Marty Brennaman Hates Adam Dunn, He Just Doesn't Really Know Why

Since the beginning of his career, I've become progressively more annoyed with the penchant for many Reds fans -- not all of them, I won't generalize like they do about Cubs fans -- to despise the very existence of Adam Dunn. They'll complain about his defense, high strikeout totals, and low batting average.

On a recent Reds call-in radio show, famed announcer Marty Brennaman flew off the handle about him. His anger and contradictions within the argument are exactly the kind of bile I've been hearing from (some) Reds fans for years.

Caller: People here don't realize that Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn don't get paid $12 million to hit .300. They get paid to hit home runs; that's it.
Marty: No, they get paid to drive in runs, is what they get paid to do.
Caller: And hit home runs.
Marty: No, unh-uh. Home runs are incidental. It's run production that they are going to get paid for. Adam Dunn hits 40 home runs and barely reaches a hundred RBI's.
Caller: But, if you're going to talk about potential run production, look at his on-base.
Marty: (angrily) I don't care about -- I don't care about his on-base! I get so blasted tired hearing some people talk to me about Adam Dunn's on-base percentage. Adam Dunn ain't paid to walk. Adam Dunn's paid to hit home runs and drive in runs for God's sake, and they can take off, uh, they can take off the walks, and you're out of here! (hangs up)

Look, he's an elite power hitter who gets on base as well as anyone. You bat him in the middle of the order and assume his sub-par defense, and you'll get what you expect. That's only the half of it. As Bluzer at Redleg Stats points out, Adam Dunn is an elite run producer. He does drive in runs. He does score runs -- which is made possible by his incredibly high on-base percentage and overall durability.

Also of note was the aforementioned contradictory argument by the crusty announcer. He busted up the caller for suggesting that Dunn gets paid to get home runs, and then seconds later starts screaming about how he's paid to hit home runs -- not get on-base. Also, later in the transcript, he said, "He homers, he doesn't drive in runs." Well, that's not only false -- as mentioned above -- but it's stupid. When you hit a home run, you drive in a run.

He's gone, Marty. It's time to let your misguided hatred die.