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Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Cincinnati Enquirer: Dunn: Cunningham out of line

Reds outfielder Adam Dunn said Tuesday that recent remarks by WLW’s Bill Cunningham suggesting Dunn played while drunk crossed the line.

...“Adam Dunn looks like a monkey with a football in left field,” Cunningham said. “He has to have consequences for what he does. That is again a loafing ball player who … would have blew a .15 if someone gave (him) the intoxilizer last night. I say .15. The son of a gun is drunk. And he’s playing baseball in left field for the Redlegs.”

...Before Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets, Dunn said Cunningham’s comments were out of bounds.

“Isn’t there a line?” Dunn said. “I think that goes over the line. We might want to do something about that.”

Repoz Posted: September 05, 2007 at 12:51 AM | 53 comment(s) | Bookmark
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1. SantoFan Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:11 AM (#2512233)

Wow. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think Dunn wants out of Cincinatti?

2. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:15 AM (#2512240)

Eleventy?

3. Sean McNally Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:25 AM (#2512258)

Ladies and gents, your starting first baseman on the 2008 New York Yankees.

4. Squash Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:25 AM (#2512262)

Apparently it's still 1893 in Cunningham's head.

More to the point, it's crazy how lumbering, slugging outfielders generate so much hatred among the portions of the populace that fancy themselves to be the hard as nails type.

5. Random Transaction Generator Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:26 AM (#2512263)

The son of a gun is drunk. And he’s playing baseball in left field for the Redlegs.

Nothing that a good threat of a slander lawsuit wouldn't fix.

6. Sam M. Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:30 AM (#2512274)

Honestly, I hope these buffoons succeed in running him out of town, and I hope he stays in the National League, and he comes back to hit .557/.721/1.837 against the Reds for the rest of his career.

I don't think, however, that Krivsky is stupid enough not to pick up his eminently reasonable option for 2008. After that, though . . . .

7. salvomania Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:31 AM (#2512277)

He made an incredible diving catch against the Cardinals this weekend, and it wasn't necessitated by a poor jump or poor route---just a nice, hustling play, and he looked pretty good doing it. I doubt he makes that catch if he's over even a .08.

8. caspian88 Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:31 AM (#2512279)

"would have blew"

That's not the sort of grammar that would help his case...

9. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:33 AM (#2512281)

Let the record show that whatever I wrote about the lad I never suggested he took the field under the influence of anything other than too many Doritos and dip.

Goodness gracious. Have the radio folks in Cincy gone absolutely daft? I know Cunningham is a big hoo-ha there but this crazy talk..............

10. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:33 AM (#2512282)

I'm not sure #7 was a joke or not but that's just funny.

11. Richard Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:33 AM (#2512283)

The Reds broadcasters never tire of taking a pop at Dunn. They should spend more time on slagging off the bullpen, which is a much more deserving target...

12. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:38 AM (#2512309)

Dunn should take the high road here, and commend Cunningham for saying anything so audibly and clearly, with a choir boy's penis in his mouth.

13. Darren

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:54 AM (#2512334)

Wow. Just wow. Your home announcer, a homer by definition, paid by the club, accuses one of the players of being drunk on the field. Either they fire/suspend the announcer, or I'm going to assume that he speaks for the club.

Dunn shows amazing restraint in that quote. I would have been livid if I were him.

Ladies and gents, your starting first baseman on the 2008 New York Yankees.

I'm kind of worried that the new fiscally careful Yankees might not be able to afford him. Those money-spewing Red Sox will probably snap him up before the Yanks can add him to their collection of $20 mil firstbasemen.

14. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 01:57 AM (#2512338)

salvo:

I saw the highlight. Dunn really took the criticism of last year's difficulties to heart and rededicated himself to the game. He adjusted his approach to the plate in an attempt to drive in more runs. While he lost a few walks he hasn't suffered any loss in power. Meanwhile, he significantly improved his defense.

THIS was the Dunn I saw in 2003 and 2004. THIS is what the lad has been capable of doing ever since he stepped on a ballfield. He lost his way a bit by getting puffy, but the sour taste from last season's ugly finish (check out his August/September splits) certainly did SOMETHING to the man. And all for the better.

Everyone around here noticed in Spring Training. But nobody in Cincy will give him a break.

Shameful. Absolutely shameful. You deplore sloth when IN EVIDENCE. There is NO EVIDENCE.

15. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:00 AM (#2512341)

All:

As clarification Bill Cunningham is not an announcer for the Reds. He is a VERY popular radio personality of the flagship station of the Reds, WLW700.

