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2003 season Dubois using AFL season to
prove his value as a legit prospect
It's very clear why Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Jason Dubois is thoroughly enjoying his first season in the Arizona Fall League. The 24-year-old Virginia native is off to a torrid start at the plate, hitting .382/.382/.794 with three homeruns in his first 34 at bats. But Dubois shrugged off the suggestion that his performance in Arizona is proving to the baseball world that he's a legitimate major league prospect. "I hadn't really thought about it much," replied Dubois. "I'm just trying to play my game, stay confident and have a good Fall League." Dubois' AFL season comes on the heels of three solid years in the Cubs organization. Selected out of Virginia Commonwealth University by Chicago in the 14th round of the June 2000 free agent draft, Dubois missed his first professional season due to a stress fracture in his foot. He debuted in 2001 by hitting .296/.377/.562 with 24 homeruns at Low A Lansing, and then followed with another solid season in High A, batting .321/.422/.562 with 20 long balls for Daytona. The two solid seasons by Dubois encouraged the Toronto Blue Jays to select the 6'5", 220 pound right-handed hitter in last winter's Major League Rule 5 draft. Dubois was considered a strong possibility to make the big league squad in Toronto, which under the Rule 5 regulations would have required that he remain on the big league roster all season. Instead, the Blue Jays elected not to retain Dubois, returning the outfielder to the Cubs towards the end of spring training. While he admits that it would have been nice to spend the year in the major leagues, Dubois conceded that it was probably to his advantage to accumulate more time in the Cubs' minor league system.
"I got a lot of playing time this summer in the Southern League," Dubois said. "I learned a lot about myself and how the game is played." Dubois is pleased with the quality of instruction he's received from the Cubs organization. "Every coach and manager has helped me in their own little way," he commented. "Everybody throws in their input about everything ... it hasn't been just one manager. It's been a group project." Dubois had another strong season for the Cubs' West Tennessee Class AA affiliate, batting .269/.367/.458 with 15 homers. That was enough for the Chicago organization to select him as one of their six participants in the Arizona Fall League. "Everybody here is great," remarked Dubois about the level of competition in the AFL. "They wouldn't be here if they weren't. I'm facing top quality pitching." His Fall season will give Dubois the opportunity to improve in an area that he believes is his biggest weakness --- his strike zone judgment. "I go up there (to the plate) real aggressively," said Dubois, "and start swinging at a lot of things I shouldn't be swinging at. Cut down on the strikeouts and get more walks ... that's pretty much what I believe I have to do to get to the next level." Dubois will be ready when the call finally comes. "I feel confident in my abilities," he said. "Wherever they send me, I'm going to play my heart out and give it 110 percent each day." --- Bill Mitchell All photos on the Arizona Fall League Report are credited to Bill Mitchell, unless noted otherwise, and are not to be used for any other purpose without express permission.
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