Adam Dunn is on pace for worst qualifying batting average since 1909

and Dan Uggla is (or at least was) on pace to have the fourth worst batting average since 1918.

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Perhaps lost in the glow of Edwin Jackson's shutout Saturday was another oh-fer by ChiSox DH Adam Dunn (0-4, 3 Ks).

Dunn's batting average is now .159, giving him a 20-point "lead" in the backwards race for the worst qualifying BA in the live-ball era. Rob Deer currently holds that distinction with his .179 average in 1991; only one other qualified batter has finished below .190 in a live-ball season (Eddie Joost, .185 in 1943).

But the 91 years of the live-ball era may not be big enough to contain Dunn's futility. So let's cast the net all the way back to 1893, when the 60' 6" pitching distance was established. The only player with a qualified BA under .160 was the notorious non-hitting catcher Bill Bergen, who did it twice (while compiling a lifetime .170 average): .159 in 1906, matching Dunn's current mark; and the all-time record of .139 in 1909. And Bergen's 372 PAs in both seasons would not have qualified by the modern standard; the qualifying threshold at the time was 100 games.

In his last 47 games, Dunn is 19 for 161, a .118 average, with 76 strikeouts -- 4 times his hit total. He has just two 2-hit games in that span, and the 2nd hit in one of those games came in the 14th inning. He has 3 Ks or more in 11 of his last 44 starts.

Dunn is 4 for 43 in July. That's one less hit this month than Derek Jeter had in his 3,000th-hit game, and just one more hit than Jose Reyes had in the 12 innings he played this month before going on the DL.

Whew.

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Dunn also say he's thought about retirement.

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CBSSports.com senior writer Evan Brunell reported Wednesday that White Sox 1B Adam Dunn has thought about considering retirement while being mired in a seemingly never-ending slump this season. The story was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. “If I’m not having fun anymore, I’ll go home,” Dunn said. “Flat out. I’ll go home. I mean that. Swear to goodness. I’ll. Go. Home. I enjoy playing. Even though I suck. Or have been sucking. I enjoy playing the game. Love it. But as soon as I lose that, I’m gone, dude. It’s true." Dunn was held out of Wednesday's game with a sore knee.
(Updated 07/20/2011)

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A month ago, I thought Dunn has to turn it around at some point but he's not getting any better. In fact, he's getting worse with a .100 batting average in the month of July. He seemed to be a lock to reach 500 homeruns but I'm not so sure anymore. At this rate, he might not even get to 400. Might be the fastest non-injury, PED or age-related decline by a player I've ever seen.