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Dave Duncan
Duncan as pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007
Catcher
Born: September 26, 1945 (1945-09-26) (age 64) Dallas, Texas
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 6, 1964 for the Kansas City Athletics
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 1976 for the Baltimore Orioles
Career statistics
Batting average	.214
Home runs	109
RBI	341
Teams
Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1964, 1967-1972) Cleveland Indians (1973-1974) Baltimore Orioles (1975-1976)
Career highlights and awards
All-star in 1971

David Edwin Duncan (born September 26, 1945 in Dallas, Texas) is a former Major League Baseball player and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is one of the few pitching coaches who was not a pitcher himself during his playing career.

[edit] Playing career

Reaching the majors by 18, Duncan was the youngest player in the American League in 1964. He played 11 seasons as a catcher, seven with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics. His big league tenure was highlighted by being named an AL All-Star in 1971 and playing an important role on the A's 1972 champion team.

With a lifetime batting average of .214 Duncan was mainly a defensive asset during his career. In spite of his low average he hit 109 home runs, one for every 26.5 at bats.

During his time with the Athletics he first met Tony La Russa, then a backup infielder with the club. He finished his playing days with the Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles.

[edit] Highlights

• Six two-home run games, his team winning all six
• One five-hit game, including four singles and a home run against the Boston Red Sox (July 12, 1972)
• A pair of four-hit games, including two doubles and two singles against the New York Yankees (May 5, 1970) and a record-tying four consecutive doubles off of Luis Tiant of the Boston Red Sox (June 30, 1975). In the other 95 games he played in 1975 he hit only three other doubles.
• Nineteen three-hit games, with the most impressive being two home runs and a double against the California Angels (May 25, 1971)
• One five-RBI game, including a three-run home run, a bases loaded walk, and an RBI single against the California Angels (September 21, 1969)
• Four four-RBI games
• Named to the American League All-Star team

[edit] Coaching career

Duncan began his coaching career in 1978 with the Cleveland Indians. After a stint as a pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners in 1982, he joined former teammate La Russa, then manager of the Chicago White Sox. Since that time they have worked together as manager and pitching coach, joining Oakland in 1985 and the Cardinals in 1995.

Pitchers on Duncan's staffs have won four Cy Young Awards: LaMarr Hoyt in 1983; Bob Welch in 1990; Dennis Eckersley in 1992; and Chris Carpenter in 2005. From 1988 through 1990, his Oakland pitchers had the lowest ERA in the American League, and in 2005 the St. Louis staff had the lowest ERA in the majors. La Russa regularly credits Duncan as being a key factor in the success of the teams he has managed over the last 25 years.

[edit] Personal life

Duncan and his wife, Jeanine, have two sons and two daughters. They live in Kimberling City, Missouri.

His younger son, Chris, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and made his major league debut in 2005. His older son, Shelley, was selected in the second round of the 2001 draft by the New York Yankees and had his major league debut on July 20, 2007. His nephew, Eric Duncan, was selected in the first round of the 2003 draft by the New York Yankees and currently plays for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

[edit] See also

• List of second generation MLB players

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Retrosheet