If this is the end for Adam Dunn in Washington, he never changed. Unbothered by the future that has everyone else preoccupied, Dunn concerns himself only with what he can control. And late Tuesday night, in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the crowd at Nationals Park chanting his name and the count in his favor, he controlled the outcome of what could be his penultimate home game here.
Dunn unleashed his compact, uppercut swing on a fastball from Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jose Contreras. In the Washington Nationals’ dugout, Dunn’s teammates started pumping their fists and hopping onto the field before Dunn had left the batter’s box, before the ball rocketed into the night, before the crowd’s chants demanding that he remain a National stopped echoing through Nationals Park.
...Almost instantly, the joy of the moment yielded to the potential finality of Wednesday. Dunn, who will be eligible for free agency this offseason, will play what might be his final home game as a member of the Nationals on Wednesday night. He said he doesn’t know and therefore, typically unworried, doesn’t care. The notion had not even occurred to him Tuesday evening before he was asked about it while lounging in a clubhouse recliner.
“I’m not going to go in tomorrow going, ‘This is my last home game ever,’ and cry, hand out Adam Dunn baseball cards,” Dunn said. “I’m going to go into tomorrow like we have a chance to win the series against the National League East division champs.”
Repoz
Posted: September 29, 2010 at 09:46 AM |
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1. TomH Posted: September 29, 2010 at 11:37 AM (#3650979)When he began with a 2-0 count in the 9th, I said to wife, "he has to come in now; it could all end on THIS pitch."
Bang Zoom go the fireworks. A curly W for the Nats.
What a great monster of a home run. I really would like to see him stay, although I know that the terms under which he would stay would probably be too much.
OMG! The beginning of TEH FEAR! ;-)
This.
So are the owners being jackasses and not stepping up?
Is Dunn insisting on 6/$120 or something ridiculous?
Is Rizzo a slave to sabermetrics?
Dunn's a risky long-term investment so I can understand the Nats have no interest in a 4- or 5-year deal (unless it's essentially for the same total as a 3-year) and if Dunn's insisting on that I might let him walk too. But, on paper, this seems a match made in heaven. Somebody needs to give and get this deal done.
[Brennaman]Why would that be? He's lazy, strikes out way too much, and can't hit with runners in scoring position [/Brennaman]
Concur
If there was ever a time for an overpay, this is it.
If I were Washington, I'd go 4, if the AAV is not crazy. 5 is too much. Maybe a vesting option?
I think Dunn should be good through age 34.
Yeah, it's one year too much, but if Washington needs to "overpay" for credibility sake, they should.
Maybe Dunn wants to play for team that has a legitimate shot at the playoffs every year...like Philly, NY, Minnesota or Boston(oops, not this year)
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