BREAKING: Mauricio Dubon’s BAT-SWAPPING with Yordan Alvarez UNVEILED | Exclusive Interview

BREAKING: Mauricio Dubon’s BAT-SWAPPING with Yordan Alvarez UNVEILED | Exclusive Interview

Well, the moment is here. We’ve been telling you about this for a week now. We’ve got Doobie Mauricio Dubon. You know, the guy that likes to use Yordon Alvarez’s bat to hit long balls. That guy, the gold glove utility man himself. Let’s sit down with him and answer and get have him answer some of our questions right now. Yel Diaz, this is Log on Astros. Hello and welcome to Locked on Astros, your daily Astros podcast. Here are your hosts, Eric the Man Heisman, and Brett Htown Wheelhouse Chansy. [Music] We are Locked on Houston Astros and we hope that you join us for a daily locked on Astros podcast. My name is Eric Heisman. He is Brett Chansy. We are the Locked on Astros podcast. Thank you for making us your first listen whether it’s on Apple, Odyssey, Spotify, wherever you listen your podcast. Go and check us out. Today’s episode is brought you brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the app today. So guys, we got a very special guest today, Mauricio Devon, uh the utility guy extraordinaire for the Houston Astros. I don’t know where the team would have been in 2025 without you the ability for you to play multiple positions, but uh Doobie, welcome to the show. Thank you. Thank you for having me. It’s it’s you know, I was just I always know see you guys the reels and everything. So, I was like it should be fun. it. You know, that’s really cool that that you you know, we always wonder if players what we know you guys pay attention to social media, but um it means a lot and we have a common friend who does a lot of good stuff. And just a shout out to uh the Ferguson family. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Matt Matt is the one that kept me on the field. So, all right. So, um, growing up in Honduras to be baseball isn’t exactly the first sport that most, uh, kids play. Uh, it’s a kind of relatively expensive sport to play, but what first drew you to baseball and how do you how did your love for baseball start back home, you know? It’s I don’t remember the first day of practice. Like, for me, it was always growing up in a baseball field. My my dad play softball, my brother play baseball. I have an older brother. So he like my my memories are always being on the baseball field. It it was never like oh like I want to I want to be something else. Um it was always baseball baseball 24/7. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, you know, weekends, weekdays I used to just practice and then you know Fridays watch my brother play. So since a little kid. Yeah, that’s awesome. And you know, that’s the thing. I I’ve actually been to Honduras um on on a mission trip. And um you know, soccer is huge. Um do you do you follow the um national team um you know, the soccer team, especially when it comes to, you know, World Cup stuff or international friendlies? Oh, yeah. So, I I play a lot of soccer growing up. So, a couple of the guys that are in the national team I play against. So, it’s it’s it’s pretty fun watching it right now, especially in Honduras. Right now, it’s a big, you know, big time of the year just because, you know, going to the World Cup, you know. Yeah. We’re not very good like in a sense of like you know we’re not a powerhouse but you know we we we love our soccer. We we love watching you know the national team especially play couple I last week we ended up winning and then we got a big game on November 13 actually if we win I think we go in Yeah. Um so real quick um I want to kind of throw this in there. Um, our friend Chris, he actually calls himself the president of the Mauricio Devon fan club. He says, “Will you tell my son he needs to do tea work to get better at hitting? I think maybe he’s having a hard time getting his son to do work off the tea.” Is that important even as a big league hitter? Even Jordan Alvarez hit with the tea. So, yeah, if he Jordan does it, he should do it. Yeah. So, so you made you made the huge move to the US as a as a teenager to, you know, to to chase your baseball dream. And a lot of kids born in America don’t have that experience because you’re born here, you grow up here, you play here, right? And so the experience of an international player from Latin America um is definitely different and something that a lot of people don’t have. But looking back, what was the biggest challenge you faced adjusting to life in baseball in a new country? you know, life life for examp life was hard just because I was 15 at the time and just moving out and you know my dad my mom was never like it they were not there and and and it was hard to just going to school because I went to one school the whole time and um no just being there being away being from the culture like learn a new culture yeah I knew English but it was not as sharp and you know it’s like you you take classes of dual lingo for example and then when you have to apply it you forget everything so that’s kind that happened too. So I had to like learn the lingo, learn everything. And baseball, baseball was I think was the hardest part just because you know back home you played free like you played normal and I got thrown out twice actually in high school games just because um I didn’t know you couldn’t take out the you know double plays. So every time I was running in double plays I taken out thinking I was like no no no like I have no idea like I I couldn’t done that. So, there’s a couple rules I had to like adjust, but it’s it’s it’s it was tough at the beginning. I I know you brought up Alvarez um kind of how did this step brother relationship start where y’all have the stare you have this you kind of stare at Julia Morales after he hits a home run, use his bat. So, talk to us about y’all’s relationship. It It’s crazy. I think we talk every day pretty much like like there there’s not a day that you know I don’t text him or he doesn’t text me like I don’t know I think we you know it’s a we pretty much kind of I can say it’s my brother I mean we we always don’t worry about each other um we are honest with each other like either we like it or not. I think that’s that’s the biggest one. You know sometimes they see him as as a big big big mean ogre but he’s not. He’s the softest teddy bear. know, he loves he loves he loves baseball, man. Like, it’s kind of sucks just watching him sideline a little bit this year just cuz, you know, he wants to play the game. But with him, it’s it’s he’s an he’s an awesome person. Um, he works hard and and, you know, in 20 in 22 when I got there, uh, my locker was right, you know, was right next to it. So, we started talking. We went to the future game together actually in 2017. So we, you know, we kind of knew each other, you know, play against each other in 19 and then just, you know, just talk to him, tell tell him like, no, sometimes people are afraid to talk to him just because, you