Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments on whether or not Dave Duncan has been the best pitching coach of the last 30 years.
Think about some of the great pitchers of the past 30 years. Names like Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux, Dennis Eckersley, Roger Clemens, and Randy Johnson quickly come to mind.
Much of those pitcher’s success can be credited to talent, but much credit must ALSO be given to the pitching coaches who helped those players develop, hone, and perfect their technique over the course of their careers.
Just as some players are better than others, there are also those coaches who seem to have a certain knack for bringing out the best in those they are coaching. Dave Duncan, pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, is one of those coaches. Over the course of his career as a pitching coach in Major League Baseball, Dave Duncan has helped to develop some of the most dominant pitchers of the era, including several Cy Young Award winners.
Recently, Duncan took the opportunity to prove once again why he is one of the best in the business when pitcher John Smoltz was brought into the Cardinals organization. Smoltz, who was pitching with the Boston Red Sox at the start of the season, had pitched himself to a 2-5 record with an 8.33 ERA by mid-August. Because of his struggles, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein decided it was time to make a change, so he Designated Smoltz For Assignment (DFA). Whenever a player is named as DFA, he is essentially placed on a 10-day waiting list while other teams within the league can claim him off waivers. If no team claims the player off waivers within that 10-day period, his current team can either release him outright or send him to the Minors. Many thought this was the beginning of the end of a likely Hall of Fame career for Smoltz.
Fortunately for Smoltz, the Cardinals decided to take a shot, believing that the 42-year-old pitcher still was capable of producing on the mound. They signed him as a free-agent for the remainder of the season, then let the master, Dave Duncan, go to work.
During his workout, Duncan and his staff noticed several things Smoltz was doing that lead to some of his recent struggles on the mound. After working with Duncan to correct some of those issues, Smoltz made his first start for the Cardinals on August 23rd against the San Diego Padres.
How did he do?
The “washed-up” pitcher that left the Red Sox was nowhere to be found. Instead, Smoltz dominated on the mound for the Cards, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out nine batters during the outing. It was like the “Smoltzie” of old was back (much to the chagrin of the Padres).
After just a few short days with Dave Duncan, Smoltz was seemingly able to correct several technical flaws and return to his Cooperstown-esque (yes, that IS a word… at least for THIS article) level of performance.
Without a doubt, Duncan is one of the best pitching coaches in baseball, but how does he compare to the other great pitching coaches of the last 30 years?
Is Dave Duncan the best pitching coach of the last 30 years in Major League Baseball?
Sports Geek will argue that none have been better in their role as pitching coach than Duncan. He has produced so many dominant pitchers, over such a long period of time, that he is without a doubt the best of his era.
Loyal Homer will argue that Duncan, who has had an exceptional career, still falls short of being considered the best. While he has been among the best, there are others whose credentials supersede his.
Debaters, the stage is yours.
best new blog