For Dunn, here’s a little friendly advice
It’s a good thing Adam Dunn stands 6-feet-6 and weighs 285 pounds.
A lesser man might already have been crushed by the mob of critics who have been piling on the White Sox’ struggling designated hitter since late April, when it already was obvious there was a problem.
If you want to blame one player for the White Sox’ 51-52 record at this late date in the season Dunn is the obvious candidate, closely followed by Alex Rios.
Signed to a four-year, $56 million contract in the off-season and expected to make a legitimate run at 50 home runs, Dunn has the lowest batting average in the American League at .163. Rios is next at .208.
Dunn also leads the league in strikeouts with 130.
It has been a miserable season for the left-handed slugger, but we are here to help.
With the assistance of some local hitting coaches, perhaps there still is time for Dunn to salvage something over the final two months.
He did go 1-for-1 and draw 3 walks in the team’s 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, and he hit a mammoth home run off Detroit ace Justin Verlander the night before. Dunn has reached base safely seven times in his last 10 trips to the plate.
So there are some positive signs. But in an attempt to help Dunn avoid a relapse, here is some advice from three local hitting gurus:
Nelson GordQualifications: Owner and director of player development at Play Ball USA in Des Plaines. Played professionally in the Houston Astros#146; system and with the Schaumburg Flyers; played at Illinois-Chicago and Buffalo Grove High School.
Gord on Dunn: #147;I have reviewed film on Dunn from this season and compared it to video from when he was at his #145;prime#146; with the Reds. It is clear to me what the issue is.
#147;His kinetic chain timing is completely off. He is not creating as much torque as he once did because he is never in a true separated position. In any swinging, overhand type sport you have a domino effect of movements which allows you to properly transfer energy from your larger muscles (lower half/core) to your upper body. When his stride foot is down, his hands have already started moving forward.
#147;Another analogy you could use is that of a bow and arrow. If you pull back on the bow and hold it you will create a lot of tension that can be released and transferred to the arrow. In Dunn#146;s case he is pulling back on the bow, and then slowly releasing the tension prior to him committing himself fully to the swing. In other words, he is creating zero power.
#147;When this happens it creates a couple of issues: 1. You have to start your swing sooner, allowing you to see it for a shorter period of time. 2. You cannot effectively hit the ball hard to the opposite field.
#147;When these two things happen it makes it nearly impossible for a major-league hitter to produce. What major-league pitchers do so well is disrupt a hitters#146; timing. There are plenty of guys in the minor leagues (and even college) who can throw as hard, if not harder, than MLB pitchers.
#147;But guys get to the major leagues by changing speeds and keeping hitters off balance. When Dunn has to start his swing almost immediately out of the pitcher#146;s hand, he cannot determine what is a good pitch to hit and what is not, forcing him to #145;guess#146; at every pitch.#148;
Tony FeoQualifications: Founder/president, hitting and pitching instructor at Go Hardball Training Academy in Lake Zurich. Four-year star at Schaumburg High School.
Feo on Dunn: #147;As an avid White Sox fan it has been frustrating to watch Adam struggle this year, and it just seems like his vision isn#146;t there.
He#146;s not recognizing pitch location and aggressively going after the good pitches. When guys get in a rut they either swing at everything or become too patient and get down in the count, making it hard to recover.
#147;What I#146;ve noticed is when Adam gets a good pitch to hit, he#146;s either missing it or hitting it off the end of the bat instead of getting through the ball. If you look back at some of his prior home runs from a pitcher#146;s view, you#146;ll see his legs remaining strong underneath him, with his hips more centered.
#147;You look at video of a guy like Jim Thome and you#146;ll see he stays centered over his legs almost every time. This allows Thome to stay on the outside pitch and drive it hard the other way or back through the middle. On the outside pitch, Dunn will sway his hips outward toward first base, requiring his upper body to lean forward and #147;reach#148; to the ball, making it difficult to make solid contact.#148;
Matt MahayQualifications: Lead hitting instructor at Play Ball USA in Des Plaines. Played four seasons at North Central College and led the Cardinals with a .342 batting average in 2007.
Mahay on Dunn: #147;It#146;s tough to criticize a guy that#146;s done some pretty special things offensively his entire career, but it#146;s also really frustrating to watch someone making that much money struggle for such an extended period of time.
#147;Any time a hitter goes into a slump you try and tell them to stick with what#146;s made them successful and try not to press, but I think he#146;s taken that approach too far.
#147;I#146;m a huge believer in utilizing video to help with physical adjustments, and it#146;s hard for me to buy him choosing not use it simply because he hasn#146;t in the past.
#147;He also hasn#146;t struggled for such a long period of time until this point, so maybe it is time to try something new. The best hitters are the ones that can make adjustments, whether it#146;s game to game, at-bat to at-bat or pitch to pitch, and he#146;s just not doing any of that right now.#148;
sgregor@dailyherald.com