If it matters Cunningham is a reactionary goof who utters crazy things every day. Others would brand him "conservative" but as a conservative I recoil at being lumped in with Cunningham.

16. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:18 AM (#2512358)

Dunn shows amazing restraint in that quote. I would have been livid if I were him.

Dunn's always turned a good quote. I'm surprised that he doesn't get more media love, frankly.

17. Darren

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:18 AM (#2512359)

Why did I think he was the team's announcer. If it's just some radio doofus then this is a non-story to me. Those guys spend the whole day saying stupid crap about people. I have to listen the guys on WFAN talk about how Maddux and Santana are inferior because they "take themselves out of games too much." This is no worse.

18. J. Michael Neal Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:20 AM (#2512361)

I trust Harvey's on these sorts of matters. I just find it funny that I've watched a grand total of one inning of Adam Dunn in the field this year, and he managed to brutally boot two balls in those ten minutes. Granted, he managed to misplay one of them into gunning a runner down at the plate, but it was quite a display of ineptitude.

19. greenback

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:28 AM (#2512372)

I'm not sure #7 was a joke or not but that's just funny.

Nah, the funny part is that took away a double from Mr. Hustle, David Eckstein.

20. Gaelan Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:10 AM (#2512417)

If it matters Cunningham is a reactionary goof who utters crazy things every day. Others would brand him "conservative" but as a conservative I recoil at being lumped in with Cunningham.

If all conservatives were like Harvey I'd think a lot differently about conservatism.

21. Esoteric Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:14 AM (#2512421)

If the Reds don't pick up Dunn's option my guess is he goes to the Washington Nationals, who have made it clear they're looking to spend some big bucks this offseason adding a power bat. And I for one would love to see him play with the Nats, as he would have the opportunity to return to GABP and brutalize the Reds for years to come. (An OF of Dunn/Pena/Kearns would have some serious pop and also fulfill Jim Bowden's Rambo-like fixation of bailing his favorite players out of the Viet Cong tiger-cage that is Cincinnati.)

22. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:32 AM (#2512432)

The difference is that Harvey actually is what he claims to be.

23. Rich Rifkin I Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:35 AM (#2512433)

I have to listen the guys on WFAN talk about how Maddux and Santana are inferior.

On Rikers Island, they play WFAN?

24. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:37 AM (#2512435)

If all conservatives were like Harvey I'd think a lot differently about conservatism.

Brewer fans?

25. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:43 AM (#2512439)

Conservative.

26. larkin4HoF Posted: September 05, 2007 at 06:41 AM (#2512497)

My favorite Bill cunningham moment, although i would bet they burned the tape-in 2004 (I think) during an interview with Jerry Springer, Cunningham went on a rant about after we had taken care of Iraq, we should go on to Syria and Iran and North Korea and a few other countries-I think one was France. When Springer, in the middle of the tirade, asked how many American soldiers would die in this plan, Cunningham paused long enough to say something along the lines of "no big deal" and then went on to scream for another minute about how great George Bush was.
I am definitly a liberal, but, Harvey, I have to say i appreciate what you said in #15.

27. Not The Real Fausto Carmona (Dan Lee) Posted: September 05, 2007 at 06:52 AM (#2512499)

“Bill Cunningham sounds like a monkey with a football in the studio,” Dunn said. “He has to have consequences for what he does. That is again a mediocre talk show host who … would have blew a .15 if someone gave (him) the intoxilizer last night. I say .15. The son of a gun is drunk. And he’s hosting radio shows for WLW.”

28. Walt Davis Posted: September 05, 2007 at 07:07 AM (#2512500)

Don't blame the drinking ... blame the greenie ban. :-)

I never suggested he took the field under the influence of anything other than too many Doritos and dip.

Still in all, I'm guessing Dunn knows the proper answer to "beer or tacos?" :-)

Anyway, I'm having deja vu. Didn't we have pretty much this exact same discussion about this exact same pair but the accusation was just sloth, not drinking, during the spring? Or was it some other radio loudmouth spewing about some other ballplayer.

29. Esoteric Posted: September 05, 2007 at 08:02 AM (#2512506)

WTF is an "intoxilizer," by the way?

30. Rafael Bellylard: Built like a Molina Posted: September 05, 2007 at 10:02 AM (#2512518)

I'm kind of worried that the new fiscally careful Yankees might not be able to afford him. Those money-spewing Red Sox will probably snap him up before the Yanks can add him to their collection of $20 mil firstbasemen.

