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Duncan, 63, will be serving in his 14th season as the Cardinals pitching coach after
being appointed to the post on October 23, 1995. This season marks his 30th as a
pitching coach - the most all-time in the majors, passing Galen Cisco (28 years). His
2005 pitching staff posted the Cardinals first ERA title since 1969 and the starting
staff recorded 81 wins, the most by a Cardinals team since the beginning of Divisional
play. His 2004 pitching staff finished percentage points behind Atlanta for the National
Leagues ERA title, while the teams 3.01 bullpen ERA ranked among the leagues best
as did the teams 89 quality starts. In each of his first two seasons, the pitching staff
set club records for strikeouts and ranked in the top six in the league in ERA.
Before joining the Cardinals, Duncan had been Oaklands pitching coach since July
1986, when he joined the As along with manager Tony La Russa. Under Duncans guidance, the Oakland staff ranked as
one of the best in baseball, leading the American League in ERA from 1988 through 1990. In 1990, the As had the lowest
earned-run average in the majors, becoming just the second A.L. staff to do so since the inception of the DH rule in 1973.
Duncan began his coaching career in 1978 with the Cleveland Indians. In 1982, he was hired as Seattles pitching
coach, and the Mariners responded by leading the A.L. in strikeouts and finishing second in saves and shutouts. He left the
Mariners in 1983 to join La Russa and the Chicago White Sox.
A former catcher, Duncan signed with the Kansas City As in 1963 and made his major league debut in 1964. When the
As moved to Oakland, Duncan moved with them and appeared in both the 1971 and 1972 A.L. Championship Series and
the 1972 World Series. Duncan concluded his playing career with two-year stints in both Cleveland (1973-74) and Baltimore
(1975-76).
During his playing and coaching career, Duncan has been associated with eight Cy Young Award winners. He coached
Bob Welch, Dennis Eckersley, LaMarr Hoyt and Chris Carpenter, and caught Vide Blue and Jim Hunter in Oakland, Jim Palmer
and Mike Cuellar in Baltimore.
Duncan and his wife, Jeanine, have two sons, David (Shelley) and Chris. Shelley was drafted by the New York Yankees
in the June 2001 draft and made his Major League debut on July 20, 2007. Chris was a supplemental first-round draft pick
by the Cardinals in the June 1999 draft and has spent the last three seasons as part of the Cardinals Major League outfield
staff. Dave was honored at the January 2009 St. Louis Baseball Writers Dinner with a Meritorious Service Award. He and
Jeanine make their off-season home near Table Rock Lake, Mo.
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Roster