know, he’s big and everything. So for me it was I was tell him things how I was. So you know, he appreciated that and then, you know, we ended up having a good relationship. You know, it it’s it’s it’s pretty neat actually. You know, it’s cool that you say that because um I’ve I you know have had the privilege of interviewing you know you Yiner Diaz Yordon Justin Verlander that’s a whole different stratosphere of interviews. Um you know Jose Akiti but Yordon Alvarez I thought that I would get a sense of intimidation and that was the first time when I was asking a major league player questions that I felt like I was supposed to be there. You know he looked you in the eye. um when he when he responded, he responded in Spanish right away. He didn’t wait for the translator. He knew exactly what you were saying and he answered every question. A and and you have a lot of that same it seems like that’s why y’all jail well because y’all both kind of have that same personality and that’s really great to see because as a fan, you know, you guys are pedestal. You guys are are up on this 750 players people on the planet are major league players and it’s a pretty elite number. Um, so you have the chemistry with him. Um, tell us about, you know, the clubhouse. Um, some some people in here are saying, “Hey, we heard that you were that you’ve been kind of one of the guys that that that talks up the younger guys that is someone in the clubhouse that encourages.” What has been your role in the clubhouse? Because, you know, you got your Starorth veterans like the Altuve, like Kare coming back and but how how do you feel like you fit in since you’ve been here in 22? I think um I’ve been you know blessed with you know I’ve been seeing players you know when I was when I was a young player too I got Brandon Crawford take care of me you know kind of teach me how you know stuff and everything and and you know he he told me one time like one day you’re going to be on this side and you’re going to be able to you know explain the guys and everything you know make the road easier for him for them you know because you know might be not easier for you but you can help the other guys you know to make easier for you for I mean I talked to a lot of guys. I talk to Cam. I talk to know the Bryce. I talk to to a lot of the guys that that come up and you know, try to get my two cents of of what it is. You know, you know, I like it’s it’s crazy like you live through couple stuff that those guys are living now that you know, sometimes you got to tell them you’re fine, don’t worry about it or like, you know, just just talking to them just just trying to make the the road easier for them because at the end of the day, we’re a team, man. We are we we need all those guys. We need everybody to win games. Like I don’t care if you got one day of service time or you got, you know, 15 years of service time. You know, we need we need everybody to win a ball game. I just trying to make them feel comfortable. Yeah. Look. Yeah. I’m sorry. Look right here. I just want to say, Eric, you know, right before you ask your question, Susan Townsen says, “I love this guy. My husband who has Alzheimer’s always says that he talking about you have happy eyes.” So that’s that’s that’s a neat compliment. Thank you. Thank you. All right, guys. So, we’re going to go ahead and take a short break. Uh, we’re going go and continue asking Dubbie some questions, but thank you for making Lockdown Astros podcast your first listen every day. Hey everybody, it’s Sean Wilhouse here and I’m here to tell you about prize picks. Prize Pick is a place where you want to go. Why? Because it is easy to win. And do you like being right? I love being right and I love being paid to be right. It is so much fun. you simply add more excitement to football because we know every single week you’ve got someone that’s on that’s on a by-week on your fantasy team or like this last week the Texans were on a by-week and so you got to find a way to root for everybody and make it more interesting. Quick picks make it easy. You make your lineup in under a minute. My favorite part prize picks just added stacks. What does that mean? That means if I want to ride with the player, I can select their pass yards. I can select rush yards. I can select touchdowns all in one lineup. 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Oh, so we were we were in in in 22 actually when uh we were in Kansas City and you know I I play with you know a couple guys Buster and all you know in San Francisco whenever I keep watching Alvarez you know it’s different for you watch Alvarez from from you know visiting team when you’re with him in the and the you know he does everything he can beat you with a single okay hit him 480 dead center like it’s crazy So every time he went on a on a on a tail like he hit like seven home runs or something and I kept looking at Julia like I kept looking at her like oh my god this guy is so this guy is on in another planet. So every time I go like this I’m like like it it it’s like I’m not surprised anymore. It’s legit. Well, it’s it’s great because it’s almost like it’s pre-planned and choreographed and it’s really not. I mean I know you look back at her but it always looks natural. it. In other words, it doesn’t look staged. She does a great job. I don’t know how like I don’t know how the heck she knows. Like every time like she has her phone and I’m like like when he hit it and I’m like and I’m like I was I’m like I look at her and she’s already got the phone and I’m like like it’s where’s Doobie? So hey um we got a uh we got a question and I actually several people are asking about this. Hey Maurice Dubon that walkoff on Father’s Day was awesome. A lot of people are asking if you remember that and he’s Trev says are you still better than Cam Smith? You know, you know Cam Cam it’s unreal what this kid did you know beginning of the year. People don’t realize this I kept making fun of him. This guy was taking chemistry uh in February and now he’s facing Jacob the GR and you know the next April. I know it’s it’s crazy. I mean, and then playing a new position on a on a in a big league level, playing a elite level, you know, it’s crazy though. This he’s one of the well, he listens. He’s going to be really special. Yeah. Speaking of [Laughter] I’m still better than can on the Okay. Yeah. Yeah. And and I’ve got I’ve got one more question about locked on. Mr. Corona, who’s been one of our our most loyal fans. He says, “In the Astros locker room, are they aware of locked on Astros?” Heck yeah. Everybody Everybody watches. Everybody watches. I’m telling you, if if people if if Claire says, “Oh, no. I don’t want true.” People watch it. Sometimes I’m telling we watch reals and everything. Watch on sometimes we’re on our phone and we watch stuff and everything. Awesome. Yeah. Yeah, I’ve transitioned to a refinery and every every once in a while I go into a BRM and they’re like, “Hey, you’re the Astros guy, aren’t