Adam Dunn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adam Dunn |
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Dunn with the Washington Nationals in 2009
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| Left fielder / First baseman | |||
| Born: November 9, 1979 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 20, 2001, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2014, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .237 | ||
| Home runs | 462 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,168 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Adam Troy Dunn (born November 9, 1979), known as "Big Donkey", is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder and first baseman. Dunn spent 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. He was chosen for the MLB All-Star team twice.
Adam Dunn was famous for hitting very powerful home runs. He also struck out a lot. He hit 38 or more home runs for seven years in a row. This ties him with Babe Ruth for the second-longest streak ever. In 2004, he hit one of the longest home runs in MLB history. It flew 535 feet and landed in a different state! However, he also has one of the highest numbers of strikeouts in MLB history. He holds the American League record for most strikeouts in one season, with 222 in 2012.
Dunn's playing style was unique. He often got a walk, a strikeout, or a home run. These three things happened in almost half of his turns at bat. This showed that a player could be very helpful to their team even with a low batting average. Today, many see him as one of the best hitters of his time. However, his defense was not his strongest skill. Baseball experts called Dunn "the most unique baseball player who ever lived."
Contents
Adam Dunn's Early Life and Sports
Adam Dunn was a talented athlete at New Caney High School in Texas. He played both baseball and football. Even though he was naturally right-handed, his father taught him to bat left-handed. This helped him hit with more power. Growing up, he was a fan of the Houston Astros. After high school, the Cincinnati Reds picked him in the 1998 MLB draft.
In 2015, New Caney High School honored Dunn by retiring his football and baseball numbers. They also named their baseball field after him.
Football Star in High School
Dunn was a great quarterback in high school football. He led his team to a district championship in his senior year. Big colleges like Notre Dame and Texas A&M wanted him. He decided to play for the Texas Longhorns football team. The Cincinnati Reds agreed to let him play college football during the off-season.
However, Dunn never played in a college football game. He spent his first year learning the team's plays. He was a backup quarterback. When the team asked him to switch to tight end, he decided to focus only on baseball. He said it was a very hard choice to make.
Minor League Baseball Journey
Dunn played four seasons in the minor leagues. He had good on-base percentages, showing he was good at getting on base.
The Reds wanted to bring Dunn straight to the major leagues in 1999. But Dunn said no. He wanted to work on his hitting first. During spring training, a teammate gave him the nickname "Big Donkey."
By 2001, many baseball experts thought Dunn was a top minor league player. He played very well in Double-A and Triple-A. He hit many home runs and got many walks. He even hit a 400-foot home run in the All-Star Futures Game. By July, he was ready for the major leagues.
Adam Dunn's Professional Baseball Career
Cincinnati Reds Years
The Reds called up Dunn to the major leagues on July 20, 2001. He quickly set a National League rookie record. He hit 12 home runs in August. This record stood for 16 years. In his first year, Dunn played 66 games. He hit .262 with 19 home runs and 43 RBIs.
In 2002, Dunn hit 26 home runs and had 76 RBIs. He also got a career-high 128 walks. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team. In that game, he almost hit a game-winning home run.
Dunn's 2003 season was not as strong. He hit .215 with 27 home runs. He also made many errors in the outfield. He hurt his thumb in August and missed the rest of the season.
His best season was 2004. He had career highs in batting average (.266), home runs (46), and runs (105). On September 30, 2004, Dunn set a new record for strikeouts in a season, with 195. He held this record until 2007. On August 10, 2004, Dunn hit the longest home run ever at Great American Ball Park. It flew 535 feet and landed in a different state! This is still one of the longest home runs in MLB history.
In 2004, Dunn became one of the few Reds players to score 100 runs, drive in 100 runs, and get 100 walks in one season.
In 2005, Dunn hit 40 home runs again. This made him the fourth player in Reds history to hit 40 home runs in multiple seasons. He also led the league in strikeouts again.
Before the 2006 season, Dunn signed a new contract with the Reds. He hit 40 home runs again, but his batting average dropped. He also led all major league outfielders in errors. On June 30, 2006, Dunn hit a game-winning grand slam. This helped the Reds win a game after being down by 9 runs.
In 2007, Dunn played well again. He hit .264 with 40 home runs and over 100 RBIs. He became the only Reds player to hit 40 home runs for four years in a row. In 2007, the Reds picked up his contract option, making him the highest-paid player on the team.
In his 8 seasons with Cincinnati, Dunn hit 270 home runs. He also had 646 RBIs and 755 walks. In 2018, he was added to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On August 11, 2008, Dunn was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played the rest of the 2008 season with them. In Arizona, he hit .243 with 8 home runs. He also got 42 walks and 44 strikeouts. Overall in 2008, between both teams, Dunn hit exactly 40 home runs and had 100 RBIs.
Washington Nationals
In 2009, Dunn signed a two-year deal with the Washington Nationals. In his first game as a National, he hit a home run and had four RBIs. On July 4, 2009, he hit his 300th career home run. During 2009, Dunn started playing more at first base. That year, he hit .267 with 38 home runs and 105 RBIs.
On July 7, 2010, Dunn hit three home runs in one game for the first time in his career. The Nationals won the game 7–6. For the 2010 season, Dunn hit .260 with 38 home runs and 103 RBIs.
