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Discuss.
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third pick of the night, third reach of the night
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"potential third round pick"
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/210960834/v1452382183/draft-report-joe-dunand-college-shorstop
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oh makes sense now - he's from Miami and is A-Rod's nephew
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http://nypost.com/2017/06/11/perks-and-downside-of-being-a-rods-nephew-whose-day-is-here/
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http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/uncle-alex-rodriguez-guides-joe-dunand-greater-heights/#Sl5vkk2LlERJbcAD.99
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third pick of the night, third reach of the night
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"potential third round pick"
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/210960834/v1452382183/draft-report-joe-dunand-college-shorstop
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oh makes sense now - he's from Miami and is A-Rod's nephew
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http://nypost.com/2017/06/11/perks-and-downside-of-being-a-rods-nephew-whose-day-is-here/
Joe Dunand Jr. never wondered about his future. He never had to weigh different career paths.
For as long as he can remember, it was always baseball. After all, he wanted to emulate his uncle. Of course, this wasn’t just any ordinary uncle who had a few shining moments on the diamond.
It was Alex Rodriguez.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a baby [to play professional baseball],” the 21-year-old N.C. State infielder said in a phone interview prior to this week’s MLB Draft, which begins with the first two rounds on Monday night. “Growing up in the clubhouses, hanging around my uncle, being around [major league players], seeing what those guys did for a living, there’s nothing better than playing baseball.
“Those moments influenced my dreams.”
He’s closing in on one of those dreams: Getting drafted. After a stellar high school career at Gulliver Prep in Miami — which included setting a national high school record of hitting home runs in eight straight at-bats — Dunand landed a scholarship at N.C. State. He had a strong career there, blasting 18 home runs this year and helping the Wolfpack reach the NCAA Tournament.
“It feels like just yesterday he was down in Tampa or at Yankee Stadium, and I was throwing him batting practice when he was 10, 11, 12 years old,” Rodriguez said in a phone interview. “And here he is now right on the steps of hopefully what is a long career for him.”
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect insists he wouldn’t be where he is without his famous uncle. He often would spend time with A-Rod during the summer, going on road trips, and would visit spring training. He would take batting practice and field ground balls with his uncle and other Yankees.
He always has been able to get advice from Rodriguez, whom he affectionately called “Tio Alex” — Uncle Alex in Spanish — growing up. The best wisdom A-Rod has given him is emphasizing the importance of eating healthy and maintaining his focus and routine in difficult times.
“Alex has been a guiding light for Joe,” said his father, Joe Dunand Sr., who is A-Rod’s half-brother. “Alex has been very frank. When he hasn’t looked good, he tells him, ‘You have to work on this.’ Or when he has looked good, he tells him [what he’s doing well].
“He really sees the talent [in Joe]. He tells him all the time, ‘Joe, you can play this game 12-15 years.’”
Scouts see his promise. He is ranked No. 130 by Baseball America, and one American League crosschecker who is familiar with him said he believes he can go as high as the third round. Dunand’s 18 homers this year were tied for 20th-most in the nation, and the scout raved about the potential in his bat.
“He has a chance to have plus power,” the scout said. “Fifteen-to-20-home-run type [of guy]. He has plenty of raw power.”
Being Rodriguez’s nephew did have a downside. There have been unfair comparisons to one of the sport’s all-time greats. Dunand would get heckled because of his lightning rod of an uncle’s past transgressions with performance-enhancing drugs. It taught him at a young age how to deal with criticism.
“That helped me deal with adversity,” he said. “Anywhere I go, I feel I’m going to hear stuff about my uncle, about my family. I don’t pay attention to things people say. I know what my family is about. I know what my uncle is about. I know what I’m about.”
But Rodriguez doesn’t think that’s his nephew’s greatest attribute.
“The best part about him is his makeup. It’s off the charts,” A-Rod said. “He’s not going to be overwhelmed by the stage, because he’s grown up on the stage.”
When Dunand watched Rodriguez in his days in the big leagues, he always envisioned himself in the same position one day. That remains the goal, not merely to get drafted and reach the majors, but to carve out a career for himself. It’s more realistic now. But that can’t happen without hearing his name called.
“We take those steps to get to this step,” Dunand said. “It starts all over when you get drafted.”
Then, another dream begins.
For as long as he can remember, it was always baseball. After all, he wanted to emulate his uncle. Of course, this wasn’t just any ordinary uncle who had a few shining moments on the diamond.
