missed a key series with the Tigers with an injury to his side, and he's been ineffectual upon his return.
In fact, he struck out his first two times up Monday in a must-have game against the Tribe.
Then, however, he homered his last two times up to keep the Sox in the game in the sixth, down 3-2, then to put them ahead in the eighth with a three-run shot that put them up 5-3.
The Sox went on to win 5-4, to keep them a game ahead of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Adam Dunn K Watch Mudville Adam Dunn HR Watch Sports White Sox magic numbers
Posted by Steve Bogira on 09.24.12 at 04:30 PM
- Johnny Sampson
- The great Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn, meantime, likely will fall short in his valiant pursuit of the big league single-season strikeout record. Dunn's 205 whiffs this year already is the third highest season total, and he'll almost certainly pass Mark Reynolds's 2010 mark of 211 for second place. He'll have to really get breezy, however, to break Reynolds's 2009 total of 223 Ks. But it isn't over till it's over.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Adam Dunn K Watch Mudville Sports & Rec Week Sports Adam Dunn, all is forgiven
Posted by Steve Bogira on 07.20.12 at 01:10 PM
- Johnny Sampson
- Heir to Dave Nicholson, reminder of betrayal
On the train ride downtown this morning, I didn't spot anyone else wearing the Adam Dunn All-Star shirt. And a check of Google Maps Adam Dunn All-Star T-Shirt View confirms that I am, in fact, the only person in downtown Chicago wearing the shirt today.
It was the perfect gift. As some of you are aware, I've been one of Dunn's biggest supporters since the Big Breeze blew into town 319 strikeouts ago.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Adam Dunn K Watch Mudville Adam Dunn HR Watch Sports On to the second half of baseball season
Posted by Ted Cox on 07.13.12 at 10:48 AM
- Paul Boucher
- Adam Dunn and the White Sox trot smiling into the second half
The White Sox are in first place in the American League Central, nine games above .500 after their recent hot streak, and three games ahead of the second-place Cleveland Indians.
But only three and a half ahead of more-threatening Detroit, which issued a challenge over the All-Star break from Miguel Cabrera.
The Cubs helped awaken the sleeping Tigers, and they've been hot too, but then again their ace Justin Verlander just got lit up as the AL starter in the All-Star Game, and that's not easily shaken off.
I still like my wager that Adam Dunn will hit more homers than the Tigers' Prince Fielder, as he's up at the break 25-15. But Dunn may also break his own team record for strikeouts—before August is over.
As for the Cubs . . .
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Adam Dunn K Watch Mudville Adam Dunn HR Watch Sports News Joy in Mudville: Adam Dunn connects!
Posted by Steve Bogira on 06.28.12 at 11:16 AM
- Johnny Sampson
- The Big Breeze couldn't miss yesterday
Dunn also didn't strike out. Not once, the whole game. Seriously. He hit fly balls the two times he was retired.
The Big Breeze hadn't gone deep—or medium, or shallow—since June 15. He'd had three singles in 36 at bats, with 21 whiffs. And he was still batting third in the Sox order.