you?” And so it just it’s Yeah, the reels are what kind of does it. But um what is what your key thing is is the fact that you’re utility player. You could play multiple positions. When did you start that process? Was it just something that you always did or is just something that you kind of developed into later in your life as a utility player? Funny story. I think nobody knows this story how everything started. My my my my host dad knows. So when I was in high school, my summer ball, you know, I didn’t have many options to go to college. So I I was I was planning going to SAK State and I told the coach, hey, you know, I want to come to SAK State. So he ended up he make he made a team of you know hopefully he doesn’t get in trouble but he made a team with the the college but you don’t know local local high school guys over there and I playing shortstop make a couple good plays and everything and I told him hey I want to come here like are you sure I’m like okay yeah so for him for other colors not to come talk to me he started putting me in different positions so I would start playing first outfield I learned how to play outfield going into like going into into ended up getting drafted was a shortstop and my in double A they sent me to the fall league to play center field and I played two games in center field. Awful disaster. I’m like couldn’t couldn’t feel anything. Everything was rushed. I was not I was not thought the right way. Then in 2019 after my first month in the big leagues, I got a meeting, you know, in the Giants and like, “Hey, you know, want you to start playing centerfield? Learn learn how to play center field.” and you know spent 2020 2019 and then 2020 beginning of 2020 um kind of learning the position and then COVID hit. So what I learned I forgot everything. Oh forgot everything of what of and then Antoine Richardson first base coach for the for the Mets. We work literally like every day in center field and then ended up in center field and then they were like what do you think about moving to left? Ah same thing. So I ended up know moving around and then just learned the position how my career went in different positions. That’s amazing. And you know one of the things that this club has done with player development is players are versatile. Players can play multiple positions. Um I do have to break in here because my mom showed up. She goes by Mama Wheelhouse. She said, “Doobie, you’re awesome.” Um and she says, “I’m Mama Wheelhouse.” She she will drop her own name, but she says hi. Um, you see she’s got a little picture with her and Stanic there. So, there you go, mom. A little shout out. Hi, Mom. There we go. Um, now, now let me ask you this because you were you were actually signed as an international free agent back in 2013. No, I was a I was draft actually. Okay. So, Okay. So, so help me with that because I got two different things. I did research and one said you got you were international free agent and one said you got drafted and I didn’t know which one to go with. So correct the record for me. I went to high school in Sacramento like two years of high school in Sacramento. So I was a 26th round 773rd pick by the Boston Red Sox. Okay. By the Okay. So So you were see I had it right at first and then I checked it and I was like wait that doesn’t seem right. Don’t doubt you were good. You okay good. I was good on my first one. Um, now going from the Giants to Houston and and you don’t you don’t have to go like super deep into this or anything, but you had mentioned that you just felt like the Astros valued you more when you came here. Um, was that more of the mindset of the culture that was that would that came from the top down or is that because guys in the clubhouse or just a mixture of both? Uh, I think mixture of both. But it’s funny because every new guy we get now, he’s like, “Bro, I didn’t think the clubhouse was going to be like this.” Like, it’s so accepting. It’s so from Joy to, you know, the veteran guys have been there, the guys that are, you know, top from the ownership to, you know, the guy, it’s so accepting, you know, you got this future Hall of Famer, you know, welcome you in and, you know, treat you with respect and give you, you know, a a you know, you know, respecting what what you have to say. It’s it’s pretty neat, man. And when you go out there and play, you know, it gives they give you a support and everything. Everybody’s pulling for each other. That’s what, you know, it it elevates elevates a different, you know, different part of your game. All right. So guys, we’re going to go and take a short break and then I’m going to ask Doobie about how he feels about Altuve playing left field and is is he a better left fielder than Jose Altuve. We’ll talk about this and more on tonight’s lock on shows podcast. I got you. Wow. This has been great so far. And let me tell you what I’m excited to tell you about right now is FanDuel. FanDuel is a great way to hang out and watch football. FanDuel has an offer that you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5, get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I love how FanDuel gives me so many ways to play. It built parlays. Um, I’ve tried player props and even followed lines during games. It makes watching football even more exciting when you’re when you’ve got a little something on the line and writing on the action. Whether you’re a casual fan or diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. Hey, the Texans are coming off a by-week, so why not go to FanDuel and start your account today? Go to fanduel.com, download the FanDuel app today, and get started. FanDuel, the official um sports banning partner of the NFL. Hey guys, thank you for making Lockdown Onstros podcast your first listen every day. Whether it’s on YouTube, go ahead, subscribe to us. Go and help us get to 16,000 subscribers and beyond. And we’re talking with Mauricio Dubon. And I know I kind of teased the are you better than Jose Altuve? But the real question is uh what did you think about Joseé Altuve’s transition to left field? Uh did he enjoy the experience? He did. He did. You know, think about it. This is a guy that potentially is gonna have a statue outside of the stadium. He’s gonna be a Hall of Famer for him to tell for for you know the team and tell them, hey, you know, like team is going to be better if he moved to left field and does it without complaining and know with a great attitude. This it shows you what kind of you know person he is. Like it’s he’s know he went above and beyond you know spring training every day taking flight balls and everything. Even after he messed up a couple of fly balls in spring training, he still had the greatest attitude in the world to still going out there. So that’s why, you know, when he did that, the whole clubhouse was like, hey, this guy is, you know, you know, he he goes, we go. So it it was awesome just watching him go about business, you know, you know, like a little kid just