BBTF.org/m/strikeouts : Dunn Closing in on Single-Season Strikeout Record

Friday, March 29, 2013

NY Times: “Contact Hitter’s Contract Is Finally a Home Run”

(www.nytimes.com)

posted on March 29, 2013 at 05:23 PM by bobm to jeff keppinger, strikeouts, white sox | 6 comment(s)

“When I was a little kid, I would cry when I would strike out,” [Jeff] Keppinger said after another whiffless day at the Chicago White Sox training camp this month. “I thought everybody was looking at me like I did something horrible or I stunk really bad because I had to walk back to the dugout. I felt everyone was laughing at me in the stands.”

Keppinger, like Albert Pujols and Dustin Pedroia, is one of the select few major leaguers with more extra-base hits and walks than strikeouts in his ...

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1. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:20 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

And now 220.

2. Dan The Mediocre posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:29 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The question is whether or not Dunn will last long enough to set the career mark. I suspect no. I'm not sure he'll get the 3 full seasons of PA that he'd need to pass Reggie or Thome (assuming Thome gets at least 150 more PA in his career). But it will be interesting to see.

3. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:35 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Dunno. If he can keep hitting close to 40 bombs and takes 80+ walks, maybe.

4. Russlan is fond of Dillon Gee posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:43 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Is this the worst season with 40+ homers and 100+ walks? Leaving the baserunning and defense aside, his OPS+ isn't that great at 113. And he's a slow DH. I can't imagine there'd be a worse season with that many homers and that many walks.

5. Bill Liming posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:55 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Dunn has the three worst 40HR/100BB seasons by OPS+, 113, 114, and 131, with a Jay Buhner 132 coming in fourth.

He's also got 5 of the 6 worst by WAR, with this one 3rd at 1. The worst was a .1. There's a Killebrew season at 5th with a 2.6.

6. Dan The Mediocre posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:56 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Is this the worst season with 40+ homers and 100+ walks? Leaving the baserunning and defense aside, his OPS+ isn't that great at 113. And he's a slow DH. I can't imagine there'd be a worse season with that many homers and that many walks.

You really should check out Adam Dunn from 2005 to 2008.

7. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises posted on October 01, 2012 at 09:58 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

It's a shame that Dunn got to 41 HR this year, instead of ending stuck on 40 again. He's like Aaron with his 44 HR seasons.

8. Yastrzemski in left. posted on October 01, 2012 at 10:02 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

He'll get there and he'll be proud of his season.

9. Misirlou is bad, he's nationwide posted on October 01, 2012 at 10:05 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

He is what he is. He's an upper middle class man's Dave Kingman.

10. charityslave is thinking about baseball posted on October 01, 2012 at 10:05 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

5 back, huh? What's that, like 2 at bats for him?

11. The importance of being Ernest Riles posted on October 01, 2012 at 11:58 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Andruw's 50 HR season was pretty bad (for a fifty homer season). 136 ops+

12. Russlan is fond of Dillon Gee posted on October 02, 2012 at 12:37 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I know that you mean his hitting was bad for a guy who hit 50 bombs but Andruw added a ton of value defensively. Dunn's season is bad enough that the White Sox are getting average production from the DH spot. Andruw's 2005 made him a legitimate MVP candidate.

13. The importance of being Ernest Riles posted on October 02, 2012 at 12:40 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Russlan: totally agree. Andruw did lots of stuff right, Dunn is pretty one dimensional.

14. Harveys Wallbangers

posted on October 02, 2012 at 06:46 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

i have come to appreciate dunn's whimsy as a person

i don't think much of adam dunn as a ballplayer

15. depletion posted on October 02, 2012 at 06:47 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I'm not familiar with the Sox manager, but I bet he sits Dunn rather than let him achieve a negative record. The Sox are out of the playoffs now so there is no compelling reason to play him.

16. Harveys Wallbangers

posted on October 02, 2012 at 06:56 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

robin ventura will likely have dunn make the call, and i don't think dunn will sit to avoid the record

17. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises posted on October 02, 2012 at 07:18 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I hope you're right Harveys. I don't "want" him to set the record, but I don't want him to go all Jose Hernandez to avoid it either.

Edit: I did not realize that Granderson was up over 190 this year. Bobby Bonds' old record is now 14th alltime.

18. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on October 02, 2012 at 07:27 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I'm not familiar with the Sox manager, but I bet he sits Dunn rather than let him achieve a negative record. The Sox are out of the playoffs now so there is no compelling reason to play him.

I think Adam Dunn and this record go together like cheese and crackers. I would be very disappointed if he doesn't achieve it.

19. RMc and His Roster of Rubbish posted on October 02, 2012 at 08:25 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Is this the worst season with 40+ homers and 100+ walks?

(to the Dragnet theme:)

Dunn, Dunn-Dunn-Dunn!
Dunn, Dunn-Dunn-Dunn, DUNN...!!

20. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) posted on October 02, 2012 at 11:13 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

two of the worst 8 40-or-more HR seasons are happening this year

21. Comic Strip Person posted on October 02, 2012 at 11:48 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

This is all moot. If the Cubs give Brett Jackson 100 starts next year, he's going to own that thing.

22. Tom Nawrocki posted on October 02, 2012 at 12:31 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Or make Josh Vitters their third baseman.

Vitters' batting line is one of my favorite things about this season. It's not just that he's hitting .113; he's hitting an empty .113.

23. Fernigal McGunnigle has become a merry hat posted on October 02, 2012 at 12:39 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Worst seasons by OPS+ at various HR levels:

LVL  Year           Name HR OPS+
70+ 1998    Mark McGwire 70 216
60+ 1999      Sammy Sosa 63 151
50+ 2005    Andruw Jones 51 136
40+ 2000    Tony Batista 41 102
30+ 2004    Tony Batista 32  81
20+ 2001 Marquis Grissom 21  71
10+ 2008 Corey Patterson 10  50
00+ 1909     Bill Bergen  1   1 

24. Fernigal McGunnigle has become a merry hat posted on October 02, 2012 at 12:47 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Is this the worst season with 40+ homers and 100+ walks?

By OPS+, Dunn's season is the worst for a player with *30* home runs and 100 walks. Worst season by OPS+ at various levels for players with 100+ BBs:

LVL  Year           Name HR OPS+
70+ 1998    Mark McGwire 70 216
60+ 1999    Mark McGwire 65 176
50+ 2006     David Ortiz 54 161
30+ 2012       Adam Dunn 41 114
30+ 2012       Adam Dunn 41 114
20+ 2003   Jose Cruz, Jr 20 104
10+ 1947      Eddie Lake 12  82
00+ 1947      Eddie Lake 12  82 

25. John Northey posted on October 02, 2012 at 01:17 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Tony Batista sure was an empty home run hitter. When he played shortstop it was fine, all he had to do was hit 20+ and he'd be worthwhile but otherwise he needed 40+ to be league average on offense. Now _that_ is extreme. Bit surprised to see Jose Cruz Jr on the 20+ 100+ list as he used to seem like a guy who had speed and more than just HR/walks.

26. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises posted on October 02, 2012 at 07:57 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

221 and counting...

27. Greg Pope thinks the Cubs are reeking havoc posted on October 02, 2012 at 08:03 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I hope you're right Harveys. I don't "want" him to set the record, but I don't want him to go all Jose Hernandez to avoid it either.

Considering the record's only 3 years old, I doubt it matters to too many people. Basically, once Bonds's record was broken, the stigma was gone, as evidenced by post #17.

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Friday, March 29, 2013

NY Times: “Contact Hitter’s Contract Is Finally a Home Run”

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