ABERDEEN, Md. — Windham native Cody Dube is getting a taste of life in the minor leagues.
Shortly after pitching three innings Wednesday night in State College, Pennsylvania, he boarded a bus with hits teammates, arriving home in Aberdeen, Maryland, at about 3:30 a.m.
“The biggest (adjustment) is physical, dealing with fatigue,” said Dube, who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round of baseball’s amateur draft in June.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-hander has been pitching this summer for the Aberdeen IronBirds of the short-season New York-Penn League. Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. is the principal owner of the franchise.
Dube has a 3-1 record with a 2.54 ERA. In 281/3 innings over 11 games – four of them starts – he has allowed 23 hits and eight walks with 20 strikeouts.
“It has actually been way better than I expected,” Dube said of his first pro season. “You hear some of the stories from people who have been through it. It has been a great summer.”
“In (amateur) summer ball you are done by Aug. 1,” he added. “Here, it is a 76-game schedule and it is more scripted in the work that you do. I throw a lot more flat grounds and a lot more bullpens. You have to manage your body better.”
Dube was drafted out of Division III Keene State in New Hampshire. He was 3-3 with a 1.20 ERA as a senior, with 84 strikeouts in 672/3 innings. Dube allowed just two homers in his four-year college career.
Keene State Coach Ken Howe said Dube’s fastball was clocked at about 83 mph when he arrived as a freshman. By his senior year, it had improved to 94-96 mph.
“He worked to make himself a 10th-round pick,” Howe said.
Brian Graham, the director of player development for the Orioles, said Dube projects as a starting pitcher.
“He has pitched really well,” said Graham, a former minor league manager with the Cleveland Indians. “He has pitched a lot of innings this year. He has been pitching three innings every six days (for Aberdeen) and a bullpen session in between. The quality of the arm, it translates to pro baseball.”
Aberdeen’s season ends Monday, but it won’t be the end of Dube’s season. After about a week at home in Maine, he will report Sept. 14 to the Orioles’ minor league complex in Sarasota, Florida, to play in the Instructional League. He’ll remain there until Oct. 11 before heading home to work out this winter at the Parisi Speed School at the OA Performance Center in Saco.
“I think there have been some good things to take away from it,” Dube said of his pro debut. “And (there are) some things I need to work on for next year, like how to pitch when you are not feeling your best. If you make a mistake to any hitter, it is probably going to get hit hard.”
Dube was one of three Mainers selected in the June draft. Infielder Sam Dexter, who played at Messalonskee High and the University of Southern Maine, was taken by the Chicago White Sox in the 23rd round and has been playing for the Great Falls (Montana) Voyagers of the rookie Pioneer League. Infielder Joe Cronin, who played at Scarborough High and Boston College, was drafted in the 34th round by the Minnesota Twins. He’s been playing in the rookie Gulf Coast League.
Dube’s goal is to leave spring training next year with one of the Orioles’ two full-season Class A teams. That could mean a spot with the Delmarva Shorebirds, a low Class A team in the South Atlantic League based in Salisbury, Maryland.
Is that realistic?
“I hope so. With the things I want to work on in the offseason, that is where I want to be next spring,” Dube said.
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