running out there, you know, learning a new position. And the the the great thing about, you know, he was asking questions. He was asking me questions and and I told him, “Hey, I teach you how to field, teach me how to hit. We we go we go hand in hand in that one. So he’s No, he was he was awesome. He was awesome about it. Yeah. And that’s and that’s what I love about this team. And you know, Jos Alubbe, you know, he’s getting older and it’s hard to believe that he’s 35 because I don’t know to me he still looks like he’s in his 20s, you know? I don’t I mean you guys are all look like spring chickens. I mean, every one of y’all look like you’re like in your early 20s. But being the most versatile player, what is your do you have a preferred position, a favorite position that you like or that you feel like you have a handle on the most? Uh, you know, I I I I came up as a shortstop. Came up as a shortstop. I love playing short. I love playing I play up the middle. Uh, for me, it will be either second or short. Either either one of them. I I love those. But I I tell people all the time, as long as I’m I get to hit one to nine, I’m I don’t care where I play. So, um, while we’re talking about transitions and different positions, what do you think about Carlos Kra’s transition to third base? Um, does did he have the same type of attitude that Altiv did? Oh my god, this is like like it’s crazy like just watching him, you know, I I I got when I got here, Carlos was not around, but I talked to Carlo. I got to chance to talk to Carlos and just watching that guy go about business, watching that guy go about work, how serious he is about everything, you know, from, you know, hitting to fielding. You know, he’s a guy, this is guy that has a platinum glove and still asking questions about, you know, moving to positions and everything. And there’ll be times that I take ground balls with him just for him to you know just kind of talk to him about stuff about you know hitting and everything about fielding and hitting and everything and you know just watching him it’s it’s unreal man. I I I in my personal opinion be you’re going to be like oh well if he plays every day third base for a whole year I think he has a chance to win public. I think so. Sorry my my dog came in. I got a little distracted. Um, so growing up, were there baseball players that you looked up to, that you modeled your game after, that you tried to emulate on the field, um, as you were coming up, even maybe going to the ranks when you got into, you know, high school and college ball? So, when I was in Honduras, um, you know, you don’t get many games back home, either is the Braves, TBS, or or the Yankees in ESPN. So, for me, it was Jeter and Chipper Jones every time. Jitter and Chipper Jones every time. I think when I moved to Sacramento, I I was in the era when, you know, the dynasty of the Giants 2010, 12, 14, you know, playoffs, he player there. So, I mean, I he he always makes fun of this because he’s he always says I make him feel old, but my favorite player was Brandon Crawford. Brandon Crawford for me was was night and day like, you know, one of the best shorts stops, you know, in his his in his time. Awesome. Awesome to hear that. I mean, I we all have people that we’ve looked up to and I know that it had to be pretty cool for a certain time. You were called Justin Verlander’s personal center fielder. Seemed like every time he was out there, it’s like, “Oh, let’s put Doobie out there.” But um so just looking at um your time with the Astros, you got a World Series title. What was that like winning? It was it was crazy just, you know, just going there. Everybody knew his role. Everybody knew the role. My role was like, “Okay, I got to make sure no balls go down, no balls go by me.” Like I got like everybody knew. But just that vibe in the clubhouse, you know, going down. We were in Philly. We went down two to one two to one, one or something in Philadelphia. We lost. And then Michael Brley doing this pitch in the clubhouse in the in the in the in the cage. You know, people don’t don’t know this story, but like know Michael Brantley like got everybody in the in the in the cage and just pretty much just pump us up and know that’s when the no hitter happened and just, you know, just just it just crazy. It’s just crazy just know going back and relieving everything and obviously, you know, watching Alvarez take Alvarado deep, you know, 400. It it was unreal. Um, and then I faced Alvarado the next year and I told and like I struck out in three pitches and then when I went back I sat next to him and I told him like how the heck you did it like how how the heck you took this guy 450 ft deep game six on the World Series and No, it’s crazy. It’s crazy. It’s you know everything clicked. So that’s what happens when you win the World Series. Everything got to go perfect. I mean that was a magical run. I was I was at the game when when Yordon um hit that hit that home run versus Seattle. Um I was actually at game six of the World Series with my son. My son’s 17. He’s a senior. He was 14 at the time. And I mean, I looked at my son when um when we clinched and everybody was waiting for the postgame ceremonies. And I looked at him, I said, “I don’t think you realize how rare this is as a baseball fan to experience your team clinching on your home field.” When you’re going through that World Series and then when you win it, is it almost does it almost go by so quick and then afterwards it like it like kind of sets in your mind mentally like after the fact? Like when it’s over, are you like, “Wait, we just won.” Is it is it kind of like that? Just a surreal moment? Yes. I remember I remember stepping in like um just watching everything and like like thinking like I can’t believe we won like like we won a World Series like like 2022 is the Astros like forever like we’re going to come back in in so many years and you know relive this thing and you know the parade and everything like everybody just I know I still got pictures my wife took some some pictures of of the parade and you know till this day sometime I’m like like it’s it’s so crazy you know surreal just watching that. I think that’s why it hurts every time we get eliminated or we don’t we don’t win or we don’t win the World Series. Like it’s just like like we were so close. We were so close and now we got to wait another year to know get another taste. Uh people say I like to stir the pot. I don’t think so. But I’m just asking the hard questions. But um after the 2025 season, I know it was a big disappointment to everybody, but uh what is the feeling in the clubhouse about 2026? No, we just got to come and play. I mean, it it’s it sucks like it like people Yeah, we got injuries, we got this, we got that, but no, just coming out and play, man. At the end of the day, the I think it’s a fail season if we don’t win the World Series. I mean, think of like you don’t we don’t oh, we don’t we we make it a playoff or no, we’re not happy