Dunn?

[Balta1701]

Assuming Beckham doesn't lead us to the WS, how about Jordan Danks? I know it's been trendy to be down on him since he didn't blossom at age 23 or whatever, and I had kinda written him off as well, but the dude quietly tore up AAA the last two years. Well "tore up" is subjective but he's added a tool to his game he never possessed- plate discipline and walking. His slugging isn't ideal but CF is one place we need to shore up the defense and where his light slugging can play. Dude has seriously put in his time and earned a look.

 

Let De Aza and Kepp take DH til we see what we have. Can't do any of this s*** with Dunn around though.

It's "trendy" to be down on him because he's shown no sign that he's been able to control the strikeouts.

 

That said...eh, why not give him some more at bats.

[NorthSideSox72]

1. I think Adam Dunn is a pretty good guy, and I want to root for him. He's just really been terrible, obviously. Given the two pieces of information, I actually think it is possible he may elect to retire after the season. Craziness, I know, but it might happen.

 

2. If the Sox do go into fire sale mode in June or July, I'd be all for getting a look at Seth Loman, Andy Wilkins and/or Dan Black at 1B/DH for a few months. Or even Mike McDade. Whomever is hitting in AAA at that point. Why not? Might as well get a look at what you MIGHT have for the future, on the cheap. If they all flop, which is very possible, then you look in another direction for 2014. But it is entirely possible that there will be 1 or even 2 open positions at 1B/DH in 2014, so, best to look at your in-house options if you can.

 

3. Right now, the season is not yet abandoned, so you really have to stick with Dunn and Konerko, because they are your best chances for production.

 

[lasttriptotulsa]

1. I think Adam Dunn is a pretty good guy, and I want to root for him. He's just really been terrible, obviously. Given the two pieces of information, I actually think it is possible he may elect to retire after the season. Craziness, I know, but it might happen.

 

2. If the Sox do go into fire sale mode in June or July, I'd be all for getting a look at Seth Loman, Andy Wilkins and/or Dan Black at 1B/DH for a few months. Or even Mike McDade. Whomever is hitting in AAA at that point. Why not? Might as well get a look at what you MIGHT have for the future, on the cheap. If they all flop, which is very possible, then you look in another direction for 2014. But it is entirely possible that there will be 1 or even 2 open positions at 1B/DH in 2014, so, best to look at your in-house options if you can.

 

3. Right now, the season is not yet abandoned, so you really have to stick with Dunn and Konerko, because they are your best chances for production.

 

I really doubt he would retire and leave $15 million sitting on the table.

[NorthSideSox72]

I really doubt he would retire and leave $15 million sitting on the table.

Probably not. But players have done it before, a very few times, and Dunn seems like the type that might very well do it. We are talking about a guy who is just playing the worst baseball in MLB right now, and pride is important to these guys. He's already made a ton of money. Not saying it is likely - just that it is possible.

 

[Steve9347]

Probably not. But players have done it before, a very few times, and Dunn seems like the type that might very well do it. We are talking about a guy who is just playing the worst baseball in MLB right now, and pride is important to these guys. He's already made a ton of money. Not saying it is likely - just that it is possible.

“If I’m not having fun anymore, I’ll go home,” Dunn told Yahoo! Sports. “Flat out. I’ll go home. I mean that. Swear to goodness. I’ll. Go. Home. I enjoy playing. Even though I suck. Or have been sucking. I enjoy playing the game. Love it. But as soon as I lose that, I’m gone, dude. It’s true.

 

“How many games can you play doing this? This is ridiculous. You get to a point, and you’re like …”

 

That was in 2011 when he was hitting .158. Two years later he's hit a robust .177 since signing with the White Sox.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-p...quitting_072011

Edited June 3, 2013 by Steve9347

[TaylorStSox]

I really doubt he would retire and leave $15 million sitting on the table.

It would be an extremely irresponsible thing to do to his family.

[caulfield12]

Probably not. But players have done it before, a very few times, and Dunn seems like the type that might very well do it. We are talking about a guy who is just playing the worst baseball in MLB right now, and pride is important to these guys. He's already made a ton of money. Not saying it is likely - just that it is possible.

 

 

 

Gil Meche would be one, although he didn't want to rehab yet another injury and stay on the DL for an entire season collecting salary when he knew he wanted to walk away.

[NorthSideSox72]

It would be an extremely irresponsible thing to do to his family.

Not in the slightest. He probably won't do it, and there are many reasons not to, but to call it "extremely irresponsible" to his family is ridiculous. The guy has made almost $100M to date in baseball salary alone, plus various endorsements, etc. People make decisions about taking 10% less in salary over time all the damn time (i.e. executives who make big bucks and walk away at times), in order to be happy in other ways. It isn't irresponsible, unless he has managed to blow all that money already.

[Balta1701]

Gil Meche would be one, although he didn't want to rehab yet another injury and stay on the DL for an entire season collecting salary when he knew he wanted to walk away.

It's certainly worth wondering whether Dunn counts as healthy at this point. That'd be a reasonable excuse for his performance under this contract, if he just had 1+ nagging injuries that wouldn't go away.

 

When the Sox visited the Nats, their announcers did talk to him, ask him what happened, and he did say something about "finally being healthy again" although it wasn't clear what he needed to recover from.

[TaylorStSox]

Not in the slightest. He probably won't do it, and there are many reasons not to, but to call it "extremely irresponsible" to his family is ridiculous. The guy has made almost $100M to date in baseball salary alone, plus various endorsements, etc. People make decisions about taking 10% less in salary over time all the damn time (i.e. executives who make big bucks and walk away at times), in order to be happy in other ways. It isn't irresponsible, unless he has managed to blow all that money already.

