The Sporting News: Comeback of the Year to Dunn

[Bucky F. Dent]

Congrats to Adam, but to win this award shouldn't you really have to come back from something beyond simply having sucked the previous year!?!

[Chez]

Originally Posted by DSpivack

Nothing against Dunn, but Rios had a better year. I don't get Dunn over Rios in this regard; they had about equally horrendous seasons last year.

No question Rios had a far better 2012 than Dunn. But Dunn's 2011 was about as terrible a season a player can have. He "came back" from beyond bad.

[DSpivack]

Originally Posted by Chez

No question Rios had a far better 2012 than Dunn. But Dunn's 2011 was about as terrible a season a player can have. He "came back" from beyond bad.

Rios' 2011 was about as bad as Dunn's.

[Irishsoxfan]

The season Dunn came back from was one in which he was adjusting to a new league and to a mainly DHing - perhaps this made the difference in voters minds. Rios was just bad in 2011 but did have the better 2012 of the two.

[Lip Man 1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,3065991.story

Dunn also comments on Detroit being in the series.

Lip

[Wedema]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,3065991.story

Dunn also comments on Detroit being in the series.

Lip

I don't see any comments about Detriot in that link.

[Lip Man 1]

Story must have been 'updated' removing his comments. He said when asked about Detroit playing in the series that it "was like salt into an open wound..."

Lip

[SCCWS]

There are two types of "comeback players". There is the guy who was injured and put of poor numbers and the gets healthy and really produces..... like Peavy.

Then there is the guy who has a lousy year and then follows it up w a much better year..............Rios or Dunn or Rodney.


To the guys in the 2nd category. Congrats this year for improving on a really lousy year last year. Seems kind of a backward compliment.

[asindc]

Originally Posted by SCCWS

There are two types of "comeback players". There is the guy who was injured and put of poor numbers and the gets healthy and really produces..... like Peavy.

Then there is the guy who has a lousy year and then follows it up w a much better year..............Rios or Dunn or Rodney.


To the guys in the 2nd category. Congrats this year for improving on a really lousy year last year. Seems kind of a backward compliment.

It isn't. The vast majority of pro athletes have at least one "off year," even if it is not quite as bad as Dunn's or Rios' last season.

[TheVulture]

In 2011, Rios couldn't hit Dunn's weight, but Dunn couldn't even hit Rios' weight.

[Foulke You]

Originally Posted by DSpivack

Rios' 2011 was about as bad as Dunn's.

I disagree. Alex Rios certainly had an awful season in 2011. I won't dispute that. However, Adam Dunn's 2011 was historically bad. Dunn and Alex had similar power numbers that year but Adam struck out about 3 times more than Rios, had half as many hits, hit 70 points lower (40 points below the Mendoza line), and managed a pathetic 6 hits against left handed pitchers. Also, Dunn took a lot more mental punishment in 2011. He was the big signing in the offseason and he took the brunt of the heat from the fans and endured the questions from the media. Rios got some boos for sure but nothing on the level of scrutiny that was put on Dunn. To come back from that far down in the dumps to have the season he had in 2012 made him worthy of the comeback award in my opinion. Take a look at the comparison between Dunn and Rios 2011:

Dunn 2011:
.159 avg (!!)
11 HR
42 RBI
177 Ks
66 Hits (only 6 against LHP!)
.569 OPS

Rios 2011:
.227 avg
13 HR
44 RBI
68 Ks
122 Hits
.613 OPS

[Nellie_Fox]

Originally Posted by Foulke You

I disagree. Alex Rios certainly had an awful season in 2011. I won't dispute that. However, Adam Dunn's 2011 was historically bad. Dunn and Alex had similar power numbers that year but Adam struck out about 3 times more than Rios, had half as many hits, hit 70 points lower (40 points below the Mendoza line), and managed a pathetic 6 hits against left handed pitchers. Also, Dunn took a lot more mental punishment in 2011. He was the big signing in the offseason and he took the brunt of the heat from the fans and endured the questions from the media. Rios got some boos for sure but nothing on the level of scrutiny that was put on Dunn. To come back from that far down in the dumps to have the season he had in 2012 made him worthy of the comeback award in my opinion. Take a look at the comparison between Dunn and Rios 2011:

Dunn 2011:
.159 avg (!!)
11 HR
42 RBI
177 Ks
66 Hits (only 6 against LHP!)
.569 OPS

Rios 2011:
.227 avg
13 HR
44 RBI
68 Ks
122 Hits
.613 OPS

But the fact remains that Dunn is still a one-tool player. Rios was the team MVP this year. He may have started from a higher spot, but he finished higher too, overall. Dunn had a miserable second half, while Rios continued to excel.