Introducing: Shane Dux
Shane Dux, catcher for your hometown Geneva Red Wings, cannot remember when he wasn’t in love with baseball. At age two, he recalls that his mother tried to sign him up for t-ball, playing before he was even allowed to. He remembers choosing baseball because most other kids he knew had chosen soccer, and he wanted to be different.
Shane grew up in Centrefield, Virginia, which, by its sound, seems like it could be even smaller than Geneva. However, it is only forty-five minutes outside of the DC area, so the traffic in and outside of Washington gives it at least the appearance of being much more prominent than Geneva. Then again, most of our players come from more significant areas. Shane says he loves the small-town feel, though, for once. He also has high praise for the fan base that supports the team.
Shane grew up the son of public school teachers in Centreville and has two brothers who have shared his love and excelled in baseball. Shane’s older brother played for John Hopkins University, and his younger brother currently plays for Virginia Tech. Being close in age, Shane is continuously inspired by his younger brother and says he is one of his biggest supporters. Shane and his younger brother practiced and even played on many of the same teams growing up, so it’s easy to see how easily they bonded. He hopes to be able to play with him again someday, perhaps in the big leagues. As I said, Shane’s love for baseball grew early. To him, baseball is an unpredictable game that he loves but also what he hates about it. An example he used is that at any moment, he could breakout out of a streak of bad playing, and conversely, he could start a bad streak of playing.
As many do with sports in general, Shane considers baseball a chance to have fun and escape life's pressures and stresses. As soon as he steps onto the field, all of that goes away, and he becomes locked into the game. Shane points out this is one of his biggest strengths. Shane’s small attention span sometimes takes him from the game, and he laughs, recalling his mother always calling him “Space Cadet.” One can only imagine just how much a baseball player must pay attention to during a game.
With his love of the game also comes his dedication to getting better. During the school year at Hamilton, Shane averages about 2 hours every day outside of team practices. His regiment includes weightlifting for an hour and then hitting and catching drills. Shane loves the position of catcher because it brings him closer to emulating his favorite player, Ivan Rodriguez. “Pudge” (also a nickname his teammates bestowed on Shane) played on Shane’s hometown Washington Nationals team towards the end of his career. He had an innate passion for the game, and Shane likes to think that is one attribute they share.
It’s hard to imagine someone so dedicated to his craft having any free time to himself, and indeed doesn’t, but he does make time. At Hamilton, Shane is a physics student, so he loves to read books and watch YouTube videos on the subject to learn more. More recreational activities he enjoys are fishing and playing basketball. Because of his small attention span, Shane doesn’t watch movies, but he loves TV shows; Seinfeld is one of his favorites.
It’s rare, but when you find someone passionate about the sport, it’s truly a breath of fresh air. You can’t help but root for the guy and want him to succeed. I wish all of that to Shane as the season goes on. Thank you for joining me, and stay tuned for next time.