Chicago White Sox
On December 2, 2010, Dunn signed a four-year deal with the Chicago White Sox. In April 2011, he had an appendectomy and missed five games. After returning, Dunn had a very tough season. He ended the year with a .159 batting average. He hit only 11 home runs and had 42 RBIs. This was the worst season of his career. His 177 strikeouts set a new White Sox team record.
Dunn was very frustrated by his 2011 season. He promised to train harder so it would not happen again. By May 2012, Dunn had already hit more home runs than he did in all of 2011. He was leading the American League in walks.
In 2012, Dunn struck out in 36 games in a row. This was a record for a position player until 2017. On July 1, Dunn was chosen for the All-Star Game again. This was his second All-Star selection. On August 18, Dunn hit his 400th career home run. He became the 50th MLB player to reach this milestone. Dunn finished the 2012 season with 41 home runs and 96 RBIs. He also led the majors with 105 walks and 222 strikeouts. His 222 strikeouts set a new American League record.
On August 5, 2014, Dunn even pitched in a game for the first time! He threw the last inning during a game the White Sox were losing badly.
Oakland Athletics and Retirement
The White Sox traded Dunn to the Oakland Athletics on August 31, 2014. Hours after the trade, Dunn said he would "probably" retire after the season. On September 1, Dunn hit a two-run home run in his first turn at bat with Oakland. He was the 12th player in Athletics history to hit a home run in his first at-bat.
Dunn played 25 games with Oakland. He hit .212 with two home runs. Dunn played in 2,001 games in his career. This was the longest for any active player at the time without making the postseason. On the last day of the season, the Athletics made it to the playoffs! This meant Dunn was on a postseason team for the first time. However, he did not play in the game, and the Athletics lost. Dunn confirmed his retirement after the game.
International Baseball
On March 1, 2009, Dunn joined the United States team for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In a game against Canada, he hit a two-run home run. He also scored a run against Venezuela and hit a solo home run.
After Playing Baseball
Dunn was on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame vote in 2020. He was not chosen in his first year. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2018.
Dunn also helps manage Marucci Elite Texas. This is a traveling club baseball team that plays in national competitions.
Adam Dunn's Player Style
Hitting Skills
Adam Dunn was a very effective hitter. He had amazing power and was good at waiting for the right pitch. He often hit the ball very far. As of November 2024, his rate of getting walks is one of the highest ever. His ratio of at bats per home run is also very high. This means he hit home runs often for the number of times he batted. Dunn also holds the record for most Opening Day home runs, tied with Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr..
However, Dunn's patience at the plate also led to many strikeouts. He said he would wait for the perfect pitch, and sometimes he would strike out without swinging. He was known for seeing many pitches in each turn at bat. As of November 2024, he is third on the all-time strikeout list. His 222 strikeouts in 2012 are the second-highest in a single season in MLB history.
Dunn was a "Three True Outcomes" hitter. This means he often got a walk, a strikeout, or a home run. These three things happened in almost half of his turns at bat. When he retired, this was the highest rate in baseball history for players with many turns at bat. Major League Baseball's official definition of "Three True Outcomes" mentions Dunn as a famous example.
Dunn's unique style helped change how baseball was understood. It showed that walks and home runs were very valuable, even if a player struck out a lot. This was part of the "Moneyball" way of thinking about baseball.
Baseball expert Jayson Stark called Dunn "the most unique baseball player who ever lived." He pointed out some interesting facts about Dunn:
- Dunn hit 40 home runs for five seasons in a row. This was the fourth-longest streak in MLB history.
- He hit 38 home runs for seven seasons in a row. This was the second-longest streak, tied with Babe Ruth.
- Dunn had many more seasons with 160+ strikeouts than any other player.
- He also held the record for the most games with multiple strikeouts or three or more strikeouts.
One interesting fact is that while Dunn usually struggled against left-handed pitchers, he hit very well against famous pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
Some people criticized Dunn for not hitting well when there were runners in scoring position. Dunn himself said that when he was in a slump, he was "the worst player in the league."
Fielding Skills
While Dunn was a great hitter, his defense was not his strength. He often let opposing batters get hits or extra bases. Baseball statistics show that his defense cost his team many runs. When Dunn retired in 2014, one baseball website said he had cost his team more wins on defense than almost any other player since 1901.
In 2009, his defense was rated as one of the worst single seasons in baseball history.
Because of Dunn's very strong hitting and very weak defense, he became a symbol for how baseball analysis was changing. At the time, it was hard to measure defense accurately. Some general managers might have undervalued defense. If modern statistics were common when Dunn started, he might have played mostly as a designated hitter. This would have kept him from playing defense.
During his time with the Cincinnati Reds, some people questioned his effort on defense. However, Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo defended Dunn. He said Dunn was "the most misunderstood player" and that he played hard even when he was hurt.
Position Changes
In 2005, the Reds thought about moving Dunn to first base. But they got another first baseman, Scott Hatteberg, and kept Dunn in the outfield. Dunn had said he would rather not play first base.
Later, when Nick Johnson was traded, Dunn became the Washington Nationals' everyday first baseman.
When Dunn played for the Chicago White Sox, he mostly played as a designated hitter. He would sometimes fill in at first base for Paul Konerko.
Personal Life
Adam Dunn is married and has four children. His family lives in Houston, Texas.
Dunn appeared in the 2013 movie Dallas Buyers Club as a bartender. He also invested money in the film.
See also
In Spanish: Adam Dunn para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in bases on balls
Images for kids
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Dunn during spring training in 2011