with that. You know, I think everybody in the clubhouse knows that. Everybody that know we play together. We we play to go and win the World Series. We don’t go play, you know, just for no, we’re just going to go to playoffs or we’re just going to win the AL. No, we want to win the whole thing. But everybody’s excited, man. Everybody’s everybody’s ready to go. I mean I mean, we just got done, but you know, we still talk in the group chat and everything. So, it’s it’s it sucks, but at the same time, I think it’s a, you know, it’s a good red sock in the mouth so you can wake up a little bit. Yeah, definitely. I mean, you know, um I’ve been told several different times through my life when I’ve gone through tough things, you know, through some of my mentors, you know, you’re just going to have to walk through it and and even if walking through it is painful, on the other side, you can always have a victory. Um, you know, there I think you’re the first Honduranb born baseball player in Major League history. Is that correct? Um, so what is what does it what does it mean to you? Because I mean, you represent a country and you know, Mauricio, I I’ve been to Honduras um on a mission trip. Um, I told you, you know, in in our in our in our pre-show discussion that my youth pastor lives in Honduras as a missionary, and I’ve seen firsthand I’ve seen the beauty of Honduras. I’ve seen the poverty. Um, so what’s it like though for you to be really the the lone or the first representative for your country in Major League Baseball on a world stage? It’s it’s you know some it gets surreal. It gets emotional sometimes like watching that. That’s why for me in September Latin you know Hispanic heritage is for me it’s it’s always my favorite one just because you know I got to show my people I got to show people you know what Honduras is and and just know being the only one I know the flag in the Major League Baseball stadium is it’s it’s there because I’m there. So that’s why sometimes I try to like, you know, try to represent as best as I can just because I know eight million people in my country are watching, you know, they’re they’re always, you know, ahead of, you know, they might be some Yankees fans in Honduras, but they like watching Maron know they it’s it’s it’s just crazy just being from a country that though there’s never been one and and just, you know, being recognized there. It’s pretty special. That’s why I try to give my best every time I’m out there just because, you know, I don’t want to disappoint my country. Yeah, definitely. Great answer. I love that answer. Um, so I know Brett and I know this answer, but we have a listener that wants to know, have you been watching the postseason? No, not at all. I think the last the last the last out I watched was the 27 out and the against the Angels and after that I was, you know, it just bittersweet. I mean like like it’s we are not playing right now. So for me is I even told Cam Smith, don’t call me for three weeks. I’m I got to choose my friends now. So I’m I don’t want I don’t I don’t want you to call me. I don’t want you like I’m let you’re not in the circle. Cam Smith, let me let me eat my ice cream watching TV and and and then just not right now. So our friend our friend Linda Linda Koy, she’s a she’s a regular. He says, “Um, do you know that you’re referred to as the Honduran Army knife?” Not the Swiss Army knife, the Honduran Army knife. I need to make I need to make shirts for that thing. I need to make There you go. Well, I tried to get my son to find it in my closet and he said he couldn’t find it. I’m pretty sure he manked, but I made shirts whenever Alubet came out with this quote, “Here come the outfielders.” I have his shirt that’s orange. It says, “Here come the outfielders, JL Alt.” So, I probably need to I probably need to find, you know, I need to find a way to send you one and you need to wear it in front of him. Trust Trust me. I I I rock that thing. I I I wear I I like wearing stuff like that. Nice. Um, so I know that you’re up for another gold glove this year, utility. What was it like winning the gold glove? It was it was something surreal. I tell people all the time, I mean, it’s it’s it’s pretty special just because, you know, you get to show off the gold glove and and everything like you get to like go wear the gold patch, but you know, at the same time, it’s a lot of responsibility because you got to you got to keep putting the work and you got to be, you know, pretty much you gota you gota, you know, got to go mark. You got to be able to show that mark. You got to be able to, you know, know say, “Hey, I’mma go there for this reason.” you know, so it’s it’s it’s pretty pretty crazy. I mean, honestly, I think the uh the only reason, not the only reason, but we were really sharp this year in the infield. And I think because Tony Tony Perachica did a an awesome job with us, man. Like it it was from day one. From day one in spring training. Uh we learned how to love him. We always tell him that. We learned how to We hated you in spring training. We hated you in spring training, but we learned how to love you, man. because it was it was it you know it was fun. Now I did no it was May June we were actually seeking him and looking for him. Hey let’s go work. Let’s go work and you know just watching for him to come out here and you know teaching big leaguers how to fill a baseball again. It’s it’s pretty neat. So do you have your do you have your first gold glove? Do you do you have it at your house or is that something you gave to like your parents or something like that or Oh really? Okay. Okay. Is it is it an actual glove that is dipped in gold? Yes, it’s actually a go a a glove that is dipped in I didn’t know that. So I took it out. You can put it on and really heavy. It’s really heavy. I didn’t know that till I was at the ceremony and then I grab it. I’m like, “Oh god.” Yeah, this this is kind of heavy. So, you know, I have a I have a quick question about um about your you know Hey Fred, before before we do this um follow-up question. Um do you I’ve always wondered this. Do you ever go in and look at the um the other people that are nominated and be like, “Oh, I don’t I think I’m a little bit better than him or this guy.” So, do you ever look at your competition and just um get like rate yourself compared to other guys? Uh, you know, it’s it’s it’s always the human the human thing and like he’s always go better than guy. I was always like, “Oh.” So, for me, for me, it’s always like, “Oh, that guy is pretty good. That guy is pretty good.” Like, you know, for me it’s always whatever they decide it’s if it’s me, I’m gonna be happy. If he’s not, I’m not going to be happy. So, so I mean, keeping it honest. So, so it it’s it’s whatever whatever God wants, honestly. I mean, I can’t dwell on like be upset about something. So, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. Well, but you know, I think I think to be nominated to, you know, for a third straight