It probably didn’t escape too many people’s attention, but it bears repeating: Adam Dunn had a terrible year. … So the question is: Was Dunn’s miserable 2011 a fluke?
2011 was Dunn’s second straight year of declining production, and while the difference between 2009 and 2010 wasn’t nearly so drastic as the drop between 2010 and 2011, it does mean that 2011 isn’t isolated or counter to Dunn’s career arc. The difference between Dunn’s useful 2010 and his painful 2011 comes down to the contact he was making, which manifested itself in two major ways: his BABIP and his flyball rate. …
November 9, 2011
Fangraphs’ Dan Wade takes a look into Adam Dunn’s feature
September 27, 2011
Adam Dunn spared
Adam Dunn not in Sox lineup tomorrow. So he won't break MLB record for worst qualifying batting average.—
Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) September 28, 2011
September 21, 2011
Will Jerry Reinsdorf force Ozzie Guillen to stay?
Baseball insiders suggest White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf may “dig in his heels” and force Ozzie Guillen to stay after Guillen’s continuing public blathering about how it might be best for him to be fired and other such musings. But really, it might be best for all concerned to simply trade Guillen to the Marlins, as was briefly discussed a year ago. Those talks ended when the White Sox requested Logan Morrison. But as fortune would have it, Morrison is not exactly beloved these days by the Marlins. Morrison, who was already seen by Marlins management as a bit too opinionated, now has filed a grievance against the team for demoting him at a time he says he didn’t deserve it based on his play.
Again, is this just the Sox trying to gain more leverage?
Other White Sox links:
- J.J. looks at the results of Alexei Ramirez’ more patient approach.
- James looks at the disrespect shown to Omar Vizquel and at Ozzie Guillen’s latest whining. I’m so sick and tired of Ozzie’s whining. I so wish Kenny or Jerry answer like this: ‘Ozzie’s job status? He’s under contract with the Sox for 2012.’
- Fangraphs’ Carson Cistulli is puzzled by Brent Morel’s mini-breakout and Fangraphs’ Brandon Wane says Adam Dunn is a candidate for a comeback performance next year.
September 18, 2011
September sweeps
September swoons have become an Ozzie trademark
…Here are the dirty details:
• 2004 – White Sox go 17-12 in September, swept by Minnesota Twins.
• 2005 – White Sox go 17-12, swept by Los Angeles Angels and see lead shrink to 1 1/2 games before running off five wins to end the season and 16 of 17 to end the season as World Series champs.
• 2006 – White Sox go 12-16, including a sweep by the Oakland A’s.
• 2007 – White Sox go 15-12 and avoid a sweep but finish at 72-90 and in fourth place.
• 2008 – White Sox go 12-15 in September in what becomes a war of attrition with the fading Twins. The White Sox won three straight games to end the season as Central champs, but lost five straight, including being swept out of first place on September 25 by the Twins to create such dire straits.
• 2009 – White Sox go 13-14 and are swept by the Twins.
• 2010 – White Sox go 14-13 and are swept by the Twins and Tigers, essentially eliminating them from the division race.
• 2011 – White Sox are 5-12 and will have to go 10-1 in the home stretch to finish better than .500 for the month. Two sweeps by Detroit nailed the coffin shut on the 2011 season.
Seems like September is sweeps month in the south side…
Other White Sox links:
- James looks at Adam Dunn’s future. Speaking of Adam Dunn, he hit his 1st eXtra Base Hit of a leftie for the 2011 season today, September 18.
- Besides the linked above report card, Brett Ballantini posted his latest Sox player value calculations. “Through 150 games, Dunn and Rios have cost the team $39.8 million” says Brett.
- Gordon Beckham on his missing offensive potential: ” I really believe that it’s in there and it’s waiting to come out.”
- Shane Lindsay has a tough off-season ahead of him. Help the guy out Jerry!
September 10, 2011
Why is Adam batting in the 9th inning of a tied game against a leftie?
There is a runner on 2nd base (and one at 1st). A base hit can win the game. Ozzie is wasting outs…
UPDATE: Oh, look at that:
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | W | L | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | Awards | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 27 | CLE | AL | 6 | 2 | .750 | 2.62 | 64 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58.1 | 38 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 22 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 230 | 151 | 1.029 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 7.7 | 2.27 |
What the hell was Dunn doing in there against this guy?
UPDATE #2: More wasted outs; bunting…
UPDATE #3: Alex Rios walk-off slam!
Video: http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19062033&c_id=cws
September 8, 2011
The White Sox pop up problems and Adam Dunn’s rebound
They’re a free-swinging team, if you will. And just like with individual hitters, any team that’s basically banking on contact skills to thrive is going to be subject to the whims of BABIP. There’s really only one way for an offense like Chicago’s to work- with a high BABIP- but frequently popping the ball up basically ensures that won’t happen.
