If you happen to be in the same ballpark as Chicago Cubs Double-A farm hand Kelly Dugan, don’t be surprised hear this…
There’s a good reason for that. Professional baseball players usually celebrate signing their first contract with family and friends. The Tennessee Smokies infielder was no different when he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif. in 2009. It’s just that his family and friends included Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James and David Spade.
But the superstars surround Dugan in the photo isn’t what stands out to Kelly, in his first year with the Chicago Cubs organization. It’s his own then how he looked as an 18 year-old about to turn pro.
“I look at how skinny I was,” Dugan said. “I didn’t fill out until about two years ago. My metabolism was so high. It was a fun experience, being on the set. It was a good day.”
That set was for the movie Grown Ups, directed by Dugan’s father Dennis. It was just one of many collaborations between Dennis and Sandler, beginning with 1996’s Happy Gilmore. That movie is still Kelly’s favorite. And it seems to be a hit with everyone in the Smokies clubhouse too.
“These guys pretty much wear me out (with quotes from the movie), Dugan said. “It’s hilarious. They throw the lines at me from that move all day.”
The funny thing about that photo is, as happy as Sandler and the rest were for Dugan, their own baseball teams and rivalries still held. Sandler, a New York Yankees fan, refused to wear a Phillies hat at all, thinking his friends would give him Hell over it for the rest of his life. James, a New York Mets fan, wore the hat but turned it backwards. David Spade probably just walked in out of a pot cloud and assumed he’d been signed to replace the Philly Phanatic as the team’s mascot.
It would be natural to think that Dugan, growing up in a Hollywood family, would have found his way into acting and directing like his father. Dennis’ IMDB page is filled with major directing and acting credits, but that particular bug never bit Kelly. Instead, he and his dad enjoyed baseball together.
“I was always good at baseball and he was always supportive,” Dugan said. “It was cool to grow up around that (making movies). It’s probably as hard to get that dream as get this dream.”
Dugan’s dreams hit a bump last year. Dealing with injuries, he moved all over the Philadelphia’s minor league system. When his contract was up, he was a free agent. The Cubs wasted no time in signing him.
“The Cubs called right away,” Dugan said. “I was excited for that opportunity. It’s a good atmosphere right now. This group is in that championship mode. It’s cool to be a part of it.”
Dugan spent most of this season in extended spring training, working on his skills at first base after spending his entire career in the outfield. Dugan says it’s all about the Cubs wanting versatile players and at 25 years-old, he’s ready to put the work in to keep a job.
“He (Dugan) understands where he’s at in his career,” Smokies manager Mark Johnson said. “He’s open-minded and a complete open book. He knows what he needs to do. A lot of times after being a free agent, guys will look at all the ways they can stay in this game.”
While Dugan didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, his dad’s journey through the moviemaking landscape has still delivered plenty of applicable lessons as he tries to revive his career with the Cubs.
“I’m proud of my dad and what he’s accomplished in his field,” Dugan said. “I try to pick up some of the lessons of hard work and what it takes to get you there. Some of it applies across the board.”