year, you know, someone in here said that you were robbed last year, you you should have won it last year. And then not only your nomination, but Cam Smith moving positions. That’s I mean, that’s huge. It seems like every year you guys have somebody that is on that gold glove nomination or wins that gold glove. Um, what was the feeling in the clubhouse? I don’t know if we really talked about someone asked this earlier when Carlos Koreah, platinum glove winner, came back to the club. Was everybody elated? Was it like he’s back? I mean, what was what was that? Oh, yeah. Everybody was excited. Everybody was excited. Just know Carla’s a baller. call it. He’s a dog, you know, just going there and watching he’s a big presence and everything and just watching him. The thing is like that that I tell you the thing is like him willingly moving to third base and know playing the and playing it well too. He made a couple nasty plays that I was like like that that thing is is is good. I was like then dude you got you don’t have too many innings because you’re not going to know be nominated for the utility one because I was like damn that he makes some nice nasty plays. But just watching him going out there and and going about his business and you know, not just about his business, trying to make everybody better around him. You know, that’s what a leader does. That’s what you know, he’s wherever everywhere he goes, he’s he’s always the head of the guy. So, I know that the team has some goals, but what is the goals for Dubie? Um how much longer do you think you’re going to be playing? Do you set some goals for, hey, I want to work on this over the off season? What are you trying to do to become a better doobie for 2026? Yeah, you know, be more like like everybody knows, be more consistent hitting. I think, you know, I go through some good good chances of hitting like I go off, I start getting hot and all of a sudden just I don’t play one game or two games and all of a sudden lose the feeling. So, try to keep the feeling. Try to keep the same feeling hitting. Same same what I did in 23. Just, you know, just staying simple and and you know, know my game. Uh Craig Badger actually told me this. We’re in the we were in the cage hitting BP and he was like, you know, doobie, sometimes, you gotta think about this like a cake. And I was like, a cake? What do you mean like a cake? I’m like, there’s a lot of ingredients in a cake. Everybody wants to be the frosting. Everybody wants to be the sugar. Everybody, but think about it. You don’t make a good cake without salt. I’m like, you got to think about it. All the the and that’s how the team is instructor. Team is like a cake. You got to have everything on all the ingredients to make a good cake. So I’m like, think about it. What ingredient are you? Are you gonna get on base? Are you gonna know make a good plays? Are you gonna, you know, set the table for low guys? I’m like, think about it. You know, I know you sometimes you want to hit home runs. I know sometimes, but no, it’s that’s why you’re not here. You you you get on base, make good plays. So, what is the secret to you hitting home runs when you have Yordon’s bat? Is it is it a psychological thing when you grab his bat or you know what I’m saying? I mean it is is it just it’s you know like the baseball superstition you know what give me your bat big fella let me take one out and boom you it went out so I think I think it’s more cuz his bat like so all the so when I when he does the lizard skin in the bat it feels so good in my hand so try to give him like hey do it but do it no you you you do it so I don’t know I don’t know what it is so when he did the cycle last year he was using my bat so Oh, nice. Yes. So, he he was looking at the bats and he was like grabbing his bat. I’m like, “Bro, I told I have a I have one of those bats that feels light over there.” I remember it’s a Rollins bat and I’m like, “It feels light over there. Use it.” I’m like, “Are you not going to use that one?” I’m like, “Yeah, use it.” Ended up hitting for a cyclone. I’m like, “Now, do you have that bat that he hit with the cycle?” No, no, no. He took it. He took it. I’m like, “Yeah, take that thing.” I’m like, “You should You should have said, “It’s mine. It’s mine. I’m gonna sign it and I’m gonna put it in my in my mantle.” So, so the the Father’s Day walk-off. Yeah. He was with his bat. Ah, okay. Alvarez on the blue bat. I love it. I mean, this is great. We We really um appreciate you um sharing this stuff. I do want to ask you, and I hope you don’t mind we uh keep asking you some, you know, if you got time for a few more questions. you know, when when your career is done, what what is the legacy that you want to have as a baseball player when people look back and they look at Mauricio Dubon and they’re they’re looking through, you know, the 22 World Series year, the Gold Gloves, what is it that people that that you want people to remember you the most for? I think No, in the clubhouse, just being a good teammate. Like I think I think just being out there with the guys. Like we always talk about this with the with the guys, you know. I think the the thing that we going to miss the most is not the game, it’s just being in the playing with the guys, you know, being in the in the in the clubhouse with the guys, having that brotherhood in the clubhouse, you know, just being a good teammate. Honestly, I think just just being out there and and you know, sometimes you got to talk hard on the guys. Sometimes you got to go hard on people, but at the same time, you don’t do it because you hate the persons, you know, you do it because you want to you want to you want the best out of the team. You want the best for them. So, I think just, you know, being a good teammate, man. Just being a good teammate, going out there and have fun. I think I think the best compliment that I like when they give me is like I enjoy playing the game and I do. I love playing the game. I love playing the game and I tell Joe all the time, me and Joe fight all the time. I time I’m not playing because I tell I want to play. Like, let me play. I want to go out there and help the team. So, I think it’s it’s it’s just I love this game. I love this game a lot. Um, what situation um sticks out? I know you have the walk-off, but what other um moments in your career kind of stick out to you? Um, obviously the the the walk-off. I think the 20 game hitting streak it was so far it’s been everybody knew what was going on on game 14. Everybody was knew what was going on. So every day it was you know and I think but honestly and I till this day I like replaying that is when in the walk-off in 23 against the Orioles that I was not playing that day and Dusty was like you’re gonna do something big for us. I’m not gonna use it right now. you’re going to do something big for us and then ended up coming hitting and then I know we were swept the a the Kansas City swept us and we about to get swept by the Baltimore