#17 Dave Duncan

A  pitcher's mentor and best friend.....Signed in 1963, toiled as an Athletic franchise trainee for years....A cog in the changing of the team’s fortune.....Duncan along with other multiple A’s mainstays found their path to the Fall Classic and tasted success....Others found individual stardom, it eluded Duncan....Solidly built, earned a fast track to KC with an outstanding 1964 at Fresno.....Once up however started slow.....Had to fight competition from Phil Roof, Larry Haney, Frank Ferandez for playing time....while his power and RBI numbers did rise over time Duncan lacked the ability to consistently maintain an acceptable batting average (.219 career)....with the ascendency of Gene Fury Tenace (also waiting in the wings) in the 1972 World Series, his tenure involving 11 years with KC/Oakland organization halted after 1972 with a trade to Cleveland....hit 109 homers, one for every 26.5 at-bats....Cleveland provides playing with a slightly less congested talent field but Duncan remains underwhelming at the plate at best.....made expendable and shipped to the Baltimore Orioles for an exchange for  aging Boog Powell.....in nearly 600 at bats over the course of two season Duncan fails to eclipse a .205 BA.....still armed with enough skills to be offered as trade bait Duncan is swapped to White Sox....Active player status concludes by failure to make the Chisox roster out of spring training.....All is not lost.....His iconic status was obtained through being a pitching coach....was a great agent of change within the science....incorporated extensive charting and data recording.