I'd trade Youkilis for Dunn right now, which is probably heresy in Red Sox Nation. But then again:

CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
DH Ortiz
LF Ramirez
1B Dunn
3B Lowell
RF Drew
C Varitek
SS Lugo

I could live with the dead weight at the bottom of the lineup until some kids are ready for primetime.

PS, how many people knew Dunn is 6 months younger than Youkilis. I was surprised to see it.

31. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: September 05, 2007 at 11:24 AM (#2512550)

WTF is an "intoxilizer," by the way?

Something you drink while listening to a jazz saxomophonist.

32. Jimmy P Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:35 PM (#2512748)

PS, how many people knew Dunn is 6 months younger than Youkilis. I was surprised to see it.

Not really. Dunn was an absolute phenom when he was coming up. Just think, everyone envied Cincy when they had Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn coming up, and now they'll probably be rid of both of Kearns and Dunn before they hit their primes. That's some good managing going on there.

It'll be best for everyone when Dunn leaves this offseason. One way or another, I'm putting big money on him getting out of Cincy somehow. Then, they'll be rid of a good player to replace with a poor one, and he can go somewhere where 40 HR players are appreciated.

Also, the radio station or the team should do something to this host who is obviously trying to forward his career (could he be trying to get Dan Patricks job?). It's really poor that he insinuates someone doesn't take their job seriously and comes to work drunk. It doesn't have to be a huge punishment, but you can't be saying Dunn is drunk.

33. Chris in Wicker Park Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:45 PM (#2512760)

The Reds have a lot of problems, but Dunn is not one of them. Soon enough, Marty, Thom, et al will have to find a new horse to beat.

It is amazing how a) little they understand about how games are actually won and b) how to do their job. They work for the team, and they denigrate one of the team's most productive players. And with such fervor.

34. Los Angeles ALBERT F. PUJOLS of Anaheim

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:54 PM (#2512770)

Also, the radio station or the team should do something to this host who is obviously trying to forward his career (could he be trying to get Dan Patricks job?). It's really poor that he insinuates someone doesn't take their job seriously and comes to work drunk.

Being a prick is Cunningham's schtick, and it's (sadly) why people listen to his show. If you didn't let him be a complete a$$hole on the hair, he'd have nothing to say and no way to say it.

35. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 02:55 PM (#2512771)

Jimmy P:

Bill Cunningham is an institution in Cincinnati. He has been around for decades and attacks anyone and anything. He does an afternoon radio show on WLW700 where he rails about whatever is the topic of the moment be it a national topic or something local.

He considers himself a spokesman for the "everyman", the "average joe", the "working man".

It's a crock of bullsh*t but it gets ratings.

36. Kiko Sakata

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:05 PM (#2512795)

It is amazing how a) little they understand about how games are actually won and b) how to do their job. They work for the team, and they denigrate one of the team's most productive players.

37. Loren F.'s well-anchored glenoid Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:13 PM (#2512809)

38. robinred

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:28 PM (#2512847)

Dunn is an odd situation. In addition to the power numbers, he is a fairly funny guy who talks to the press.

As a guy who likes the Reds, I find the whole thing very frustrating. I too wish Dunn were a true superstar in the Pujols class, but he's not. Still, he helps the team and should be appreciated.

39. Red Menace Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:52 PM (#2512885)

Cunningham is basically Ed Anger with a microphone.

40. Benji Gil Gamesh is not being paid to be that guy Posted: September 05, 2007 at 03:57 PM (#2512889)

Even for baseball fans who don't understand the value of OBP, Dunn should be a slam-dunk this year as he's on pace for 40+ HR, 100+ Runs and 100+ RBI -- numbers that the mainstream media love. The fact that he's not more popular boggles the mind.

But he strikes out too much. Perhaps they're worried that somehow it all goes back to the width of his stance.

41. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 04:02 PM (#2512902)

While I have registered my disgust with Cunningham this IS a lesson in reaping what you sow. Adam was VERY determined in projecting a carefree, "I don't get care", blase attitude toward both the game AND what folks said about him. It was almost a holy mission with the lad in 2005 and 2006. He was flip when asked about his burgeoning waistline and mocked himself when asked about his defensive issues in the outfield.

He changed his approach this offseason. But alas, the local press and a good many fans are not as forgiving as I am.

It's not "fair". But it's also not surprising..........................

42. rfloh Posted: September 05, 2007 at 04:07 PM (#2512913)

#41

Well, it'll be not "fair" to the the Reds when Dunn is putting up a ~130 ops+, 40 HR season for another team, while maybe going to the playoffs.

