Tag / Adam Dunn

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Active Batting Leaders – Through 2014

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersLast month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2014.  With Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn hanging up their spikes after last season, we should see some new names on this list.  Now that Opening Day is right around the corner, let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2015 season.

Home Runs

Name Total
Aramis Ramirez 41
Alexei Ramierz 28
Carlos Quentin 28
Alex Rios 23
AJ Pierzynski 20

Hits

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 261
AJ Pierzynski 237
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All Season Batting Leaders – Through 2014

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersThree years ago, we took our first look at the offensive stat leaders per season for the all the games I’ve attended since 1984.  While there hasn’t been a whole lot of movement in the 3 seasons since, I figured the time was right to take another look.  So, without further ado, here’s the updated list.  We start, as always, with everyone’s favorite offensive stat:

Home Runs

Year Name Total
2010 Paul Konerko 17
2004 Mosies Alou 15
2004 Corey Patterson 13
2004 Sammy Sosa 13
2003 Moises Alou 12
2008 Carlos Quentin 12

Hits

Year Name Total
2003 Mark Grudzielanek 67
2004 Moises Alou 57
2003 Moises Alou 57
2007 Derrek Lee 57
2006 Orlando Cabrera 56

Runs

Year Name Total
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by jim

Our Long Nightmare Is Finally Over

dunnx-wide-communityWhat started with such promise back on December 2, 2010 finally came to an end today as Adam Dunn’s White Sox career came to an end when he was traded to the A’s.  Dunn was supposed to add some left handed power to a White Sox team that was predominately right handed, but wound up disappointing every one associated with the franchise for the last four years.

The White Sox first showed interest in Adam Dunn during the 2009 season, while he was playing for the Washington Nationals.  The speculation of a deal increased when Kenny Williams pulled the trigger on a deal that sent young pitcher Daniel Hudson to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Edwin Jackson, whom the Nationals were reportedly interested in as part of a package for Dunn.  However, Dunn balked at having to play designated hitter and, as the trade deadline passed, no deal was made.

Following the season, Dunn apparently came to terms with playing designated hitter, signing a four year deal worth $56 million with the White Sox.  As the 2011 season got under way, things looked to be off to a great start.  Dunn was hitting .286 with 1 home run, an opening day blast against the Indians, and 5 RBIs when he came down with appendicitis on April 6, a mere four games in to the season.  When he returned, things completely fell apart.

dunn095As the 2011 season went on, things started crumbling for the White Sox.  The relationship between Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen had worsened to the point of no return, and Dunn, their big free agent signing, had completely gone off the rails.  Despite missing time due to his appendicitis, Dunn managed to rack up 100 strikeouts before the end of June.  Continue reading →

by jim

Guh

p-dunnLast night, for the second time in three days, the White Sox gave up 16 runs in a drubbing against one of the worst teams in the league.  Of course, this time, they deflected criticism of their lackluster bullpen performance this homestand by throwing Adam Dunn out to the mound to mop up the final inning.

Dunn gave up two hits and one run, the 14th consecutive appearance by a White Sox reliever with at least one run scored, before getting out of the inning.  The internet, and the Rangers, got a huge kick out of it, which I guess was supposed to take the sting out of giving up 32 runs in 2 games.  Dunn, meanwhile, became the pitcher with the third highest home run total at the time he took the mound, behind Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx.

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#231 – Adam Dunn

dunnx-wide-communityName: Adam Dunn

Rank: 231

Position: DH

Years With White Sox: 2011-Present

The White Sox first focused in on Adam Dunn at the trade deadline in 2010, but he wasn’t interested in moving to the American League and becoming a designated hitter.  Unfortunately, when he became a free agent that winter, the White Sox threw enough money at him to get him to change his mind.  It was a move that was wildly praised at the time, but may go down in history as one of the worst free agent deals of all time.

Dunn’s White Sox career got off to a strong start, as he went 4 for 14 with a home run and 5 RBIs in his first four games before coming down with appendicitis.  Sadly, after that, things went south.  Dunn finished the season with a .159 average, 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a team-record 177 strikeouts.  It was easily the worst season of his, or any one else’s, career.  Had he gotten an additional 6 at bats, qualifying him for the batting title, he would have put up the lowest batting average for a qualified player since Bill Bergen hit .139 for the 1909 Brooklyn Superbas, now known as the Dodgers.

In 2012, Dunn “bounced back”, regaining his power stroke but otherwise still struggling at the plate.  He managed to surpass his 2011 home run total by the end of May and finished with 41.  He also obliterated his team record for strikeouts and set the American League record with 222, one less than Mark Reynold’s major league record.  He also set a major league record for position players, striking out in 36 consecutive games.  When the season wrapped up, he finished with a .204 average and 96 RBIs, and the White Sox, who led the American League Central for most of the season, were out of the playoffs once again.

