Chicago White Sox designated hitter and first baseman Adam Dunn was named to the American League All-Star team, and it couldn't make a better story.
It's a tale that hitting coaches should use throughout baseball from here on out: the example of a player who went to a new team, signed a big contract, slumped as terribly as a player can slump, and came back the following year and made the All-Star team.
It had been 10 years since Dunn made an All-Star team, which he did previously in 2002 with the Cincinnati Reds, his second season in the majors.
Dunn became only the fourth position player in major league history to go 10 years or more between All-Star selections, joining infielder Darrell Evans (1973, 1983), outfielder Rick Monday (1968, 1978), and catcher Benito Santiago (1992, 2002).
But it's not the 10-year gap that makes this so special. It's one year.
Dunn hit .159 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI last year in his first season with the Chicago White Sox after signing a four-year, US$56 million (Dh205.6m)contract. They were career lows across the board. This year, he's hitting .210 but with 25 home runs and 60 RBI, which are third and fourth respectively among American League leaders.
Dunn has struck out 130 times to lead the major leagues, not exactly a poster child for hitting coaches. But in this case, with this story, they'll make an exception.
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