Dunn gets star treatment upon return to camp

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Hollywood followed Adam Dunn home Tuesday.

Returning to White Sox camp after his weekend getaway to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards, Dunn received the celebrity treatment for the second time this week as his team rolled out red carpet from the entrance of the clubhouse to his locker, where velvet ropes and cardboard Oscar cutouts greeted the slugger.

"This one is way cooler, way less stressful," Dunn said of the prank. "I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but I was really expecting something. I just wasn't expecting something that good."

Dunn, who was initially apprehensive about leaving the team to make the trip, felt better about the decision upon his return. He got to watch "Dallas Buyers Club," a film in which he invested and made a cameo as a bartender, win three awards, including Best Actor for Matthew McConaughey and Best Supporting Actor for Jared Leto.

.@adamdunn_44 found a remodeled locker when he returned to the #WhiteSox clubhouse after his trip to the #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/kTWnXJnLUS

- Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 4, 2014

"When you come back, it never feels as bad as when you have to leave," Dunn said. "Obviously, everybody here has made it really easy, and it was just fine. It was a cool experience."

Dunn said he walked the real red carpet at the Oscars "quickly" and laughed when asked the customary fashion question, "Who were you wearing?"

"Men's Wearhouse, I think," Dunn said. "Nothing cool, no 'Dumb and Dumber.'"

Despite not getting the chance to hold one of the Oscars, Dunn did attend a couple of after-parties, although he came away none too impressed with how Hollywood celebrates its biggest night.

"I wouldn't call them parties. I know what a party is, and those aren't parties," Dunn said, smiling. "These are more social gatherings, social events, but the networking side of it was second to none because a lot of very significant people in that world are just milling around, rubbing shoulders."

Dunn said he bumped into a bunch of celebs over the weekend, but he couldn't narrow down the list to his favorites. Well, besides the star of his movie that is.

"I met some cool ones, but I'm going to have to go with Matthew, he's pretty cool," Dunn said. "There were a lot of people there, man."

None of those Hollywood regulars, however, recognized Dunn, a 14-year Major League veteran and two-time All-Star.

"Absolutely not, this is a different level of coolness," he said. "That's a level of coolness I haven't seen before."

Film festivities behind him, Dunn made his first appearance of the spring Tuesday for the White Sox, serving as the club's designated hitter against the Indians. He finished the 5-4 loss 0-for-3, but had an RBI hit stolen from him by a nice snag up the middle from Cleveland starting pitcher Zach McAllister in the first inning.

Back to his day job, Dunn said he isn't thinking about what his next project will be. But with an appearance in an Oscar-nominated movie now on his résumé, the 34-year-old insists he's still the same old Adam Dunn.

"I'm still cool, dude," he said. "I was way cool before this, too."