2013 saw minor improvements for Dunn as the White Sox fell to last place and were never in contention.  Dunn limited his strikeouts to 189 and raised his average up to .219.  As the 2014 season was about to get underway, Dunn’s career average for the White Sox was still under .200 and he’s struck out more than twice as often as he’s gotten a hit.  It’s hard to call his tenure on the south side as anything other than disastrous.

Dunn’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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by jim

Active Batting Leaders – Through 2013

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersLast month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2013.  With Opening Day right around the corner, I thought it would be interesting to take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2014 season.

Home Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 89
Aramis Ramierz 41
Carlos Quentin 28
Corey Patterson 26
Adam Dunn 26

Hits

Name Total
Paul Konerko 352
AJ Pierzynski 237
Continue reading →
by admin

Delaying The End Of An Era

r301593300The White Sox announced yesterday that Paul Konerko, the last remaining member of the 2005 World Series champions, will return to the south side for one final season in 2014.  The slugger, who struggled through an injury plagued 2013 as the White Sox fell to last place in the AL Central, will take on a reduced role with Adam Dunn still on the roster and newly signed Cuban import Jose Abreu expected to take over the reigns at first base for the foreseeable future.

The White Sox, under the leadership of Jerry Reinsdorf, have not always been so accommodating of their aging stars.  Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas, and Ozzie Guillen are just a few who left town angry after being set loose by the team.  Very few players get to leave the game on their own terms, but it seems that Paul Konerko may get just that chance.

Reaction to the signing has been mixed, to say the least.  A large contingent of fans have been happy to see one of the best players in White Sox history return for one last go around.  A smaller group disdains the fact that sentimentality seems to be taking the place of a sound baseball decision, even though the team is not expected to compete next season.  Breaking camp next spring with Konerko, Abreu, and Dunn will hamstring the roster somewhat, but thankfully rosters do not have to be set on December 5th.

Hopefully a healthy Konerko can bounce back and become a productive member of the White Sox next season.  The longtime captain, and his fans, deserve to see his career come to a satisfying conclusion.

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2013 Final Batting Leaders

Another season has come to a disappointing end with both Chicago teams bringing up the bottom of their division.  Let’s take a look back at the offensive leaders for the games I attended this year.

Home Runs

Name Total
Adam Dunn 7
Alex Rios 4
Oswaldo Arcia 2
Jeff Baker 2
Alexei Ramirez 2
Asdrubal Cabrera 2
Jordan Danks 2

Hits

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 32
Alejandro de Aza 31
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by admin

Adios Rios

alex-rios

The Alex Rios era came to an end today as the enigmatic right fielder was shipped to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later who may or may not be Leury Garcia.  Rios first joined the White Sox in August of 2009 in a waiver claim from the Blue Jays, in a move widely assumed to block the first place Tigers from acquiring him.

Rios spent the final 41 games of the 2009 season with the White Sox, finishing up with a disappointing .199 batting average and only 9 RBI as the team failed to repeat as champions of the AL Central and missed the playoffs.  He rebounded in 2010, hitting .284 and putting together the fourth 20/20 season in White Sox history.

2011, however, was a train wreck, as his average dropped back down to .227 with only 13 home runs and 44 RBIs.  The only person standing between Rios and the title of worst player in baseball for the season was Adam Dunn, who just so happened to be in the same lineup every night.

To his credit, Rios bounced back once again in 2012, hitting over .300 and becoming the first White Sox player to have 2 20/20 seasons.  It looked like 2013 would continue to be good for Rios, but, like the rest of the White Sox offense, he mostly disappeared starting in mid-May, keeping his average above .270 but losing his power and getting pulled out of a game late last month for dogging it.

For the White Sox, this move opens up more salary flexibility for next season and, more immediately, provides a slot for Avisail Garcia, acquired in the Jake Peavy trade, to join the big league club.

Rios’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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by admin

All Star Break Batting Leaders

As we close the books on the disappointing first half of the 2013 season, here are the offensive (and believe you me, it has been pretty offensive) leaders for the games I attended:

Home Runs

Name Total
Adam Dunn 4
Alex Rios 2
19 tied with 1
Hits

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 18
Alejandro de Aza 16
Conor Gillaspie 12
Dayan Viciedo 11
Alex Rios 10
Runs

Name Total
Alejandro de Aza 11
Adam Dunn 5
Continue reading →