Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer sure doesn’t like Adam Dunn.

At least that’s the impression you get when you read his article, Dunn too much to afford, today on Cincinnati.com.

Daugherty claims that “Dunn’s tax bracket didn’t match his production”, questions Dunn’s passion and calls him fat.

You have to wonder if Dunn was rude to this guy in the locker room, refused an interview request or if Daugherty just got picked on by jocks in high school.

Dunn’s production most certainly holds up as he has the second most home runs since 2004 trailing only A-Rod (and by only 1 homer). His walks are the third-most in major league baseball this season and throughout his career he has had a very good on-base percentage.

Oh but Daugherty had an answer for that logic “Stat freaks genuflected at the foot of Dunn’s on-base percentage, while dismissing his detractors as ill-informed hacks. Forty Homers! Hundred RBI! Hundred Runs! Look at that man … Walk!”

Paul, lets be frank. I don’t think they were referring to all of Adam Dunn’s detractors as “ill-informed hacks” just the detractors that actually were. Did those “stats freaks” as you call them get a little too loud for you to handle? I’ll trust those “freaks” that follow the logic of Billy Beane and Theo Epstein over the opinion of a writer that hasn’t seen a winning baseball time since the turn of the century.

My favorite part?

“Another day closer to retirement,” Dunn said once a few years ago, around the batting cage before a game. That was Dunn. His teammates liked him, but he didn’t lead. Laid back should be a character trait, not a career choice. Not when you’re making $13 million.

Honestly, if you played for the Reds and were all but eliminated by May you’d probably be thinking about retirement around the batting cages too.

In Arizona, we obviously haven’t seen what Adam Dunn brings to the table on a night in, night out basis, but I’m guessing he can’t be blamed for all of the Cincinnati Reds’ woes.

Daugherty has every right to be frustrated at a club who hasn’t had a winning season in 8 years and doesn’t have much hope for one in the near future. He probably should direct that frustration upstairs and not to a left fielder who has hit the cover off the ball. Enjoy watching the Reds the rest of the year and we will enjoy watching the guy you don’t think much of help win a division title.

(Also check out the comments section of the article. Reds fans don’t even seem to think this guy knows what he’s talking about)

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