Rick Dunnum pitched wherever needed over 4 pro seasons
Rick Dunnum could do a little bit of everything on the mound for the high-A Osceola Astros in 1990, The Vero Beach Press Journal wrote.
On this night, he was put into a starting role after the regular starter got hurt and proceeded to throw five shutout innings, The Press Journal wrote.
"I'm just a whatever-they-need kind of guy," Dunnum explained to The Press Journal afterward. He added later of his effort, "I hope this will help me. They know I can do this, come in and give them five or six innings at a time."
Dunnum had that outing early in his third season as a pro. He went on to see just one more. He topped out at AA.
Dunnum's career began in 1988, taken by the Astros in the 21st round of the draft out of William Penn University in Iowa.
Dunnum started with the Astros at short-season Auburn. He saw 18 outings, 10 starts. He went 7-0, with a 3.66 ERA and one save.
He then moved to single-A Asheville for 1989. He went 6-6 there, with a 2.63 ERA over 36 outings, 18 starts.
That August, he used a good sinker to pitch into the eighth inning while giving up seven hits and three runs in a win, The Asheville Citizen-Times wrote.
"I was relaxed out there today and seemed to stay ahead of the hitters," Dunnum told The Citizen-Times. "... I threw my sinker a lot today and when it's working you can tell because I'm usually getting a lot of ground-ball outs."
Dunnum then moved to Osceola for 1990. He saw 51 outings, two starts on the year. He went 5-1, with a 2.80 ERA and five saves.
Dunnum played the 1991 season in the Phillies system, at AA Reading. He got 55 outings, with six starts and went 6-5, with a 4.58 ERA to end his career.
- Asheville Citizen-Times, Aug. 7, 1989: Tourists Power Past Rainbows
- Vero Beach Press Journal, April 8, 1990: Astros topple Dodgers
Made the Majors:1,397-32.3%
Never Made Majors:2,929-67.7%-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:351
