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Mauricio Dubon has spent his whole life learning how to be a big-league shortstop, but at times this year, he has done his best to forget all that training.
Dubon was shifted into a utility role this spring by the new coaching staff, and that work has ramped up over the past two weeks at Oracle Park. While not all of the workouts are open to the media, Dubon has had a clear emphasis on outfield work over being in the infield thus far, and he has learned that the best way to make the transition, is to forget he's a shortstop.
"It's just forgetting everything I knew before, forgetting everything I knew and just learning how to play center field," Dubon said. "Some guys tell me that you play it the same way as you play shortstop, but for me that's hard to do. For me, it's just, 'I'm going to be a center fielder, so think as a center fielder.'"
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"My adaptability is pretty good. I've just got to switch my brain. Wherever I play, I'm that position. If I'm playing center field, I'm a center fielder. If I'm playing right field, I'm a right fielder. If I'm playing shortstop, I'm a shortstop. If I'm playing third base, I'm a third baseman."
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San Francisco Giants
For those watching intrasquad games in recent days, it has been hard to remember that Dubon is anything but a natural center fielder. He has looked smooth and athletic out there, and he had the highlight of Wednesday's game, a running catch at the track in deep right-center to rob Tyler Heineman of extra bases. Dubon always has played the infield with some flare and that has translated out to the grass. He punctuated that catch by leaping up and bumping his left shoulder against the padded wall.
"The improvement has been noticeable, not just by his teammates, but by our outfield coaches as well," manager Gabe Kapler said. "Pretty immediately, (outfield coach) Antoan Richardson noted that he's much more comfortable in the outfield and getting better reads."
That work mostly has been done from a mental standpoint, not a physical one. Dubon spent the hiatus in a high-rise Miami apartment with his fianceé and future brother-in-law, and he got his hitting work in by going to an Ace Hardware store and buying some PVC piping to build a cage on his balcony.
But any defensive work would have been a risky task, so Dubon took a different approach to his outfield transition. He got hold of veteran center fielders around the league and picked their brains over the phone. "Why are you so successful out there?" Dubon would ask.
"I'll try to emulate that and bring it to my game," he said last week.
Dubon ended last season as the Giants' starting second baseman, but the goal over the offseason was to make him a super-utility player, someone like a Kiké Hernandez or Chris Taylor who can play multiple positions over nine innings. Dubon should see plenty of time at shortstop against left-handed pitchers, and there has also been discussion of him playing the corner outfield spots.
The staff, though, believes that center might actually be the easiest transition despite the fact that it's the hardest of the three spots. In spring training, the coaches debated whether Dubon or Mike Yastrzemski would play center field if both were starting in the outfield. Right now, Dubon seems to be the preferred choice.
"One of the advantages of introducing a guy who has mostly played the infield to center is you get a really good look at the field," Kapler said. "You can read the ball off the bat and sometimes that's easier in center field. Center field can be an easier transition than playing the corners at times."
Kapler, a former outfielder himself, said he has seen improved reads and routes from Dubon. The athleticism is elite, and Kapler noted Dubon's "aptitude and attitude" have made the staff confident this will be an easy transition.
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Dubon's work is so far along that it wouldn't be a surprise to see him starting in center field on national television next Thursday at Dodger Stadium. The Giants want Dubon's right-handed bat in the lineup, and they'll move him all over the field to make sure he gets as many at-bats as possible alongside the many veterans on the infield. It's a role Dubon says he's ready for.
"I'm comfortable right now, I don't doubt my ability," he said. "I'm excited to be out there. Sometimes (coaches and teammates) get on me because they're like 'Hey, you've got to work on shortstop,' but I like the outfield too. It's fun. I'm enjoying it and I'm ready to be out there."