Leave it to Shawon Dunston to do something like this.
He couldn’t just fade away–take his $12 million and say so long, suckers.
No way. Not Dunston. He likes to rattle people’s cages, do the unexpected.
He’s the kind of guy who will yell at his best friends, get right in their faces and call them the filthiest names he learned growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., then slowly melt into a high-pitched giggle and flash one of the world’s most captivating smiles that says what he really meant all along and couldn’t quite bring himself to put into words: “I love you, man.”
Dunston has moved into the “I-love-you” stage of his career.
At age 32, three years removed from major back surgery that would have ended many a career, Dunston is having a dream season. And in the process, he is dissolving a world of anger into a sea of smiles just when things should be getting ugly.
Dunston is in the final months of a four-year, $12-million contract that, for a brief while in the winter of 1991, made him the highest-paid shortstop in baseball, and for a long while, alienated him from many fans.
The first two years of the contract, Dunston took home $6 million for playing 25 games. He earned another $3 million for hitting .278 in 88 games last season.
This year, most fans figured Dunston would play out the string, hit somewhere around his .261 lifetime average, and move on to greener bucks somewhere else. Good riddance, Shawon.
Instead, the oldest active player to spend his entire career in a Cubs uniform is hitting .343 with 11 homers and 50 runs batted in. Dunston’s average is second only to five-time batting champion Tony Gwynn, who comes to town Tuesday night with the San Diego Padres for the first of three games at Wrigley Field.
Add to his hitting the fact that Dunston has been healthy enough to play in 83 of the first 93 games and, suddenly, the long good-bye that seemed so certain at the start of the season is a muddle.
“I don’t even want to think about being in another uniform,” says Dunston. “Just because I’m having a career year doesn’t mean I’m going to forget the organization.”
But the organization might forget him. Or, more accurately, the organization might remember that he is a 32-year-old with a history of injuries who’s making $3 million a year.
“He’s had some significant injuries. He missed quite a bit of time,” says General Manager Ed Lynch. “It’s nice to see him where he can play basically full time again. He’s really a medical marvel to come back and perform the way he has.
“But what the future holds for Shawon and a lot of free-agent people, I can’t say right away. We’re going to have to some long, hard thinking.”
The thought process is already under way. The California Angels called the other day asking about the availability of Dunston and the Cubs’ other two shortstops–Rey Sanchez and Jose Hernandez–as possible replacements for their injured starter Gary DiSarcina.
The Cubs certainly wouldn’t want to unload a player having the kind of year Dunston is having, but they know Sanchez can fill in ably with the bat and glove. And moving Dunston now would free them of one more painful and costly decision during the off-season.
Still, Dunston would be hard to replace. The Cubs are just 6 1/2 games behind Houston in the chase for the National League wild-card berth.
Not only does Dunston lead the team in hitting, he is one of the few Cubs who is hitting well in clutch situations, going 30 for 74 with runners in scoring position.
“Shawon has done everything he can possibly do to put himself in a position to stay with the Chicago Cubs,” said manager Jim Riggleman. “He’s played All-Star quality baseball. We’re just going to have to make a call and say he’s all the way back and he’s going to be a quality shortstop for a few more years or we’re going to have to go the other way.”
That said, Dunston would seem a perfect mix for the Angels if they could offer quality in return. Dunston’s $3 million salary and history of back problems might make it possible for him to clear waivers, which all players have to do now that the July 31 trade deadline has passed.
In addition, Dunston has postseason experience–something important for the playoff-bound Angels.
Dunston went to the playoffs with the Cubs in 1989 and says that, without question, is the highlight of his career.
“The ’89 playoffs first, then my first major-league hit and being in the All-Star Game at Wrigley Field,” said Dunston, typically rattling off a list when asked to name the single greatest moment of his career.
“And getting a standing ovation when I came back and pinch hit against the Mets. That was great. Yes, the fans read everything that was said in the papers about me not working hard and never coming back. They could have booed me and listened to Larry Himes. But they made up their own minds and I’ll never forget it.”
Dunston thought Himes never gave him enough credit for the hard work it took to come back from surgery. He said he believed Himes questioned his work ethic and tried to turn the fans against him.
So, what is Dunston’s worst memory in Chicago?
“That’s easy. Two letters: L.H.,” said Dunston. “He got rid of Andre Dawson and Greg Maddux. That was the worst. How can I still be here and they both be gone?”
For a moment, Dunston’s face was lined with anger. But just for a moment. Then he smiled and walked away.
