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Adam Dunn Pitches! Here Are Best Position Player Pitching Lines Ever

Adam Dunn pitching

Over his 14 year career, Adam Dunn has a hit a lot of home runs (457) taken a lot of base on balls (1307) and struck out more times (2336) than anyone in Major League history besides Reggie Jackson and Jim Thome.

One thing he hadn’t ever done is pitch, which, of course isn’t all that surprise: most position players haven’t. But Dunn isn’t exactly like most position players. He has a big time high school quarterback, good enough to be recruited to play at University of Texas (he left after a redshirt year) and also quite the high school pitcher.

Dunn had apparently been lobbying his managers to get his big arm on the mound for years. With the White Sox down 15-0 to the Rangers Tuesday night, skipper Robin Ventura finally obligated, allowing the 6 foot 6 inch 290 pound man-mountain to pitch the top of the ninth.

(See Baseball’s Best Position Player Pitcher Performances here.)

Dunn threw in the low-eighties and featured enough sink on his pitches to impress Rangers All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Needless to say, the few fans that were left at US Cellular Field were thrilled by Dunn’s maiden trip to the mound. He pitched an inning giving up one run, two hits and a walk. Not so great, but as good as any of the White Sox who get paid to pitch did last night.

Dunn didn’t speak to reporters after the game, but his teammate, center fielder Adam Eaton, chimed in on his performance.

“I haven’t laughed on a baseball field like that in a long time, ever since I was probably kicking dandelions, in my early teens,” Eaton said. “He had good sink, that’s all I can say. He was 80 mph but he had really good sink.”

“If he hit somebody, we can’t charge the mound because he’s too big,” Beltre added, laughing too.

While Dunn’s pitching appearance Tuesday was more entertaining than good, there have been some pretty fine pitching performance over the years — including one by Tiger’s shortstop Danny Worth this season.

See what Wade Boggs, Chris Davis, Ted Williams and, of course, Babe Ruth were able to do when they took the mound in our post from earlier this season “Baseball’s Best Position Player Pitcher Performances.”

 

Danny Worth pitching

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