Dunston Struggles To Harness Immense Talent

Ducking in and out of street corners in Brooklyn, throwing rocks and snowballs at cars and pedestrians, Shawon Dunston maybe sensed at a young age the gift he possessed.

The former No. 1 draft pick is rated by most scouts as having the strongest arm of any infielder in baseball. It is an erratic gift the Chicago Cubs’ shortstop owns, and one that’s edged with a volatile personality.

One thing Dunston doesn’t lack is confidence. His bravado began back in his hometown of Brooklyn and has carried into his third year with the Cubs.

“I feel relaxed out there. If there is a play in the hole and I see I can get it, I’ll throw because I have a strong arm. I have confidence in it,” he said. “But I also realize you can’t throw out everyone. Sometimes you’ve got to hold it.”

Dunston smiles when he talks about the development of his athletic ability.

“I never practiced. Being in the streets in Brooklyn I used to throw snowballs and rocks at cars and people,” he said. “It doesn’t take me long to warm up as a result. I can throw 10 throws and I’m ready for the whole season.”

The snowball fights on the Brooklyn streets strengthened his arm to the point where Dunston believes he can outgun any other infielder in baseball.

“Yeah, when you throw those rocks from a far distance, you improve your arm strength,” Dunston said. “Listen, you don’t hurt anyone. Every kid did that when they were young. I did everything the other kids did.”

From the time he came up to the Cubs in 1985, Dunston has shown flashes of brilliance and moodiness. He also has shown an enthusiasm for the game.

“Yes, the enthusiasm leads to a lot of positives. I’m happy to be a Cub and I’m playing and having fun. I play with the best second baseman in the league,” he said, referring to teammate Ryne Sandberg. “People say I’m hyper but I just have a lot of energy to waste. Maybe I just need to relax a little.”

Cubs’ Manager Gene Michael, who had run-ins with his talented shortstop late last season, says he would like to see Dunston calm down and play under control.

“I think Sandberg can help him out there,” Michael said. “He just needs to mature a little bit and realize what he’s out there doing and that he must play within himself.”

Dunston said he doesn’t want to temper his enthusiasm because it would affect his play on the field.

“Well, it’s difficult to not be aggressive. Take for example walking. It’s tough for me to take a walk,” Dunston said. “I want to get at least 40 or 50 walks this year. If that’s maturing, fine, I’ll do it.”

The Cubs had experimented with using Dunston in the leadoff position to take advantage of his speed. Because he went after bad pitches so often, he was juggled around the order. Michael seems set on keeping Dunston in the eight spot for the entire 1987 season.

“No, I don’t walk enough to lead off, I guess I learned that,” Dunston said. “Hubie Brooks told me how tough it is to bat eighth. There are situations you have to deal with with the pitcher coming up,” he said. “The only tough thing for me in the past has been the moving from leadoff to eighth and back and forth.”

Dunston posted solid offensive statistics in his first full season in 1986. He batted .250 with 17 home runs. This year, he got off to a slow start before raising his average above .200 at the end of April. His defensive problems -- he made 32 errors in 1986 -- detracted from his game. He has predicted better times.

“Well, I made errors but not many were fielding errors. I think 20 were throwing errors,” Dunston said. “So, I did improve last year and I’ll do better this year. The throws will come. I have a strong arm, one of the best. I just have to concentrate more.”

The presence of the low key, mild-mannered Sandberg alongside Dunston may help temper Dunston’s fielding.

“He already has helped a lot in that regard,” Dunston said. “He made me look good last year. He’s the best second baseman in the league. He does his job, minds his business. That’s what I want to do.”