15M will set up even more generations of his family for life. To turn that down would not only be beyond dumb, it would be irresponsible. There are more important things in life than winning baseball games. It's not his fault he's signed to that contract. The Sox took the risk to sign him regardless of his results.

[caulfield12]

But then there's the stress and strain on a family when the father goes to the park and hears boos every game, his children have to deal with it at school (perhaps)...just the frustration level and lack of answers, the constant interviews and mental/psychological stress. Removing yourself from that whole situation has a value too. Everything in life is not always about money.

 

If his agent/financial advisor was doing his job, he would have stuck a significant amount of that money into CD's, TIPS or index funds and the amount should have grown by at least 3-4-5% a year.

 

We don't know how much money he's actually saved, but it's worth considering.

 

 

Heck, maybe "setting up every generation of his family for life" isn't his top priority. Maybe he thinks if he spoils all of them or they expect it or have come to rely on him too much, they'll only blow the money or be irresponsible with it because it's not money they themselves had to work hard for and earn from the sweat of their own labor. Anything's possible. We just don't know.

Edited June 3, 2013 by caulfield12

[TaylorStSox]

But then there's the stress and strain on a family when the father goes to the park and hears boos every game, his children have to deal with it at school (perhaps)...just the frustration level and lack of answers, the constant interviews and mental/psychological stress. Removing yourself from that whole situation has a value too. Everything in life is not always about money.

 

If his agent/financial advisor was doing his job, he would have stuck a significant amount of that money into CD's, TIPS or index funds and the amount should have grown by at least 3-4-5% a year.

 

We don't know how much money he's actually saved, but it's worth considering.

Yeah, I'm sure his kids can't handle a little ribbing at school for a multimillion dollar inheritance. How do they manage?

[Eminor3rd]

It's one thing to be obviously injured and a physical shell of yourself like Meche. It's completely another to be just mentally failing for no known reason. He'll retire if he decides playing another year isn't worth $15m, but I can't see any way he actually will at age 33 with only one year left in which he can give himself a final shot to bounce back and decide whether or not to seek another contract.

[caulfield12]

Yeah, I'm sure his kids can't handle a little ribbing at school for a multimillion dollar inheritance. How do they manage?

 

 

Look at what Warren Buffett did with his children and grandchildren.

 

You can't assume you know what Adam Dunn is thinking any more than I can.

[TaylorStSox]

Look at what Warren Buffett did with his children and grandchildren.

 

You can't assume you know what Adam Dunn is thinking any more than I can.

I don't care what Adam Dunn is doing with his money. It's irresponsible for a family man to walk away from $15M of guaranteed money for 6 months worth of work. Obviously I'm speaking in generalities. When somebody offers you that kind of money to suck at baseball, you take it.

[Jake]

3 game hitting streak

[caulfield12]

3 game hitting streak

 

Didn't we argue he'd turned it around a month ago with his hot streak?

 

That didn't exactly last.

 

 

[Jake]

Didn't we argue he'd turned it around a month ago with his hot streak?

 

That didn't exactly last.

 

If Dunn gets a hit in a game or gets 1 BB in three ABs/2 BB in four ABs, I wait until the next game to say anything bad about him

[caulfield12]

If Dunn gets a hit in a game or gets 1 BB in three ABs/2 BB in four ABs, I wait until the next game to say anything bad about him

 

 

I wish the White Sox would do an internal survey of their season ticket holders and give ten options why they're not going to games or selling their tickets...

 

They could choose 3 reasons, and would be given 10 options to choose from.

 

One of them would be Adam Dunn.

 

I wonder how much he's affecting the bottom line by still being on the team? The morale...being around someone who has been struggling so badly for all but 2 or 3 months of his time with the White Sox has to wear on everyone, including the media. They don't like having to ask the same questions of him game after game, either. Most of them think he's not a bad guy, it's hard to "hate" him, so it's easier just to tune out or not care anymore.

[Balta1701]

“@scottmerkin: Dunn gave the thumbs up on his back today. First time in a while felt this good”

[caulfield12]

“@scottmerkin: Dunn gave the thumbs up on his back today. First time in a while felt this good”

 

 

More excuses...sigh.

[Jake]

4 game hit streak for Dunn

[fathom]

4 game hit streak for Dunn

 

His swings have actually been better against RHP. It's just so dumb to keep playing him against LHP though.

[caulfield12]

His swings have actually been better against RHP. It's just so dumb to keep playing him against LHP though.

 

 

Against LHP...they might eventually have to try Gillaspie at 3B and Keppinger at DH.

 

Or Casper Wells, that's the other option.

 

But Keppinger has been hitting very well the last 2+ weeks, a shame to sit him now that he's finally gaining confidence.

 

 

With the way this streak is going, Beckham will struggle mightily....then, by the time they go back to Keppinger, he'll have cooled off completely again.

[Steve9347]

Against LHP...they might eventually have to try Gillaspie at 3B and Keppinger at DH.

 

Or Casper Wells, that's the other option.

 

But Keppinger has been hitting very well the last 2+ weeks, a shame to sit him now that he's finally gaining confidence.

 

 

With the way this streak is going, Beckham will struggle mightily....then, by the time they go back to Keppinger, he'll have cooled off completely again.

With the way the what the who? Gordon Beckham has made a career of struggling mightily - streaks be damned, he's an equal-opportunity suckfest.