Trade draws former Pelican Dunston Jr. closer to lifelong dream

It appeared that Shawon Dunston Jr. had a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps with the Chicago Cubs.

Now, the prospect is on a path to potentially play under his father with the San Francisco Giants.

On Thursday, the Cubs traded Dunston Jr. to the Giants – the team with whom Dunston Sr. happens to be a special assistant and video-replay coach for – and assigned to the Class A Augusta (Ga.) GreenJackets.

“Want to thank the [Cubs] for drafting me in 2011,” Dunston Jr. said via his Twitter page (@SdunstonJr333). “Made some great friends on the way, but couldn't be more excited getting traded to the San Francisco Giants today. Can’t be more happy [for] the opportunity playing for the team I grew up rooting for. Go Giants.”

Dunston Sr. was drafted by the Cubs as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1982 MLB Draft and was a star in Chicago for 12 seasons. Dunston Sr. also had three stints with the San Francisco Giants, for whom he finished his career with.

Dunston Jr. watched many games from the dugout in San Francisco when his father played for the team, which he said helped fuel his passion to become a player.

“It was great. I saw my dad play a lot toward the last part of his career. I do remember being in the clubhouse all the time, seeing Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, Rich Aurilia on an everyday basis. That was pretty fun to watch all those guys play and go about their business,” he said. “It was a pretty fun experience and I met some really cool people and learned a lot, just trying to get advice from as many as a I can and apply it to my game.”

Dunston Jr. will always hear the comparisons of his game to his father’s, but he doesn’t let that get to him. He just wants to play his own brand of baseball, all while making his dad proud.

“First of all, he played infield and I play outfield. He batted righty, I bat left,” Dunston Jr. said. “But I think we’re both athletic and I obviously grind like he did. He taught me how to play the game hard and get after it. I show when I do play that I want it real bad and I get after it and try to keep the name in good hands.”

Dunston Jr. didn’t receive much playing time this season as a member of the Cub’' Class A-Advanced affiliate Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and compiled a .217 batting average with five RBIs and 11 runs scored in 37 games. He hopes the new start in Augusta will help get him on the right track.

“Obviously, I want to get my numbers up. It’s been a slow start; a start I didn’t expect and didn’t want," Dunston Jr. said. “But it happens, and I have to just grind it out every day and hopefully good things will happen going forward.”

Pelicans manager Buddy Bailey believes Dunston Jr. can succeed and said he just needs to trust “the process.”

“He’s made some great defensive plays but he’s been kind of streaky at the plate. Sometimes he lights you up and the next time he struggles to get the ball in play. But he’s committed and he works hard and does everything that’s asked of him,” Bailey said. “He doesn’t always have the results that he’d like, but as long as you keep working and doing the right thing – you’ll give yourself the best opportunity to have good results and he does that.”

Dunston Jr. and Dunston Sr. have met on the baseball diamond before.

In a Cactus League spring training game in Mesa, Ariz., during the 2013 season, Dunston Sr. was an instructor with the San Francisco Giants, who were playing the Chicago Cubs at the time. Dunston Jr. was inserted as a defensive sub in center field during the sixth inning and finished the game, going 1-for-2 as he picked up a single off then-Giants closer Sergio Romo.

They met again in March as the Cubs played San Francisco in a Cactus League game. Dunston Jr. and his fatherwould chat and share a hug after the game.

“It was pretty much like a dream,” Dunston Jr. said.

While they were special father-son moments, Dunston Jr. is still awaiting another reunion with dad.

“I’m just hoping for the day when I’m in the big leagues and my dad’s coaching [me],” he said. “That’s one day I’m looking forward to.”

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Trade draws former Pelican Dunston Jr. closer to lifelong dream."