Ex-USPBL pitcher/Uber driver denies knowing about ex-Tiger Cameron Maybin's DUI

Tony Paul
The Detroit News
Cameron Maybin sparked a lighthearted Twitter war with Randy Dobnak on Tuesday morning.

Editor's note: The headline was changed and story was updated to reflect comments Randy Dobnak made to another media outlet.

Well, one good burn deserves another. But maybe it wasn't even really a burn?

In any event, Randy Dobnak, who became the feel-good story on the Minnesota Twins roster after he began his professinoal career pitching in the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League in Utica, made some headlines Tuesday morning for a Twitter exchange with Cameron Maybin.

The New York Yankees swept the Twins in the American League Division Series on Monday night, and Yankees outfielder and former Tiger Maybin tweeted Tuesday morning: "I'd rate this series a 4.99/5."

That was a lighthearted jab at Dobnak, who pitched and lost Game 2. Dobnak was written about substantially before that start, given his back story, which included a stint as an Uber driver this past spring. He hilariously lamented the fact one driver screwed up his perfect rating, leaving him at 4.99.

During that Game 2 start, Yankees fans chanted, "Uber! Uber!" which some fans outside of New York took as job-shaming. Dobnak took that in stride, though he wasn't as quick to let Maybin's tweet go.

Dobnank replied with, "Hmu (hit me up) if you ned a ride dawg."

Maybin was arrested for DUI this spring, which led to his release from the San Francisco Giants. Dobnak didn't return a message from The Detroit News, but did tell Detroit Sports Nation that he didn't know about Maybin's DUI "until people let me know."

"Not a shot at him," Dobnak told Detroit Sports Nation. "Just some good fun."

Dobnak's tweet, as everything is on the web, was met with mixed reviews, of course.

The first comment, from a Twitter use named Jeremy, replied, "P.S. if this is a shot at the DUI thing, it's pretty hilarious and I'm a Yankees fan."

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dobnak's tweet was liked more than 2,500 times, substantial given he has only 4,448 Twitter users.

Maybin's tweet, by the way, was deleted, as was a second tweet in which he said he was just having fun with Dobank. He said he didn't want to be a distraction during the Yankees' postseason run, which now includes an AL Championship Series against either the Houston Astros or Tampa Bay Rays, who play Game 4 on Tuesday.

Dobnak, 24, a Pennsylvania naive, went to college at Alderson Broaddus in West Virginia, but went undrafted, so he ended up in the USPBL in 2017 pitching for the Utica Unicorns. A good run there led to a minor-league contract with the Twins, and he flew up the organizational food chain, eventually landing in the major leagues this summer. He's the first USPBL alum to make it to the major leagues.

Dobnak was 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in nine games (five starts) for the Twins, including a win over the Tigers at Comerica Park. Between the regular season and playoffs, he got married, and then was roughed up in Game 2 against the Yankees, though, allowing four earned runs on six hits in two innings.

Randy Dobnak.

Meanwhile, Maybin, 32, revived his career after he was released twice this year, first by the Giants, then the Cleveland Indians. He caught on with the Yankees, with whom he hit 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games. His .858 OPS is a career high for the two-time Tiger, who was with Detroit after he was drafted 10th overall in 2005 before he was dealt away as part of the Miguel Cabrera trade in 2017, and then again in 2016. He had three at-bats in the ALDS, and he hit a home run in Game 3.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984