The plan: Go long, go stroll, go back

The phrase was made immortal in a TV commercial featuring two Cy Young winners.

Former Atlanta stars Tom Glavine and Greg Maddox were watching ex-Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire hit monstrous shots in batting practice as dozens of pretty young women shrieked and called out to the big fella.

The unforgettable punch line was delivered by Maddox as the crowd of females ignored them: “Chicks dig the long ball.”

Probably, but regardless of future date potential, the long ball is taking over baseball — even when it comes with boatloads of strikeouts.

Geeks will tell you that any at-bat can have only three “pure outcomes,” a strikeout, a walk or a home run.

There have been brutes over the years who could hit the ball a mile — guys like Dave Kingman and Rob Deer come to mind — but they’d strike out 220 times a year and never get on base any other way.

But then came Adam Dunn, a 6-foot-6 masher who made his name with Cincinnati and then kicked around in his 30s.

DUNN WAS a different creature.

He provided plenty of homers, along with what ESPN anchor Dan Patrick used to call “...and the whiff!”

But Dunn also was selective. He didn’t chase as many bad pitches as previous all-or-nothing guys, and wasn’t too proud to accept a walk.

Dunn’s first full season was 2002, and he reached an unusual benchmark with at least 25 homers, 70 walks and 150 Ks.

Only three other players managed that trifecta in the same year — Derrek Lee, Mike Cameron and Pat Burrell.

Now using that 25/70/150 as a measuring stick going forward, things have exploded.

This season, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge ALREADY has reached all three numbers, and 13 more players are on pace to join him — with Mariners fans perhaps surprised that Nelson Cruz is not in that group.

Despite his 31 homers and 100 RBIs, Cruz has struck out only 105 times.

At any rate, if things stay on course and 13 players match the “Adam Dunn Triple” (Adam himself did it nine times), they will top the previous high of eight.

Part of it is the pitching, of course. Scouts and managers are now looking hard for guys who throw brutal heat and rack up plenty of Ks.

There’s an obvious logic to that: Balls that are never put in play cannot be muffed or flared just over the shortstop’s head.

BUT THERE is also logic on the offensive side.

Advanced metrics suggest that strikeouts are not as bad as historically believed — although you might want to ignore the 2015 Kansas City Royals with that argument.

The Royals struck out less than any team in baseball, and getting wood on pitches lifted them all the way to a World Series title.

Right, so assuming that the lots-of-contact Royals were a fluke, teams these days are happy to have those 25/70/150 swingers.

Of the 13 players on pace for those numbers, the Diamondbacks and Brewers have two each — and both teams seem headed for the playoffs.

Dunn is a bit flummoxed by it all.

“Everything evolves, and this is the era we’re in,” Dunn told ESPN this year. “People see if you hit homers and drive in a lot of runs, you’re going to get where you want to get financially.”

Money aside, though, Dunn understands the trade-off.

“Does it help a team if you have a couple of those guys?” he said. “Yeah, but if you have nine of them, it’s going to be tough.”

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Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press. Reach Steve at: [email protected].