Adam Dunn, This is My Goodbye

Sometime around 2002 I made one of the most regrettable mistakes of my life.

I traded my 1999 Bowman Chrome Adam Dunn rookie card to my brother for a measly Hank Aaron chrome reprint card.

Not an actual, vintage Hammerin’ Hank, but a copy. A fake.

To be fair, Aaron was the home run king of major league baseball at that point, and Dunn was just a young left fielder in Cincinnati.

Fast forward to 2015 and that Cincinnati left fielder is retiring as the Big Donkey, one of my all-time favorite players, and most importantly as an Oakland Athletic.

Adam Dunn, this is my goodbye.

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Dunn was always fascinating to me. He played for five teams in 14 seasons and was a pure three-true-outcomes hitter. I don’t know how many players have struck out 120 or more times in a season, but also walked more than 100 times in that season. Dunn did that eight times over his career.

Aug 5, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn (44) throws a pitch as a relief pitcher during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at U.S Cellular Field. The Rangers won 16-0. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Up until his retirement today, he was the active leader in home runs by a left handed hitter at 462. From 2004 to 2012 he stroked 40 or more dingers in five consecutive seasons, followed up by back-to-back seasons of 38 home runs, only to return to 41 in 2012.

Other than being one of the most prolific home runs hitters in history, Dunn has other skills.

Did you know he was in an Oscar nominated film? He was. And he has an IMDB page to show for it.

He is also really, really funny.

This past season he pitched in a major league game for the first time in his career. Make that two things he has in common with Babe Ruth.

As a 22-year old in his first of only two all-star seasons, Dunn stole 19 bases for the Reds.

Defensively he was never much, he never led the league in home runs, and only eclipsed a .260 batting average a handful of times. But he had six 100-RBI seasons, led the league in walks twice, made two all-star appearances, finished fourth in the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year voting, garnered MVP votes three times, accumulated a career .364 OBP, and an .854 OPS.

Okay, maybe none of those stick out. And his postseason stat line is as empty as his trophy case. But Adam Dunn was a true professional who came to work each season and did his job. He gained positive WAR scores in every season but 2009, 2011, and 2013.

He was the epitome of a Billy Beane “Moneyball” hitter. The best parts of Jack Cust and Erubiel Durazo in one player. It was a shame he did not spend more time in Oakland.

He finished his career with an unimpressive 25 game stint with my beloved Athletics. When I heard of the news I promptly sat my wife down to watch a five minute clip comprised of Dunn’s moonshots.

We only saw him blast two home runs as an Athletic, though the first was in his very first at-bat in green and gold. And is one many fans remember.

With one man on and two outs in the first inning on September 1, 2014, Dunn sent a Chris Young pitch to deep right field to give the Athletics an early lead over the Seattle Mariners.

Adam Dunn Goes Long in Athletics Loss Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It was certainly not his most impressive home run, or his furthest launched blast. But this two-run bomb will forever remain my favorite Adam Dunn moment.

A few weeks following that game Dunn enjoyed the most satisfying shower he has ever had. His new teammates doused him in champagne and beer concluding the final game of 2014.

He was going to the postseason for the first time in his major league career.

“Everything, Just everything,” is what he told John Hickey of the San Jose mercury News about what going to the playoffs meant to him.

It is a memory I bet he’ll cherish the rest of his life.

 When his name appears on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2020 I doubt he’ll earn much recognition. He might last a couple years before falling below the required 5 percent threshold, but I doubt that will stop many from remembering what he did for the game.

 Never linked to performance enhancing drugs, or any other scandal, Dunn was the kind of player a kid like me could look up to. And he is one I will tell my children about.

 In a winter full of Oakland-sized goodbyes this one is my saddest. Farewell to you Adam Dunn. Thank you for playing baseball.