Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings January 14, 2015 CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Aroldis Chapman donation propels MSJ locker room renovation By Shannon Russell / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] There's nothing like having an updated home locker room, and a donation by Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman ensured just that for Mount St. Joseph's men's volleyball team. The three-month project features 21 custom wood lockers and new flooring. More from MSJ: "This project absolutely could not have been completed without Mr. Chapman's generosity,'' coach Ryan Lengerich said. "He has ties to this program and believes in its mission and commitment to winning on the court, in the classroom and in the community. We are forever grateful and proud to have him as a friend to the program." The Mount building and grounds staff gutted the locker room in October, including removing small metal lockers and a privacy wall, which significantly increased the usable space in the locker room. New ceiling, trim and wall paint was followed by new flooring and custom lockers from JR Customs Unlimited in Hamilton. The locker room is a special place where the athletes celebrate the wins and pick each other up in defeat," Lengerich said. "These student-athletes deserve this locker room. They never asked for it, they only worked hard each day and were thankful for what they had. They are a humble group, and there is no doubt they will treat this locker room with respect and enjoy it." The men's volleyball locker room is provided by the university for use solely by the team. "No team ever won more games because of a locker room, but MSJ men's volleyball is about more than winning, it's about an experience," Lengerich said. "This locker room helps enhance the student-athlete experience, and for that the program is so very thankful." MLB.COM Chapman’s generosity benefits college volleyball team Reds closer donates 80 percent of funds required to refurbish Mount St. Joseph locker room By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon CINCINNATI -- The Mount St. Joseph University men's volleyball team doesn't have a huge budget, nor does it get a ton of media attention. The Lions do not play home games in front of thousands of fans at their gym. But this is a program that can say it has one very good friend in Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. Last week, the small Division III school on the west side of Cincinnati completed a three-month renovation project of a locker room used exclusively by the men's volleyball players and coaches. The room included 21 brand-new custom wood lockers and new flooring. Most of the funding for it came via a generous donation from Chapman. What links Chapman to the program is volleyball player Cesar Trigo de Serrano, a senior from Miami, Fla., whose parents are from Cuba -- just like the three-time National League All-Star. Chapman defected from the communist nation in 2009 and signed a six- year, $30.25 million contract with the Reds in January 2010. de Serrano moved to Cincinnati several years ago before enrolling at MSJ as an adult transfer student. He also became a friend of Chapman's. "We have seen him at our matches in the past because Cesar is a very close friend of his," men's volleyball coach Ryan Lengerich told MLB.com. "When it came time that we were considering the locker room renovation, Aroldis found out about us raising money for this project and he made a donation. He's been to our matches and has seen what we're all about. We've all met him. "He understands what the [school] and the volleyball team has done for Cesar and his life. I think he sees that and that's what had Aroldis become a supporter of our program." The new locker room should help with recruiting, Lengerich believed, especially since the school does not offer athletic scholarships. But it also adds much more. "A new locker room really adds to the experience. It's a sacred place where a lot goes on prior to a game, after a game, meetings and talking," Lengerich said. "These are guys that are teammates and will be lifelong friends. A locker room is a really special place for them." Lengerich declined to disclose the cost of the project and would not specify the amount of money Chapman contributed. But he did say that it covered 80 percent of the renovation while the team raised funds for the rest itself. "This doesn't happen without him, but my guys worked hard also to cover the rest of it," Lengerich said. "I didn't want them to think things are just handed to you. I wanted my guys to have a stake in it also. "What makes a large donation or a small donation doesn't necessarily have to do with the amount given, but the impact it has on those who benefit. Whether the amount Aroldis gave the volleyball program is a lot or a little is subjective. What I do know is that the positive impact his donation had on the 18 student-athletes and two coaches in the men's volleyball program is remarkable, and we could not be more thankful." At some point, the school would like to publicly thank Chapman for the donation and show him the locker room he helped underwrite. "The trick with that is matching up our schedule with his schedule," Lengerich said. "We need to look for a date when Aroldis is in town and we could have some kind of ceremony and have him see it before a game. We have a plaque that's going on the wall that thanks him for his generosity." FOXSPORTS.COM A fond farewell to the actually great Adam Dunn By Stephen Mast / FOX Sports So long, Big Donkey... Monday, Adam Dunn confirmed all his fans' biggest fears by officially announcing his retirement at the ripe young age of 35. Another one gone too soon. Despite the criticism he's taken the last few years following his abysmal 2011 season with the White Sox, Dunn was a great player and I'll be damned if he's just going to retire without a proper goodbye. Sure, he's never played in a playoff game, but now that he's retired, you can wipe out that "most games played by an active player without a postseason appearance" title. Now he's just 14th on the all-time list of most games played without a postseason appearance. And guess who's atop that list? Hall of famer Ernie Banks, that's who. Sure, it's highly unlikely that Adam Dunn makes the Hall of Fame. But look at all the other great players who aren't in there: Bonds, Clemens, J.T. Snow, J.T. Bruett. Dunn debuted only 14 years ago with the Cincinnati Reds. He was a big, huge man with the unique ability to stroke 40 home runs, strikeout 200 times in one season, and look like country music star Toby Keith. Dunn hit 19 dingers his rookie year (in only 66 games), and if not for Albert Pujols, Roy Oswalt, and Jimmy Rollins, he would have won the NL Rookie of the Year. What Dunn did do was hit more than 40 homers in five straight seasons. Not even Albert Pujols has done that. Hell, last year Dunn hit 22 home runs. That's better than what most 35-year-olds are doing with their time. In fact, Dunn and Pujols have a lot in common. They were born only two months apart. They both debuted at age 21 in 2001. And they both came up on teams in the NL Central. Actually, that's the majority of what they have in common. They're very different players. Pujols hit for average while also hitting for power, and he frequently walked more times than he struck out. Dunn didn't do that once in his career. Dunn either walked or struck out in 45 percent of his at-bats (which is astounding!). For Pujols, that number is 22 percent. But this comparison is pretty unfair considering Pujols will go down as one of the best players of his generation. However, there's no disputing that Dunn was a player in a generation. And that generation oohed and aahed over power. They oohed and aahed over Dunn doing this: And this: He even pitched the 9th inning of a game: He was very durable, and had an excellent seven-year peak from 2004-10 where he averaged 40 HR, 101 RBI, 94 R, 158 games played, and a .253/.381/.533 slash line. That's really, really good! Plus, he made more than $100 million in the majors and now has a budding acting career to fall back on. Not half bad for some kid outta Houston. Not half bad for anyone. So good job, Adam Dunn. Truly. You had a great career and you will be missed. BLEACHER REPORT Predicting Which Team Will Undergo MLB’s Next Full-Blown Fire Sale By Karl Buscheck / Bleacher Report Now is not the time to panic. There are still more than two-and-a-half months before the MLB regular season gets underway, but it's also not too early to look out onto the horizon and predict which clubs could be in for a seriously disappointing year in 2015. What follows is a rundown of the teams that are most likely to bottom out next season and undergo a major fire sale before the trade deadline arrives.