How fatherhood has changed Dubón for the better 

This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

HOUSTON – Fatherhood sure can change a man, even the alpha males who wear baseball uniforms. When you have a bad game, that suddenly doesn’t matter much when you walk through the door at home a few hours later and see a small child waiting for you.

Welcome to the new and wonderful world of Astros utility player Mauricio Dubón, who became a father on Nov. 30.

Sunday will mark Dubón’s first Father’s Day, and he plans to celebrate the day by honoring his son, Luciano, wife, Nancy, and even his two dogs, Marcelo (a Frenchie) and Cash (a pug). Dubón will be wearing a custom belt and cleats for Sunday’s game against the Twins at Daikin Park that honor his family and some of his favorite activities.

“It's different, man,” Dubón said. “Now, you go 0-for-4 and before you used to think about it so much when you go home, and now we go home and I see his face, I see him get happy when he sees me, and then forget about it.

“I just try to be there for him, try to do everything for him, so nothing's missing for him. I think that's the biggest difference, you know? You're not playing for yourself anymore. You're playing for somebody else. You know everything that you do is going to affect him in the future. I’m trying to be good for him.”

Dubón, 30, has already received his first Father’s Day gift – a custom-made belt that features the name of his wife and son, complete with his son’s footprints that were on his birth certificate. It even has the name of his dogs. In some ways, Dubón was a father long before his wife gave birth to their first child.

On the inside of the belt is a Spanish message that reads, “El mejor papi! Te amamos.” It translates to “The best daddy. We love you.” Love, Luciano and Nancy.

“I think, honestly, it was pretty cool,” Dubón said. “I made my own belt [for Father’s Day], but it was okay. And then I ended up getting a surprise like that.”

The Air Jordan cleats Dubón will wear Sunday also pay homage to his family with Luciano’s name on the toe of the right foot and Marcelo and Cash on the toe of the left toe. Two other things Dubón enjoys are depicted – a cigar on the right cleat and a glass of Scotch on the left cleat.

“Hopefully I can get in there and play,” Dubón joked.

Earlier this season, Dubón brought his son into the clubhouse for the first time to show Luciano where Daddy works. Luciano wore a shirt that had a baseball diamond and Mauricio’s face on all four infield positions and all three infield spots, with the words “My dad was here” above it. Last year, Dubón played seven different positions for the Astros.

Even when the team is on the road, Luciano is never far from his dad. Mauricio will get on FaceTime daily to talk to his wife and see Luciano’s face and hear him giggle. He marvels at how his wife has been able to handle the baby by herself while he’s traveling.

“She does a great job,” he said.

Dubón thought he was going to be the “fun dad,” but now he finds he simply wants to make sure he’s providing for his son and that he’s safe.

“You never figure this out,” he said. “You always go through things. I think my favorite word that I'm looking forward to him saying the most is when he asks me is, ‘Why is that?’ And I can say, ‘Because I say so!’ I think that's the one I'm looking for the most.”

Before his son was born, Dubón leaned on teammates, close friends and fellow fathers Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez to get some fatherly advice.

“They said there’s going to be a day you’re going to stop playing and it’s going to be all him,” Dubón said. “And you’re going to be thankful for the sacrifices you made.”