It was Alex Rodriguez.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a baby [to play professional baseball],” the 21-year-old N.C. State infielder said in a phone interview prior to this week’s MLB Draft, which begins with the first two rounds on Monday night. “Growing up in the clubhouses, hanging around my uncle, being around [major league players], seeing what those guys did for a living, there’s nothing better than playing baseball.
“Those moments influenced my dreams.”
He’s closing in on one of those dreams: Getting drafted. After a stellar high school career at Gulliver Prep in Miami — which included setting a national high school record of hitting home runs in eight straight at-bats — Dunand landed a scholarship at N.C. State. He had a strong career there, blasting 18 home runs this year and helping the Wolfpack reach the NCAA Tournament.
“It feels like just yesterday he was down in Tampa or at Yankee Stadium, and I was throwing him batting practice when he was 10, 11, 12 years old,” Rodriguez said in a phone interview. “And here he is now right on the steps of hopefully what is a long career for him.”
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect insists he wouldn’t be where he is without his famous uncle. He often would spend time with A-Rod during the summer, going on road trips, and would visit spring training. He would take batting practice and field ground balls with his uncle and other Yankees.
He always has been able to get advice from Rodriguez, whom he affectionately called “Tio Alex” — Uncle Alex in Spanish — growing up. The best wisdom A-Rod has given him is emphasizing the importance of eating healthy and maintaining his focus and routine in difficult times.
“Alex has been a guiding light for Joe,” said his father, Joe Dunand Sr., who is A-Rod’s half-brother. “Alex has been very frank. When he hasn’t looked good, he tells him, ‘You have to work on this.’ Or when he has looked good, he tells him [what he’s doing well].
“He really sees the talent [in Joe]. He tells him all the time, ‘Joe, you can play this game 12-15 years.’”
Scouts see his promise. He is ranked No. 130 by Baseball America, and one American League crosschecker who is familiar with him said he believes he can go as high as the third round. Dunand’s 18 homers this year were tied for 20th-most in the nation, and the scout raved about the potential in his bat.
“He has a chance to have plus power,” the scout said. “Fifteen-to-20-home-run type [of guy]. He has plenty of raw power.”
Being Rodriguez’s nephew did have a downside. There have been unfair comparisons to one of the sport’s all-time greats. Dunand would get heckled because of his lightning rod of an uncle’s past transgressions with performance-enhancing drugs. It taught him at a young age how to deal with criticism.
“That helped me deal with adversity,” he said. “Anywhere I go, I feel I’m going to hear stuff about my uncle, about my family. I don’t pay attention to things people say. I know what my family is about. I know what my uncle is about. I know what I’m about.”
But Rodriguez doesn’t think that’s his nephew’s greatest attribute.
“The best part about him is his makeup. It’s off the charts,” A-Rod said. “He’s not going to be overwhelmed by the stage, because he’s grown up on the stage.”
When Dunand watched Rodriguez in his days in the big leagues, he always envisioned himself in the same position one day. That remains the goal, not merely to get drafted and reach the majors, but to carve out a career for himself. It’s more realistic now. But that can’t happen without hearing his name called.
“We take those steps to get to this step,” Dunand said. “It starts all over when you get drafted.”
Then, another dream begins.
Every once in a while, when North Carolina State junior shortstop Joe Dunand finds himself scuffling on the field or feeling a little lost in the batter’s box, he’ll pull out his cell phone and text Alex Rodriguez.
Yes, that Alex Rodriguez. The one who played for the Yankees all those years, the one who’s been linked to singer Jennifer Lopez. A-Rod.
Look at Dunand closely enough—and listen to him talk—and you might even pick up on a slight resemblance. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound shortstop is A-Rod’s nephew—a powerful righthanded-hitting slugger like his uncle. And when Dunand texts A-Rod, A-Rod texts back.
“All the time—I’ll text him, call him if I ever need anything,” said Dunand, whose father Joe Dunand Sr. is A-Rod’s half-brother. “Even my dad, he’s like a sponge with him, too. They hang out a lot. I talk to them both, and it’s a good resource for me to have. It definitely helps that I have that, and rarely anybody has that. He’s one of the best players ever, so I’m a lucky guy.”
Rodriguez, who retired last summer with 696 career home runs and a .295/.380/.550 career slash line in 22 big league seasons, has always told Dunand to focus on his defense first and foremost.
“Defense will keep you on the field,” he’s told him. “Hitting will take care of itself.”
For the most part, Dunand has found that to be true. He started 57 games as a freshman at third base in 2015 despite hitting just .219/.289/.381. In his sophomore year, after sliding over to shortstop, his bat started to come around, producing a .297/.345/.424 line. And this year, after battling through some early season struggles, Dunand’s raw power has translated more to game power, with 16 homers and a robust .289/.366/.626 slash line at the end of the regular season.
