Dorn Looks to Make Third Year in Louisville the Charm

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Although many prospects and big names have came and went through the Louisville Bats organization over the past few years, there are others who have steadily developed at the triple-A level, honing their skills and waiting for their chance at an opportunity in the big leagues.

One such player that has paid his dues in Louisville is Danny Dorn, a 26-year-old left-hander who has spent each of the past two seasons with the Bats, playing numerous positions while developing into an integral part of the Bats division-title winning teams of 2009 and 2010.

Dorn's 2011 season has started off even more promising, starting five of the Bats' first six games, all at first base. With first base prospect Yonder Alonso getting most of his early season starts in left field, Dorn has taken advantage of the extended playing time, batting a sizzling .529, and starting the season on a five-game hitting streak. Dorn has already had three multi-hit games thus far in 2011, to go with a homer and 4 RBIs.

Last year, Dorn fought through a broken hand that shelved him for over a month early in the season to hit .302, an average that would have ranked him among the top-10 in the league if he had enough plate appearances. In just 84 games, Dorn ripped 13 home runs and drove in 46 runs to go with 24 doubles, all of which ranked among the team leaders. In the midst of the team's playoff push in early September, Dorn registered back-to-back 4 RBI games, production that helped push the Bats to a third straight division crown.

Dorn was also a valuable asset for Bats' manager Rick Sweet in regards to the lineup card, as the six-foot-two, 205-pound southpaw started multiple games at both corner outfield spots, as well as first base and designated hitter. This type of versatility kept Dorn on the Louisville roster for the duration of the 2010 campaign, one of only six players to stay with the team from the beginning of the year all the way through their playoff series against Durham.

After spending 2008 among the double-A league leaders in power numbers, Dorn started and finished the 2009 campaign in Louisville, and immediately made his impact on a team that had multiple weapons in its offensive arsenal. Dorn, a 2006 draft pick by the Reds from Cal-State Fullerton, enjoyed an injury free season in 2009, finishing the campaign with 14 homers and 47 RBIs in 112 contests.

Dorn's stellar play over the past two seasons has gotten him noticed by the Reds' brass, earning him a spot on the team's spring training roster in each of the past two years. With another year of seasoning and production at the triple-A level, Dorn can only hope that his third year in Louisville is a charm, and he gets a crack at his major-league debut sometime in the near future.