and we had to win that game to stay at first place and when I hit it TK said like a game that I had to win Dubbie does it. So, I’m like that I think for me that’s been so far has been, you know, my best like moment like like that I that I can remember right now. And you know, speaking of Dusty Baker, um back in 22 when we were going to the playoffs, um I was doing some writing for uh ESPN Southwest Louisiana. Um I I I go on their show weekly, talk talk Astros baseball to them. It’s the Astros flagship there. And um I believe I haven’t found another article. I believe I was the only person in the country talking about the X factor that you guys had going to the playoffs was Dusty Baker. And if Dusty Baker goes in and manages this team well that they will win a World Series. How big was it having Dusty Baker at the helm that year y’all clinched? Um, this guy’s surely going to be a Hall of Famer. You know, he had been to the World Series and almost won it multiple times. How big was he for you guys as players? Because from what Klay Hinsley says, a friend of mine who played for him in San Fran said he is truly a player’s coach. Yeah, he is. I mean, he is. I remember I mean just having Dust interaction with Dusty. I mean, it’s unreal. I knew Dusty way before a Sacramento guy. So, I I know for me it’s always heard stories about him and when I got there in 22, first thing he told me in the office, I need you to help the team win. You know, if you’re going to play, we’re going to play if if you prove me that you can play. And I was like, I got you. I got you. you know, ended up, you know, giving me the chances and everything and and just it’s just just watching him, you know, going about business and, you know, how he treated the players. You know, he always he he brought me food, he brought Alvarez food, he brought a couple of guys food. Like there was days that, you know, you know, just come and ask you how you were and everything, non- baseball related stuff. And I think, you know, like I’d say everything had to click in 22, you know, for you to win a World Series and ended up, you know, that ended up happening. and you know Dusty Dusty the Dusty was the man for us. Well, my final question, um I I just kind of came up with this. I changed my mind, but from Valdez, we don’t know if he’s going to be back with the Houston Astros, but what was your best interaction with him uh in the middle game or whatever? Game six, World Series till this day, game six. you know, he he’s he came out from having I don’t know how many PI starts in a row, like 20 something. And 25 or 26. Yeah. It’s ridiculous. And I come in and tell him, “Hey, I told him like in the in the tunnel like this is you like we need you. Like like take us to the promised land. Take us to the promised land.” And you know, out of all people, you you’re the one that we need. And you know, he ended up going and, you know, being framed by this. That’s awesome. Um, this this has been a great insight to Mr. Mauricio Duban, the Honduran Army knife. Um, you know, the guy that hits walk-off home runs with Yordon’s bat and the guy that gives his bat to Yordon and hits for a cycle. Absolutely love that. Um, you know, and you know, honestly, after the season ended in a way that y’all didn’t want to, it means a lot that you would come on cuz I know right now you’re decompressing. you’re you’re getting away from the game, but um we would love to have you back sometime. Um we’d love to talk to you when we get closer to spring training. Um just to catch up with you, see how your off season’s going. Um but I know our fans here, um there’s a lot of questions we couldn’t get to. Um but we’ve enjoyed this. Um Eric and I just thank you for being another one of the great Astros interviews that we’ve been able to have here at Locked on Astros. Oh, thank you guys. Thank you. Honestly, thank you. It’s fun. It’s fun to come out here and, you know, talk, you know, cuz sometimes people don’t realize, you know, we’re we’re humans, too. Like, you know, where you just go to the field and we lift. We lift and and we’re not we’re we’re we’re humans, man. A lot of a lot of stuff goes on in the clubhouse that, you know, people at some point they’re going to, you know, they’re going to find out about, you know, a lot of human beings. Um, Dubon, I’m going to ask a favor. Uh, would you I’m going to put you on the big screen for a second. Would you mind just doing a quick intro? You you saw the Yiner Diaz one at the beginning of the show. Would you mind just saying this Mauricio Devon and you’re watching the Locked On Astros podcast? Whatever you want to say. Okay. I’m not an actor, so I’m probably going to mess up a couple. Hey, hey, I saw you on TV. That’s not true. Trying to teach Orbit how to speak Spanish. Okay. So, what’s what’s the thing you know? Go ahead, Brett. Yeah. So, you just say, “I’m Mauricio Dubon and you are listening to Locked on Astros podcast.” Okay. I’m Mauricio Dubon and you’re watching Lock On on what was it? See, that’s the thing. See, Locked on Astros podcast. I’d rather I’d rather face 100 miles per hour than this though. We can do this. People are gonna love this. So, go ahead. I’m Mauricio Deon. You’re watching Locked On on Lock On Astros podcast. Yeah. Okay. I’m Mauricio Debon and you’re watching Lock on Astros podcast. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We got it. Nailed it. Good job. Um and but seriously, you know, you you know, you’re welcome on anytime. Um so, and hey, let the fellas know that um if they like our shows and stuff, give us a like, give us a follow, you know. I will. I I’ll let the guys know. I’ll let the guys know. You guys should come out of spring training. You know what? I’m thinking about coming out this year. My son and I came out in uh 23. Um and it was the first time I had actually When was when was the last World Baseball Classic? 22, right? 23. 23. Okay. So, we were out there. Um we actually got to see um the Dominican Republic play against Israel. Um a friend of mine was down there um gifted a Miami Heat game to my son and I. someone was was in was into basketball at the time and I’m originally from Florida from like Melbourne, Florida. So, I got to go back and see some old friends and stuff. So, I loved it. I want to I want to come back out and you know what? If I make it out there, I don’t know about Eric’s schedule. We’ll see if we can pull Eric away from his work because he’s not a teacher like I am. I’m still off for the summer. But, you know what, dude? If we can get out there, we’ll do a live show and we’ll just bring you in person. How’s that? Yeah, that’s good. That’s good. Yeah, I’ll do it. Awesome. All right. Well, thank you once again for joining and guys, thank you’all for making Lockdown Astros podcast your first listen every day. Go and subscribe to us. Go and make his first listen and we will see you tomorrow. And Brett, go probably should had Javon say it. Go work. That’s right. Doobie or like Blumber says Dooby.

