Friday, April 8, 2011
Posted: 1:49 p.m.
By Chuck Garfien
CSNChicago.com
Adam Dunn had experienced stomach pains before, but never quite like this. For several days, there were shooting pains coming from the upper reaches of his abdomen. He assumed it wasnt anything serious.
That was until he flipped on the television while in his hotel room in Kansas City on Tuesday morning and saw a story about the Cardinal's Matt Holliday who needed his appendix taken out after playing on Opening Day.
The reporter mentioned Hollidays symptoms. Dunn made a mental checklist
Got that ... got that ... got that, he said to himself.
Uh-oh.
MLB
READ: Dunn still healing, feeling feisty
Wednesday at 2:30 a.m., White Sox general manager Kenny Williams received a phone call. It was team trainer Herm Schneider calling from a Kansas City hospital, informing him that Williams 56 million slugger was about to have an emergency appendectomy.
In an interview with Comcast SportsNet on Thursday, I asked Williams what his reaction was when he heard the stunning news.
I cant tell you exactly right now because this is family TV, Williams said with a smile, able to make light of the situation now that Dunn is on the mend.
It was one of those things where you go in to get something checked out, and before you know it, youre having an operation, Schneider said.
The procedure would last around 25 minutes, and Dunn needed to go completely under with anesthesia. He and Schneider would spend the whole night in the hospital.
Its like we had a baby together, Schneider joked.
Shockingly Dunn wanted to pinch-hit the next day, although that might have been the painkillers talking.
I think that was the problem, Dunn said. I was on too good of ones.
So when will Dunn be back? He's not starting Friday night. The weekend seems like a possibility.
Its not the pain, Dunn said before the White Sox home opener. I feel like when I swing, my belly button is going to go shooting at the pitcher. Thats a bad visual. Seriously. Thats what it feels like. Until that goes away, where I can swing and not feel like that .... I want to get it to the point where its not bothering me.
WATCH: Sights & Sounds from Opening Day at U.S. Cellular Field
Williams is urging utter patience in regards to Jake Peavy's return from a shoulder injury. What about Dunn?
Hes 6-6, 270 pounds, its not like Im going to fight with him and argue if he really wants to get out there, Williams said. But well be as cautious as we need to be, as we always are in making these kinds of decisions. If the doctors say hes okay and he wants to play, Im not going to stop him.
Judging by the White Sox offense so far, they dont exactly need to rush him back. Their 45 runs are tied with the Reds for the most in the majors. One of the reasons is the red-hot Carlos Quentin, who is tied with Mark Teixeira for most RBIs (10) in the majors, and is second in the AL in batting average (.458).
What Id like to see is Carlos stay as even keel as he possibly can and have less media focus on him because weve really tried to put together a roster to where its not dependent upon one particular guy overachieving, Williams said. We just need everyone to do their parts, and I will tell you that Greg Walker has these guys in such great positions to hit early in the season that Im really optimistic about the entire offensive production this year.
But ask any White Sox fan from Bridgeport to Blue Island, and their biggest worry is the bullpen, which has occasionally gotten torched.
Is it merely a blip or is Williams generally concerned?
I refuse to be generally concerned about anything five games into the season, Williams said. It takes sometimes, whether it be hitters or certain pitchers, it takes some guys coming out of spring training, you can have the hottest guy on your team turn into the coldest, and the coldest turn into the hottest. Everything will level out. We have a level of talent on this team that I think will ultimately prove itself over the course of 162. Five games? Im not going to start analyzing it too deeply.
Unless theres another appendix that needs to be taken out.
Chuck Garfien hosts White Sox Pregame and Postgame Live on Comcast SportsNet with former Sox sluggers Frank Thomas and Bill Melton. Follow Chuck @ChuckGarfien on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Sox news and views.