Ryan Zimmerman has gotten a hit in every game for the past five weeks, and a few hours before the Nationals' third baseman extended his hitting streak to 30 games Tuesday night, the guy who hits behind him in the lineup marveled at his teammate's feat. "I don't know how he does it," Adam Dunn said. "I knew he was a good player, but he's been great."
Zimmerman has made terrific adjustments this year, shortening his swing and taking inside fastballs through the middle and to right-center field, rival scouts say. It probably also helps Zimmerman to have Dunn hitting behind him when the former Reds slugger is thriving. Dunn is batting .313 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs, backed by a .448 on-base percentage. He says he's having more fun practicing the art of hitting than at any other time during his career. "I know more about hitting now," he said. "I've never really known about hitting before."
Dunn says he really began to improve his acumen after he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. For the first time in his career, he was part of a pennant race, and he was expected to anchor his team's lineup. "It was a role that I had never really been in before," Dunn said. "I had never really been the elder statesman in a lineup before. … You don't want to let the other players down."
He ramped up his preparation, spending more time watching video and developing a plan for his at-bats. After signing with the Nationals as a free agent during the offseason, Dunn took that same approach into spring training -- and into the World Baseball Classic. "The WBC helped a ton," Dunn said.
He recently spent some time chatting with WBC teammate
Chipper Jones. They talked about how to hit against good pitchers and about Jones' philosophy that you shouldn't look for too much against a good pitcher who is having a good day. For example: Braves sinkerballer
Derek Lowe will attack Dunn with sinkers on the outer half of the strike zone. "You're going to have to take what Lowe gives you," Dunn said. "You're probably not going to pull a sinker from him. Now I'm finally realizing that and not trying to pull that sinker low and away."
Dunn's newfound approach might be best reflected in some numbers he has this season while hitting with two strikes:
More on Zimmerman's hit streak
Over-padded?
I asked a baseball official about what seems to be an increase in hitters' padding this year (after I brought it up recently). The response: "Since 2000, there has been a list of preapproved elbow pads that any player can wear without a medical reason. All of these preapproved pads must be no more than 10 inches long and must have a nylon pad surrounding the shell of the pad. There are currently 75 players using a preapproved elbow pad, which is not a significant rise from years past."
Mannywood
Members of the Dodgers' staff from top to bottom still haven't heard much from Manny Ramirez, and they are seething privately in the aftermath of last week's suspension. What it comes down to is this: The team's $45 million investment in the slugger will never fully pay off now in the way that the club envisioned when it decided to pay him more than market price to return to L.A., and the Dodgers want him to be accountable for his crime against the organization. They want him to do baseball's version of the perp walk, and given the circumstances, you can't blame them.
Ramirez plans to return to Florida in the next few days, teammates tell Kevin Baxter. Bud Selig isn't talking about Manny, writes Bill Shaikin.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers gave up six steals and have been 1-4 since Ramirez was suspended.
Back in Boston, David Ortiz said he is shocked and confused by Manny's suspension.
Moves, deals and decisions
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Buster Olney