In the end, what you’re left with is an offense that doesn’t challenge the defense nearly enough given that it’s so dependent on putting the ball in play. How could a baseball team possibly put together a worse combination of skill sets? They put the ball into play more than essentially anyone, but so much of that contact is of the weak variety that their BABIP is lower than everyone’s but the Giants. This is like deciding that you’re going to swing for the fences on every pitch when your middle-of-the-order hitters are Darwin Barney, Juan Pierre and Ryan Theriot. …
And Fangraphs’ Bradley Woodburn looks at what rebound we can expect from Adam Dunn:
Here’s the good news: Dunn should hit better.
And the bad: If and when his luck does start swinging around, he needs to change his approach or else he’s still going to be a black hole at DH. …
September 4, 2011
Adam Dunn, pitcher?
ESPN’s Pedro Gomez reported the White Sox considered using Adam Dunn to pitch in the ninth inning, but manager Ozzie Guillen nixed that idea.
Couldn’t make things any worse…
Other White Sox links:
August 30, 2011
In which Ozzie Guillen wants a contract extension but is reluctant to ask for it
Scott Merkin has Ozzie Guillen’s comments:
“One thing I want to make clear, I don’t think I’m going to be back here for a one-year contract, and I don’t know what to do next year,” said Guillen during Tuesday’s pregame media session. “Eight years with this organization, I’m guessing I do a pretty good job. No, not me, I think the players did it for me, and I think we deserve more than that. But I will have another contract somewhere, doing something in baseball.
“If [White Sox chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] wants me back, I’m more than happy to be back. If he’s not, nothing’s going to change. Obviously, I’m going to be sad, because I’d leave the town and the team I love.”
What does Kenny Williams have to say?
“Winning takes care of a lot of things. I might even get an extension if we win,” said Williams. “I have no desire to enter into discussions about these types of things and make anything definitive, because it takes away from what’s happening on the field. If I’m asked that question one more time, I’m going to throw up.
“I’ve got to sit down with Jerry at the end of the season. At this point in time, we’re an underachieving club. So that means players, coaches, the manager and myself, we’re all under review. This is professional sports.
“Am I telling anybody anything you don’t know? But I’ve also said from the very beginning that all I want is the focus to be on the field and I would hope whenever the door is shown to us, maybe we walk out that door together. Everyone has an expiration date.”
So, will you ask the Sox for an extension Ozzie?
The 47-year-old former White Sox player said he has not had discussions on the matter with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, and said that he isn’t prepared to knock on his door and discuss things in the next few days.”
After all this bad year, the last thing (Reinsdorf) wants to do is to talk to his manager about a new contract,” Guillen said. “I would be embarrassed to talk to him. I’d say, ‘Hey, I want a contract.’ The first think he can say is, ‘You want a new contract? Look at where you are right now.’ I don’t want to take that chance yet.”
Ideally, Guillen would like the matter resolved before he leaves on a vacation to Spain. He is scheduled to leave two days after the White Sox’s seasons ends, whether the year concludes Sept. 28, or the team makes the postseason.
This thing with Ozzie is getting tiresome. Shut up and try to win a freaking game Ozzie.
Brett Ballantini has a good post up on the whole situation:
“There is a sad, sad story unfolding on the South Side, one that, barring a strong September and a stirring run into the postseason, will change the Chicago White Sox as we’ve known them for the last eight seasons.” …
Other White Sox links:
- Mike says the Sox should hire Jim Hendry as an assistant GM or as an adviser to the GM, especially if Rick Hahn becomes the Sox GM. Speaking of Hahn, Bruce Levine reports that according to industry sources, Hahn is the highest paid assistant GM in baseball.
- James explains how the Charlotte Knights changed yesterday’s Sox-Twinkies game and for the better and that Ozzie Guillen waited too much to take playing time away from Adam Dunn.
- Speaking of Adam Dunn, Fangraph’s Dave Cameron wonders if Dunn’s season is the worst for a good player ever, THT’s Brad Johnson compares Dunn’s nosedive to that of Andruw Jones and David Pinto points out that “the probability of [a] .244 hitter collecting no more than 60 hits is .0001″ and this may point to a change in Dunn’s talent level. .244 is Dunn’s career batting average and 60 is the number of hits Dunn currently has.
August 28, 2011
The kids can play!
Viciedo’s 3-run homer gives the Sox a 3-0 lead:
And Flowers’ grand slam makes it 7-0:
Other White Sox links:
- James looks at Dayan Viciedo’s promotion and the Sox unwillingness to consider it earlier in the year. J.J.says Viciedo faces a lot of pressure.
- Mike says he never thought he would see the day where Brent Lillibridge has more homers than Adam Dunn.
- colin takes a look at Ubaldo Jimenez.
- Some Sox players went fishing to Seattle’s Puget Sound.
