All The Adam Dunn That's Fit To Print...Washington Nationals' Slugger In The New York Times.

Two-thirds of the Sunday New York Times' sports column written by Benjamin Hoffman, which is entitled, "Dunn Keeps Swinging Despite Detractors", is dedicated to Washington Nationals' first baseman Adam Dunn and his attempt to hit 40 HR's for the sixth consecutive season, which would tie him with A-Rod and Sammy Sosa behind only Babe Ruth whose seven-straight 40 HR seasons from 1926 - 1932 are still the industry standard. Mr. Hoffman seems somewhat surprised to find that Dunn, who has 37 HR's with 19 games left on the schedule, has not only reached base more than Ichiro in '09, but has also, thus far, posted the highest AVG (.282 through Sunday) and OBP (.410 in 142 G) of the 6'6'', 240lb+, left-handed hitting 29-year-old's 9-year career...

Who said something about an extension? When's Chris Marrero going to be ready? 

More on Adam Dunn and the NY Times' feature after the JUMP...

Asked by Mr. Hoffman what he thought about approaching a record that places him second behind only Babe Ruth and tied with "legendary" hitters like A-Rod and Sosa, Dunn says that he thinks, "That kind of stuff is probably a lot more meaningful when you look back on your career." What Adam Dunn is concerned with now, according to Mr. Hoffman, is, "...making a winner out of the struggling Nationals." 

Mr. Hoffman's also sure to make mention of the two requisite Adam Dunn-isms that have come to be included in every article about the big slugger over the years, the gaudy strikeout totals (a team-leading 162 in 142 '09 games) and the accusations of laziness which began with Toronto Blue Jays' GM J.P. Ricciardi, who claimed on a radio show, as recounted in an article by National Post.com writer John Lott entitled, "Ricciardi trashes Dunn on radio show", that Dunn "lacked passion" for the game and went on to tell the a caller to the show that the Jays had looked into Dunn:

""Do you know the guy doesn’t really like baseball that much?...Do you know the guy doesn’t have a passion to play the game that much? How much do you know about the player?...There’s a reason why you’re attracted to some players and there’s a reason why you’re not attracted to some players. I don’t think you’d be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here…We’ve done our homework on guys like Adam Dunn and there’s a reason why we don’t want Adam Dunn. I don’t want to get into specifics.'"

Of course, in a story that got much less press than the first, apparently baseless accusations, Mr. Ricciardi was later forced to admit, in his own words, "I don't even know Adam Dunn," but much like the story of Dunn's involvement with the "Natinals" jerseys this year, the follow-up piece rarely receives as much attention, so even this last offseason, the rumors of Dunn's alleged lack of passion were cited when he found himself with far fewer offers than he imagined on the free agent market. 

Will Dunn remember that the Nationals did step up with an offer when he had few others when his contract is up next year? Will the Nationals seek an extension beforehand? With Dunn due to make $12M in 2010, what would the Nationals have to offer to convince "The Big Opposite Field" to stay in DC? Can Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg become the nucleus of the mythical "First Great Nationals"? Or will he turn his hard work hitting HR's while the Nationals' stayed in the cellar into the kind of deal Alfonso Soriano left town with?