FanHouse Jayson Stark

One of the biggest victims of baseball's newest trend of financial responsibility has been Adam Dunn. The home run and walk machine went into the offseason with aspirations of pulling down a deal in the $100 million range but instead finds himself teamless in February, just waiting for the phone to ring.

As it turns out, there just aren't many teams in the market for a high-priced designated hitter right now, but Dunn does have one offer waiting for him.

While reports out of Chicago are saying that the Cubs are the team Adam Dunn would most like to sign with this winter, there's a new team that seems to have entered the Dunn sweepstakes. With the Cubs atop his list, and the Nationals, Mariners and Orioles also reportedly interested in the home run and walk machine, it seems that the Dodgers are now testing the waters.

According to Jayson Stark over at ESPN, the Dodgers contacted Dunn's agent Greg Genske during the holidays to gauge his interest in playing in Los Angeles. On the surface, this move would make a lot of sense for the Dodgers. The team is probably getting tired of waiting for Manny Ramirez to either return to Los Angeles or sign with the Yankees -- the Steinbrenners are printing money as you read this -- and would like to figure out what kind of club they're going to have next season.

Considering that the Dodgers finished 14th in the National League in home runs last season, they could definitely use an infusion of power in their lineup, and Dunn would provide exactly that. He's hit 40 home runs in four straight seasons and his production could make up for the loss of Manny.

Of course, the question here is whether the Dodgers are really interested in Dunn, or if they are leaking word that they've contacted Dunn's agent in hopes that it will help spark a decision out of Ramirez.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

Arizona Diamondbacks (20-8) vs. New York Mets (14-12) - 9:40PM Est.

There's no doubt about it, if Sloth from The Goonies weren't a fictional character and lived in the real world, his favorite baseball player would be Diamondbacks pitcher/slugger Micah Owings. Owings has only been in the bigs for a little over a year now, but he's already garnering comparisons to the legendary Babe Ruth.

Obviously, the comparisons are extremely immature, but it's easy to see why they're being made. After all, not only is Owings 4-0 on the season with a 3.48 ERA, but he may be the best hitter on the Diamondbacks as well. In 79 career big league at bats, Owings is hitting .354/.373/.671 with five homers and 18 runs driven in. In the entire history of baseball, of players who have had 75 career at bats, there are only four who have a higher career OPS than Owings' current 1.044: Barry Bonds, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, and of course, Babe Ruth.

If you've been reading the FanHouse today, you're probably familiar with my perhaps-too-virulent rant about the Home Run Derby as compared to the All-Star Game. If you gathered anything of importance from that diatribe, it's that I happen to really enjoy the Home Run Derby.

But, as Jayson Stark points out at ESPN.com today, that doesn't mean the derby is perfect. Stark suggests a series of ideas to improve the thing, including limiting pitches, getting more accurate readings on how far that ball actually flies, shortening up the competition, etc. But his key idea is his first:

Why give these guys all their swings in one burst? Let that second hitter answer before the score gets out of hand. How complicated is that? Just break the final into three "rounds" of three outs each. That'll do the trick.

Hitter No. 1 gets to bop all the homers he can hit before he makes his first three outs. Then it's Hitter No. 2's turn. Then they alternate, just like in a real game, until they've used up all nine outs. And if everything goes right, the finals might build to an actual crescendo as opposed to an excuse to sprint for the parking lot.

Stark brags that everyone he's introduced the idea to has "loved" it, and it's hard to disagree. Rather than just have the final two contestants up there banging away -- after they've usually spent most of their energy in the early rounds, anyway -- give them short bursts to prove themselves. That could lead to a derby with a bit more drama, as Stark says.

One other idea: less Chris Berman. As in, no Chris Berman. That would be fantastic, thanks.

So, FanHouse commenting cognescenti, let's hear it. How would you improve the derby?

Well, according to Jayson Stark over at ESPN, it's certainly within the realm of possibility.

We're hearing the Devil Rays have been floating the name of troubled Elijah Dukes to see whether a trade can (A) get Dukes a fresh start away from his hometown and (B) bring them a decent, badly needed bullpen arm. But clubs are understandably reluctant to deal any known quantities for a player who, despite his massive talent, is still the ultimate unknown quantity. If the Rays ever ended up releasing Dukes, "then 29 teams would line up to sign him -- or at least 20 would," one GM said. "But to trade for him, that's different."

Stark goes on to write with the players' union's power, the possibility of the Rays suspending or releasing him is next to nothing. But hey, isn't this America, the land of second opportunities? He's in his first year in the bigs and only 22-years-old. Are the Rays really going to try and toss him aside like this? I guess shipping him somewhere else to start anew is technically giving him another opportunity. And, if they're peddling him for bullpen help, that's understandable as well, I suppose.

In other Elijah Dukes news, his wife just took out a one-year restraining order on him, dawg.

(Via THT.)

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Previously At Fanhouse:
Elijah Dukes and Wife Getting Divorced, Dawg
Elijah Dukes Allegedly Threatens Wife and Kids



Well then, whatever dawg.

Barry's World is the FanHouse's look into the season that is Barry Bonds.

A rather eyeopening poll over at ESPN today, only 52 percent of Americans are rooting against Barry Bonds to eclipse Hank Aaron's all-time MLB home run record.

More than half of baseball fans are rooting against Barry Bonds as he tries to break Hank Aaron's major league home run record of 755, according to an ESPN/ABC News poll.

The survey found that 52 percent of fans hope Bonds doesn't break the record, while 37 percent of fans want him to surpass Aaron's mark, set in 1974.

In addition, 73 percent of fans think Bonds used steroids, despite Bonds' repeated denials. Bonds has never tested positive for steroids.

It certainly seems like the percentage of fans who are rooting against Big Head is much, much higher than 52 percent. Perhaps, as MJD points out today, it has to do with the media's portrayal and coverage of public sentiment.

Race also played a big part of the poll.

However, race plays a unique role. Black fans in the survey are more than twice as likely to want Bonds to break Aaron's record (74 percent to 28 percent), and 37 percent of black fans think Bonds used steroids, compared to 76 percent of white fans.

Blacks are nearly twice as likely to think Bonds has been treated unfairly (46 percent to 25 percent). Why? The survey found that 41 percent of black fans think this is due to the steroids issue, 25 percent think it's because of his race, and 21 percent blame Bonds' personality.

For whites who think Bonds has been treated unfairly, 66 percent blame steroids. Virtually none blame race.

Jayson Stark has a good take on what this all means. I suggest you check his piece out. Because anything I try to write about it wouldn't hold a candle to his column.