August 21, 2011
How did Jim Thome unlock his power potential
When Jim Thome and Ryan Howard come to the plate, they dig their spikes into the left-hander’s batter’s box, keeping the left foot closer to the plate than the right foot. They extend their right arm, pointing the bat menacingly to some distant spot beyond the center-field wall, like a samurai offering his sword to the pitcher.
Thome, who belted his 600th career homer last week, and Howard, who had 279 entering Friday, both learned from a master.
“Charlie told me about it when I was in Double-A,” Howard said last week, referring to Philadelphia Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel. “He told me to do that to make sure that both eyes were on the pitcher — and to set open, so that when I came back and brought my bat back, my eyes are still on the pitcher.”
The emergence of Howard forced Thome out of Philadelphia in 2005, after three just seasons. But Thome, who now plays for the Minnesota Twins, is still warmly regarded in Philadelphia, where a video tribute to him played before a game last week. He still reveres Manuel, who helped unlock his power as a Cleveland Indians farmhand in the early 1990s. …
Hey, maybe Greg Walker can learn something…
August 16, 2011
A.J. Pierzynski down; Donny Lucy up [UPDATE]
The White Sox placed catcher A.J. Pierzynski on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a fractured left wrist and purchased the contract of catcher Donny Lucy from Triple-A Charlotte.
This marked Pierzynski’s first career trip to the disabled list. The 34-year-old catcher, whose placement on the DL was retroactive to Saturday, suffered the injury Friday against Kansas City, when he was hit by a Bruce Chen pitch in the third inning.
The legend of Cy Chen grows…
UPDATE: Herm Schneider says Pierzynski could return on August 29 because the fracture is more of a “compression” fracture.
Other White Sox links:
August 5, 2011
A.J. Pierzynski and Gordon Beckham think the booing of Adam Dunn isn’t helping
“I love Adam Dunn, on and off the field,” Pierzynski said. “Everyone’s been there. If you’ve ever played this game, you’ve struggled. This is not an easy game to play. It’s not something that you can go out there and say this or that and it works. It’s not football where you can get yelled and screamed it and it makes you play better. There’s only so much you can do. You’ve got to put the work in. He’s done that. He’s put the time in and he’s trying to make adjustments.”
Until those adjustments pay off in consistent offense, the boos will continue to cascade down upon Dunn’s broad shoulders at U.S. Cellular Field. Opposing pitchers will continue to target Dunn in potential game-changing situations, and the baseball nightmare will continue to be reality for the affable slugger. …
“It’s not easy when people don’t seem like they are behind you, and I know it’s tough on him,” Beckham said. “Obviously he wants to do well, we want him to do well. I definitely wouldn’t be taking it like he’s been able to. He’s been upbeat the whole time but it still hasn’t come for him. There’s still time and I believe there’s still time. If he can just get going for us in any capacity, we have a good chance to win.”
Other White Sox links:
- James wonders what does it take to get into Ozzie Guillen’s doghouse, and observes how pathetic the Sox offense is without Paul Konerko.
- Mike says Kenny Williams now wishes he had been a seller before the trading deadline passed. The Sox haven’t won a game after Kenny said ‘I won’t sell’ on Saturday.
- J.J. says Brent Morel hasn’t been given a propder chance to develop due to the Sox offensive struggles.
- At Fangraphs Joe Pawlikowski looked at the Sox Adam Dunn/Alex Rios problem and Marc Hulet reviewed the 2011 Sox Top 10 prospect list.
- Ozzie Guillen spoke about his future with the Sox and other things in an interview with Graham Bensinger (full interview).
Stephen Colbert wants Adam Dunn and Craig Counsell to be tested for performance diminishing drugs
At least Counsell turns 41 in 2 weeks.
August 2, 2011
Ozzie Guillen talks about Adam Dunn troubles
“I don’t care how tough you are that has to bother him,” Guillen said. “If that doesn’t bother you that means you don’t care about the game. But he hasn’t changed since we got him. He’s the same guy. Maybe when he goes home he starts crying, but when he’s around us he’s very god. He’s stayed the same way.
“Obviously he gets upset around here but I don’t see any change. He’s the same guy since spring training. I don’t see any change with the character and I don’t see any change with the swing. He’s struggled since spring training. Hopefully he gets a couple of hits here and there and helps us to win a couple of games.”
July 28, 2011
Sox make Adam Dunn available? Think about trading Carlos Quentin,?
Despite reports Wednesday that the Phillies are turning their attention to Carlos Quentin in the wake of their lack of progress on the Hunter Pence front, an NL executive who had spoken with both teams said: “I can’t see that working.” Nevertheless, there has been increasing evidence the White Sox are talking to several teams about Quentin, one of which is believed to be Atlanta. “They would move him,” said an executive of one team that has been in touch with the White Sox. “I wouldn’t say they’re bound and determined to move him. But would they? Absolutely.” Another name we were told the White Sox have dangled, just to see what happened: Adam Dunn.
