Report: Diamondbacks reached out to Dave Duncan regarding pitching coach vacancy

The Arizona Diamondbacks addressed three of their coaching vacancies Friday, hiring Dave McKay as the team’s first base coach and promoting Turner Ward (hitting coach) and Glenn Sherlock (third base coach).

However, one glaring hole in the staff remains: the pitching coach.

Last week, USA Today MLB writer Bob Nightengale suggested that long-time pitching coach Dave Duncan would be a ‘perfect fit’ in Arizona.

Apparently the D-backs agree.

According to
Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the organization has reached out to Duncan in regards to its opening.

There is one potential hurdle for Arizona.

Gould noted that Duncan left his post with the Cardinals in 2011 to help his wife, Jeanine, as she battled brain cancer. The 68-year-old didn’t return to coaching in 2012, and instead opted to stay beside his wife’s side until her passing in June 2013.

While Duncan made one All-Star Game appearance and won one World Series in parts of the 11 seasons with the Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles, the former big-league catcher has made his name as a coach.

Since 1979, Duncan has served as the pitching coach for five different organizations — Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. In that capacity, he has mentored four Cy Young pitchers (LaMarr Hoyt, Bob Welch, Dennis Eckersley and Chris Carpenter) and been a part of three championship teams (A’s in 1989 and Cardinals in 2006 and 2011).

Although luring Duncan out of retirement might be a tough task, he does have ties to the Valley.

Duncan’s son, former MLB first baseman/left fielder Shelley Duncan and grandchildren live in the Phoenix area.

The D-backs’ vacancy has been open since Oct. 8, when the team and Charles Nagy decided to part ways after three seasons.

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