Days after Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi described Reds slugger Adam Dunn (above) as “a lifetime .230, .240 hitter that strikes out a ton” and suggested Dunn “doesn’t really like baseball that much”, the outfielder was unwilling to listen to the Toronto exec’s apology writes the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay.

“He apologized to me, the organization,” Reds GM Walt Jocketty said. “He wanted to talk to Dunn. I don’t think Dunn wanted to talk to him.”

“He told me he was going through a lot of stuff because he was going to have to fire his manager and coaches,” Jocketty said.

Dunn wishes the story would go away.

“I’m tired of talking about it really,” Dunn said.

But that is not to say he would absolve Ricciardi.

“I’ll probably see him in Toronto (next week),” Dunn said. “Sorry doesn’t fix it. He wasn’t talking about baseball. Say I stink all you want. I’m OK with that. He was criticizing me as a person.”

Actually, that’s not really the case. Ricciardi merely suggested Dunn was indifferent towards his chosen profession. There’s only a value judgement attached if you have strong feelings about baseball.

That said, Ricciardi picked a curious target to smear given he’s the one paying A.J. Burnett $13.2 million (U.S.D.) to openly fantasize about playing for the Cubs.  Still, Burnett’s remarks are somewhat excuseable. He’s been busy getting managers and coaches fired.

Dunn is 0-3 so far today, striking out twice, as the Reds lead the Yankees, 4-0, in the last of the 7th. A Dan Giese throwing error in the top of the 7th directly led to 3 unearned runs for the visitors, but Giese (6.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 K’s, no walks)   — a 34th round draft selection by the Red Sox 9 years ago, has more than earned himself another starting opportuning