Adam Dunn: Hall of Famer? (Also: Big Papi?)

And neither of them is as deserving as Edwin Encarnacion.

 

I don't think it was really evident when he's a serious candidate, and has been discussed as such by national baseball writers. Who vote.

As to Versatile's post, Dunn's 24 home runs obviously got him in. I think he leads the A.L., no? Washington probably thought the league leader in home runs needed to be there. Plus, there's the comeback story value to it.

The White Sox player who was really snubbed wasn't Peavy, but A.J. Pierzynski. Phil Rogers in the Chicago Tribune today builds a good case for Pierzynski over Mauer, including the fact that Pierzynski, at age 35, has caught 262 more innings than Mauer this season. (Registration required to read the story.)

 

A very good point... Although Jones had to do things that Dunn never did like run after baseballs and run to base on things like singles and doubles...

I enjoy watching Dunn because I love watching a guy just the crush the shit out of the ball. Maybe that's what happens when you watch too much of guys like Kingman, Canseco and McGwire as a kid, although I hated all three of them, they were fun to watch.

 

I think Dunn would need three to five more good to great years to get serious consideration, and given how badly he cratered last year, I'm not sure he has that in him. It's weird how he has evolved as a player - he was always big, but when he first came up, he had some speed and even swiped 19 bags in a season, but by the time he was 28 he didn't run at all and was a defensive liability. Overall, he became a more productive player with the power, but it's weird that he essentially had to make a complete trade of the speed for his power.

If Ortiz gets in, it's probably because of his narrative as a "clutch" performer as opposed to his counting or rate stats. However, voters haven't been especially kind to all-DH / mostly-DH guys, like Edgar Martinez, so I could see him being left out (and I'd be fine with that).

 

I would vote for Ortiz, but I won't have a problem if he doesn't get in.

I think he will though.

 

If you're seen as a one-dimensional player, I don't think leading or almost leading the league, or the majors for that matter, makes anyone a lock for the all-star game, especially if they play DH or 1B.

 

I don't think so, either. I was just trying to figure out Washington's thinking.

 

Not before Olerud

 

I do, too, and I think he probably should. Not to open that old Jim Rice argument, but I think there was definitely a major fear factor with Ortiz, especially in clutch situations, and that is relevant. So is his string of five consecutive seasons in the top five of the MVP voting.

 

If I may offer an opinion ... I don't t think so for either of them. Just an educated opinion from a voter.

 

Ortiz is PED user and full-time DH, I wouldn't vote for him.

 

In the Red Sox three series in 2008 and 2009, Ortiz went 9-for-55. That pretty much erased his torrid numbers from the 2004, 2005 and 2007 postseasons, and his postseason numbers are now overall just a tad lower than his regular season numbers. While he'll always have those three years to hang his hat on, there isn't any real evidence anymore to suggest that Ortiz is the Winston Wolfe of clutch hitting.