The Real McCoy

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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal column

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Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > April > 03 > Entry

Yes, Dunn meant it

By Hal McCoy | Thursday, April 3, 2008, 11:36 AM

Batting practice was conducted in the indoor batting cages Thursday and Adam Dunn was in the cage when Scott Hatteberg walked in.

“Did you go the other way on purpose,” asked Hatteberg, referring to the ninth-inning opposite field single that Dunn punched off the end of his bat against Arizona’s overshifted infield to keep alive a game-winning rally.

“Yes,” said Dunn.

“Keep it up and you’ll soon be making $1.5 million,” Hatteberg said with a laugh.

Manager Dusty Baker doesn’t see it that way and wants more of it. He makes out a to-do list before he comes to the park every day and on the list Thursday was a memo to compliment Dunn on his crafty hitting.

“I’m going to tell him that was great and it was something I talked to him about during spring training,” said Baker. “That really made the inning.”

The Reds trailed, 5-3, when Brandon Phillips singled hard to right. Dunn went to 3-and-1 and poked the ball to left field for a single. Edwin Encarnacion homered. Game over. Reds win, Reds win, the Reds win.

Asked when he decided to take the ball to left field, Dunn said, “When the count went to 3-and-0 and I knew they weren’t going to give me anything to hit out of the park to tie the game. Yes, I hit it off the end of the bat and it probably was a ball, but I’ll take it.”

Baker realizes Dunn was a .300 hitter in the minors, in addition to ripping home runs and driving in runs.

“I’m going to tell him what former Dodgers pitcher Joe Black once told me, ‘You’re a hitter, not a slugger,’” said Baker. “He hit .300 in the minors and he can do it again, with the same power.”

Baker was in better spirits Thursday, feeling better from his bout with allergies and after his first win as Reds manager.

“I was looking for some matzo ball soup,” he said. “I went to one restaurant and they told me they only had it on Friday. But (bullpen coach) Juan Lopez brought me some Puerto Rican soup and Juan Castro brought me some Mexican soup and that pretty well fixed me up.”

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