A-Rod, Dunn Fan their way past 2000Ks, & The Big Cat Into Career Top 5 in Ks

[philliesfiend55]

Alex Rodriguez (NYY) and Adam Dunn (CWS) have both recently eclipsed the 2000 career Strikeouts Mark and they each moved past Andres "The Big Cat" Galarraga into the Top Five All-Time in Strikeouts.

Players With 2000 Career Strikeouts (6). In parenthesis their career home run totals.

1. Reggie Jackson 2597 (567 HR)
2. Jim Thome 2534* (612 HR)
3. Sammy Sosa 2306 (609 HR)
4. Alex Rodriguez 2014* (647 HR)
5. Adam Dunn 2004* (404 HR)
6. Andres Galarraga 2003 (399 HR)

* Active

With 3 of the 6 players who have at least 2,000 strikeouts being active it seems to point towards looser standards in today's game regarding how many strikeouts will be tolerated before the hitter is considered ineffective. Power hitters always will be given more leeway in this regard.

[SamtheBravesFan]

With 3 of the 6 players who have at least 2,000 strikeouts being active it seems to point towards looser standards in today's game regarding how many strikeouts will be tolerated before the hitter is considered ineffective. Power hitters always will be given more leeway in this regard.

That's just fine with me. It's good to be a well-rounded player, but I like players trying to focus on their strengths, because if they do something otherwise, it usually ends in disaster, like power hitters trying to bunt, or speedsters swinging for the fences.

If Dunn worked on making contact more instead of waiting for his pitch, for instance, he might actually get worse than he is now. He would have to spend a good amount of time adjusting his approach to the game, which would mean less home runs.

[John Shoemaker]

I'll take those 6 players on my team anytime

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I've said this before and I'll say it again. The 200 strikeout power hitter will become common and almost no one will care.

[philliesfiend55]

If Dunn worked on making contact more instead of waiting for his pitch, for instance, he might actually get worse than he is now. He would have to spend a good amount of time adjusting his approach to the game, which would mean less home runs.

Dunn had an oblique injury in early September and the CWS considered putting him on the Disabled List, but let him ride out the injury on a day-to-day status. Oddly enough, when he returned to the lineup after about 10 days off, he's made better contact, been more selective at the plate, and drawn three walks in the last two games, he's hit about .500, had one home run, and struck out only once. Is this the new Adam Dunn?

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I always wonder if big strong guys like Dunn would be a better all around hitter if they didn't try to hit every pitch out of sight, good number of home runs and more contact. What I mean is a big strong guy could probably hit a good number out even if not swinging from the heels.
Now................that I've said that, I could be wrong, maybe he's not trying to put every pitched ball into orbit.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I always wonder if big strong guys like Dunn would be a better all around hitter if they didn't try to hit every pitch out of sight, good number of home runs and more contact. What I mean is a big strong guy could probably hit a good number out even if not swinging from the heels.
Now................that I've said that, I could be wrong, maybe he's not trying to put every pitched ball into orbit.

Adam Dunn is a mystery to me. He was an excellent all around hitter in the minors. I know many will find this hard to believe but Dunn was considered a 5-tool player in the minors. He stolen bases in the minors. In AA-AAA combined he hit .334/.444/.667. Here's a Retro scouting report on Adam Dunn from 2007.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2007/4/9/15259/89742

Since then, Dunn has been productive but at times frustrating for the Reds and their fans. He's lost his ability to steal bases he showed in the minors. His strikeout rate is very high, but so is his walk rate. His batting average is a career just .245, although his high walk rate keeps his OBP strong. And he's hit 40 or more homers three seasons in a row.

In the minors, he was more of a complete player than he's been in the majors, as he's emphasized power development at the expense of other factors. It will be interesting to see how well he ages, and if he's able to take his home run production to the 50-homer level.

Comparable players include Willie McCovey and Harmon Killebrew on the Hall of Fame track, Boog Powell and Bob Allison on the very good track, and Jim Gentile on the good-but-early-fadeout track.

Hare's a 2002 Baseball America article about the hype that Dunn was getting as he transitioned to the majors.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/onlin.../dunn0207.html


Back then he looked like a bigger, more athletic Jim Thome. Yet Thome had solid contact skills in his prime hitting as high as .304. Dunn has never come close to hitting .300. Despite the return of his HR power his contact skills have clearly declined. From 2001-07 Dunn hit .248. From 2008-12 he's only hitting .231 and dropping.

[drstrangelove]

With 3 of the 6 players who have at least 2,000 strikeouts being active it seems to point towards looser standards in today's game regarding how many strikeouts will be tolerated before the hitter is considered ineffective. Power hitters always will be given more leeway in this regard.

I've never heard of this standard. I thought that players who strike out 30 times a season while batting .210 are considered worse than the ones that strike out 100 times and bat .280, even if they both hit 15 homers a year.

Let's see, assume all singles, so homers aren't involved:

600 at bats: 126 hits, 30 strikeouts, 444 other outs

600 at bats: 168 hits, 100 strikeouts, 332 other outs

So 42 hits/70 strikeouts versus 112 groundouts / flyouts / popouts.

I'm prettty sure that the .210 hitter is not as good.

[sturg1dj]

I always wonder if big strong guys like Dunn would be a better all around hitter if they didn't try to hit every pitch out of sight, good number of home runs and more contact. What I mean is a big strong guy could probably hit a good number out even if not swinging from the heels.
Now................that I've said that, I could be wrong, maybe he's not trying to put every pitched ball into orbit.

well, right now Prince Fielder is still swinging out of his shoes and he is hitting .300 and leading the AL in OBP.

He only has like 27 HR's though.

[sturg1dj]

i think what nobody likes to admit is that Adam Dunn is just not a good hitter. He hits a ton of HR's and has a great eye which translates well to overall production. He focuses on what he is good at and is great at it.

That being said, I would take him over replacement level, sure. But I would always look for a better option. I just may not find one available.

[dominik]

i think what nobody likes to admit is that Adam Dunn is just not a good hitter. He hits a ton of HR's and has a great eye which translates well to overall production. He focuses on what he is good at and is great at it.

That being said, I would take him over replacement level, sure. But I would always look for a better option. I just may not find one available.

yes. he has very good power but he is just not very good at making solid contact. if he tried to increase contact he would probably make easy IF outs. this is the only way to stay productive.

I think dunn knows that himself. there was a story about a guy telling him after the terrible last season "don't try to be a good hitter because you are not"

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

he knows that he has no speed, no glove and no contact ability. his value comes from driving guys in and getting on base.

[west coast orange and black]

^
"he knows that he has no speed, no glove and no contact ability. his value comes from driving guys in and getting on base."

but not ever for the giants, 'cause there are some parks that lefties wanna steer clear of... like mays field.