Houston Astros utility player Mauricio Dubon opens up about his journey from Honduras to World Series champion. How did a young boy’s baseball dreams in a soccer-crazed country lead to MLB stardom?

Dubon shares his unique path, from adapting to American culture at 15 to becoming a key player for the Astros. He discusses his close bond with teammate Yordan Alvarez, winning the 2022 World Series, and earning a Gold Glove as a versatile defender. Hosts Eric Huysman and Brett Chancey explore Dubon’s role in mentoring young players and fostering team chemistry.

Tune in for Dubon’s candid insights on Dusty Baker’s impact, Jose Altuve’s position change, and the human side of Major League clubhouses.

0:00 Intro: Mauricio Dubon joins Locked On Astros

5:59 Dubon’s close relationship with Yordan Alvarez

11:58 Winning Gold Glove and utility role

18:34 Astros clubhouse culture and acceptance

24:13 Dubon’s baseball idols growing up

38:50 Sharing bats with Yordan Alvarez

43:32 Dusty Baker’s influence as manager

46:15 Dubon on being human off the field

Locked On Astros is a daily podcast about the Houston Astros, hosted by Eric Huysman and Brett Chancey. It is part of the Locked On Podcast Network.
Be sure to subscribe to Locked On Astros on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Come back every weekday to spend your commute listening to the latest Astros news and notes. Thanks for listening, and tell your friends!

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