© Jeff Curry | 2019 Sep 2
When prospects make it to the big leagues they have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest players in the world.
This happens throughout most sports, but in the Bay Area there is a proud tradition of prospects and young players learning from their legendary predecessors and eventually taking the reigns from them.
The San Francisco 49ers went from Joe Montana to Steve Young and from Jerry Rice to Terrell Owens.
The Golden State Warriors went from Monta Ellis to Stephen Curry.
The San Francisco Giants went from Matt Cain to Tim Lincecum to Madison Bumgarner.
The Giants could be on the verge of repeating this process several times in the coming years as their farm system continues to develop, and infielder Mauricio Dubon could be the first of this new wave.
Dubon joined the Murph & Mac show on Friday morning to discuss his time with the Giants and how he is learning from the veterans in the clubhouse like Brandon Crawford by asking them as many questions as he can.
“Everything,” Dubon said. “I mean I ask him everything, like situations in the game what should I do. Like I have this type of swing, what should I do in this one? Sometimes I communicate with him telling him like: ‘Hey if my ball hits on this side I’m gonna go here’ so it’s kinda like anticipating the play and everything.
“Also, I mean he’s been a gold glove so he’s one of the best shortstops in the league too so I mean someday I hope I can achieve what he achieved before. I just ask him ‘How’d you do that play?’, ‘Hey, how do you make this play?’, ‘What would you do on this play?’ so it’s like situations of the game.”
Crawford has been the shortstop of the Giants for the last nine seasons and is a two-time world champion, two-time All-Star, and a three-time gold glove award winner. Dubon, who can play both second base and shortstop, could not have found a more perfect mentor as he begins his major league career.
Dubon has played six games for the Giants and has five hits in 19 at-bats and has already made several jaw-dropping defensive plays, much like the star shortstop he grew up watching.
For now though, Dubon is living the dream and doing whatever the team needs him to do, whether that is playing shortstop or second base.
“It don’t matter, honestly. It don’t matter, like it’s baseball, you’ve just gotta be athletic. But it don’t matter, I love playing both, as long as I’m in the field playing.”
Listen to the full interview with Mauricio Dubon below. To hear him talk about learning from Brandon Crawford start from 2:15.