Dunand credits a more disciplined approach as a reason for that improvement, but he admits he still needs to refine his defensive game in order to stick at shortstop—the biggest knock scouts have on him.
“I have a lot of work to do,” Dunand said. “I’m making some silly mistakes at short right now, but that’s one of my dreams—to play shortstop.”
N.C. State coach Elliott Avent, who also coached Rafael Palmeiro’s son Preston the last three seasons, said that Dunand has handled the draft limelight—and the attention that comes with his bloodlines—admirably. Avent praised his development while in Raleigh.
“I think Joe Dunand has grown so much,” Avent said. “First of all, to be 6-2 and a big-bodied shortstop, to be able to play it as nimbly as he plays it . . . He’s gotten better as a runner, he’s gotten better at everything he does. And there’s a lot of pressure that goes with being the nephew of Alex Rodriguez—and some of the things he hears on the road—and I just think everything Joe does, he’s a great teammate. They love him. He likes to be out here, he likes the ball hit to him when the game is on the line, and that’s what you want from a player. Joe Dunand has just grown in so many facets.”
His teammates, too, have benefited from sharing a locker room with him. Just this fall, A-Rod gathered the players and addressed them, giving them advice for everything from approach to specific nutrition tips.
“Right when he walked in, there was kind of this aura about him where we knew it was big-time,” righthander Johnny Piedmonte said. “It was a cool experience. It kind of added something to my college experience that I didn’t expect.”
As cool as that might be for the rest of the Wolfpack, to Joe Dunand, that’s just Uncle Alex.
Yes, that Alex Rodriguez. The one who played for the Yankees all those years, the one who’s been linked to singer Jennifer Lopez. A-Rod.
Look at Dunand closely enough—and listen to him talk—and you might even pick up on a slight resemblance. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound shortstop is A-Rod’s nephew—a powerful righthanded-hitting slugger like his uncle. And when Dunand texts A-Rod, A-Rod texts back.
“All the time—I’ll text him, call him if I ever need anything,” said Dunand, whose father Joe Dunand Sr. is A-Rod’s half-brother. “Even my dad, he’s like a sponge with him, too. They hang out a lot. I talk to them both, and it’s a good resource for me to have. It definitely helps that I have that, and rarely anybody has that. He’s one of the best players ever, so I’m a lucky guy.”
Rodriguez, who retired last summer with 696 career home runs and a .295/.380/.550 career slash line in 22 big league seasons, has always told Dunand to focus on his defense first and foremost.
“Defense will keep you on the field,” he’s told him. “Hitting will take care of itself.”
For the most part, Dunand has found that to be true. He started 57 games as a freshman at third base in 2015 despite hitting just .219/.289/.381. In his sophomore year, after sliding over to shortstop, his bat started to come around, producing a .297/.345/.424 line. And this year, after battling through some early season struggles, Dunand’s raw power has translated more to game power, with 16 homers and a robust .289/.366/.626 slash line at the end of the regular season.
Dunand credits a more disciplined approach as a reason for that improvement, but he admits he still needs to refine his defensive game in order to stick at shortstop—the biggest knock scouts have on him.
“I have a lot of work to do,” Dunand said. “I’m making some silly mistakes at short right now, but that’s one of my dreams—to play shortstop.”
N.C. State coach Elliott Avent, who also coached Rafael Palmeiro’s son Preston the last three seasons, said that Dunand has handled the draft limelight—and the attention that comes with his bloodlines—admirably. Avent praised his development while in Raleigh.
“I think Joe Dunand has grown so much,” Avent said. “First of all, to be 6-2 and a big-bodied shortstop, to be able to play it as nimbly as he plays it . . . He’s gotten better as a runner, he’s gotten better at everything he does. And there’s a lot of pressure that goes with being the nephew of Alex Rodriguez—and some of the things he hears on the road—and I just think everything Joe does, he’s a great teammate. They love him. He likes to be out here, he likes the ball hit to him when the game is on the line, and that’s what you want from a player. Joe Dunand has just grown in so many facets.”
His teammates, too, have benefited from sharing a locker room with him. Just this fall, A-Rod gathered the players and addressed them, giving them advice for everything from approach to specific nutrition tips.
“Right when he walked in, there was kind of this aura about him where we knew it was big-time,” righthander Johnny Piedmonte said. “It was a cool experience. It kind of added something to my college experience that I didn’t expect.”
As cool as that might be for the rest of the Wolfpack, to Joe Dunand, that’s just Uncle Alex.
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