(above, DC slugger Dunn considers “Land Of The Lost”‘s disappointing opening weekend)
If the Nats OF Adam Dunn was as skilled at catching the baseball as he is diplomatic, he’d have won several Gold Gloves by now. He’d also have been signed by someone other by Washington this off-season, but I digress. The Dayton Daily News’ Hal McCoy gives Dunn every opportunity to engage a former teammate in a pissing match, and to his credit…Dunn doesn’t pretend to be a competent fielder!
When left fielder Laynce Nix had a big offensive/defense game in St. Louis, Brandon Phillips said, “It’s great to have a guy in left field who can not only hit the ball but catch the ball, too,” an obvious reference to Dunn’s defensive deficiencies when he played for the Reds.
“Nice, real nice,” said Dunn. “I could probably think of something nasty or humorous to say. I’ll ask him about it. No, I won’t. That’s Brandon. Brandon has to let me go. I’m not there any more. Let me go.”
Dunn is impressed with how the Reds are playing and said, “The Reds are doing good, huh? Good pitching, too. That’s good.” When told the Reds are void of hitting and could use his bat, Dunn said, “No, they don’t, either. They’re doing just fine.”
Then he asked about Jay Bruce and said, “Jay’s scuffling, huh? What’s he doing? Swinging at everything? Worst thing you can do. You feel like you have to swing early in the count so you’re not behind in the count.” Told that Bruce was 2 for 33, Dunn laughed and said, “I’m about 3 for 38. But I feel good at the plate.
Dunn laughed again when somebody suggested the Reds probably wouldn’t pitch to him and said, “Why wouldn’t they? I would.”