43. Moses Taylor demands to be housewarmed Posted: September 05, 2007 at 04:47 PM (#2512977)

The last time the Reds were playing the Cubs, I was amazed at how much Bob Brenly just GUSHED about Adam Dunn. I always figured Brenly for one of those throwback love-the-hustle types. But man, he just went on and on about how Dunn was "country strong" and raving about his great eye and how his walks helped turn into runs. Now, in the game I was watching, in his first three plate appearances, Dunn walked twice and homered and scored all three times, so it didn't take any sort of keen insight to see his value, but it still struck me for some reason.

I'm surprised you were surprised. You must not be watching a lot of games with Brenly (IIRC, you're a Cubs fan). He's come across as a much smarter analyst than manager. I'm not sure if he was afraid to do things when he was managing, or if he's really learned a lot since he was canned. I think he's done an outstanding job, and really knows what he's talking about.

Everyone loves to rip on managers, and I know he didn't have the best world series, but I'm curious why he hasn't been talked about in a lot of the openings the past couple of years. I know he interviewed with the Cubs this offseason, so I don't think it's because he has no interest in managing again. Was he really that bad? There's plenty of other retreads, without rings, who've been recycled before.

44. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: September 05, 2007 at 04:54 PM (#2512988)

I honestly believe that working with Len Kasper has changed Brenly's perception on a number of baseball issues. I think Bob's editorializing is very, very different from what it was in the beginning.

He still believes that everything taking place on a baseball field is traceable to the catcher, however...

I'm curious why he hasn't been talked about in a lot of the openings the past couple of years

I thought he was considered a front runner for the Reds job?

45. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: September 05, 2007 at 05:31 PM (#2513052)

I thought he was considered a front runner for the Reds job?

That would explain a lot, wouldn't it?

46. Kiko Sakata

Posted: September 05, 2007 at 07:16 PM (#2513202)

You must not be watching a lot of games with Brenly (IIRC, you're a Cubs fan).

I actually don't watch that many games (you're right, though, I am a Cubs fan). I do like Len and Bob; I think I tend to think of Len as the "analytical one" and Brenly as the "ex-player". As Pops suggests, it's really obvious listening to him that Brenly's an ex-catcher.

You're right, this probably isn't fair to Brenly who really is a pretty good analyst. I guess I was just thinking of Dunn as a bit of a "whipping boy" so I was kind of surprised to see ANY analyst gush about him the way Brenly was.

47. NTNgod Posted: September 06, 2007 at 07:41 AM (#2513740)

WLW radio personality Bill Cunningham was in the Reds clubhouse Wednesday morning to apologize to Adam Dunn for saying on the air that Dunn was drunk at a .15 level when he missed third base during a game in Pittsburgh.

Dunn was lukewarm over the apology.

"I don't really care what anybody says about me, I really don't," said Dunn. "You can say I suck and I stink and I don't care. But when my mom calls crying and says to me, 'Tell the truth, were you drunk?' I mean, where is the line? Where do they cross the line?

"I asked him (Cunningham) if he ever said anything else on the air for which he needed to apologize and he said, 'Yes, but I've never come to a clubhouse to apologize in 24 years on the air.' So I asked him, 'Why now?' He didn't have an answer. My year wouldn't be complete without something like this happening."

Dayton Daily News (RR)

48. Richard Posted: September 06, 2007 at 07:58 AM (#2513742)

Dunn gave a similar quote recently wrt the Brennamans to the effect that he couldn't care less what they said about him, but it really upset his family and his Mother in particular, and that they were put off watching the games at all because of this abuse. It will be a miracle if Dunn stays a minute longer with the Reds than he has to.

49. Meatwad is on team keefe Posted: September 06, 2007 at 08:01 AM (#2513743)

id be willing to part with monroe, floyd and jones for dunn, hell throw in blanco just for fun

50. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: September 06, 2007 at 10:25 AM (#2513752)

NTN!

Welcome back!

51. larkin4HoF Posted: September 07, 2007 at 06:12 AM (#2514845)

52. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: September 07, 2007 at 06:14 AM (#2514846)

"I don't really care what anybody says about me, I really don't," said Dunn. "You can say I suck and I stink and I don't care. But when my mom calls crying and says to me, 'Tell the truth, were you drunk?' I mean, where is the line? Where do they cross the line?

This is pretty sad.

53. larkin4HoF Posted: September 07, 2007 at 06:15 AM (#2514847)

id be willing to part with monroe, floyd and jones for dunn, hell throw in blanco just for fun

We'll trade Dunn straight up for DLee

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