He has been promoted to Staten Island and is scheduled to make his debut tonight.
The game is on YES but has been in a rain delay.
They are taking the tarp off now so it looks like they may start soon.
He has been promoted to Staten Island and is scheduled to make his debut tonight.
The game is on YES but has been in a rain delay.
They are taking the tarp off now so it looks like they may start soon.
Game was rained out.
That's excellent news regarding Duncan. It means that he's adapting well to the wood bat. The Yankees lucked out big-time with Duncan being available at 27. Teams will rue the day that they decided not to draft him...
It looks like I have a reason to go to Staten Island.
He went 2/4 with an rbi last night. I find it very interesting that he started slowly in the GCL but gradually got better and was being extremely consistent when he left, which was the opposite of Estee Harris who started hot and then cooled off. I still like them both though.
Are these guys too young to be sent to Winter Ball???
http://www.silive.com/siyankees/adva...7161214040.xml
Duncan already in the fast lane
Yanks top pick making a name for himself in his first professional season
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
By TOM DOWD
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
Life moves pretty fast, doesn't it?
One day you're wrapping up the relatively heady, carefree existence of high school baseball stud, leading your team to a state championship.
Less than 24 hours after that, you're at Yankee Stadium, with your baseball idol Paul O'Neill, smiling for the cameras as you and your $1.25 million signing bonus are announced to the world. About 48 hours after that, it's off to Tampa to begin a pro baseball career.
Yeah, things have been moving pretty quickly for Eric Duncan.
Then he went and sped up the timetable.
Rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League seemed the right place for Duncan to spend his first pro season. The 18-year-old out of Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J. could spend his summer working out of the Yankee complex in Tampa, surrounded by instructors and the occasional major leaguer on a rehab assignment.
Instead, after just two months during which he hit .278 in 47 games with 12 doubles and 28 runs batted in, Duncan found himself promoted to the New York-Penn League, a loop traditionally filled with recent college graduates and pros with a few years of minor league experience.
He made a splashy debut on Monday, going 2 for 4 with a run scored and a two-RBI double, then went 1 for 4 in last night's 2-1 Yankee win against Aberdeen at the Ballpark at St. George.
"That went real good down there because you get a lot of work," Duncan said of his rookie ball fly-by. "I felt I improved a lot of parts of my game."
Duncan could represent a change in the New York Yankees' drafting philosophy, the first high school player they've taken in the first round since Andy Brown in 1998. Or maybe he's just a hiccup, someone the Yanks decided was too good to pass up with the 27th overall pick after he hit .536 as a senior with 12 home runs and 60 RBI in 31 games, showing off a quick, compact left-handed stroke that invited comparisons to Atlanta Brave Chipper Jones.
He didn't hurt himself with a shot into the upper deck in right-field during a spring workout at Yankee Stadium.
"I put one up there," Duncan confirmed. "It was pretty cool.
"It was awesome to work out there and take in the experience. It's different when you're in the stands than on the field. Great experience."
The pre-draft speculation had Duncan going as high as 14th overall to the Cincinnati Reds, but he was perfectly happy when the Yankees called his name at 27. Duncan, who was born in California before moving to New Jersey while in grammar school, has declared himself a lifelong Yankee fan. He wasted little time in choosing pinstripes over attending Louisiana State University.
"There were a lot of rumors going around but so many things happen on draft day," Duncan said. "I was fortunate to come out in the spot I was.
"Going into the season, you really didn't know what would happen with the draft. I was totally prepared to go to LSU, but with the situation presented to me, there was no way to turn it down."
So instead of Baton Rouge, he found himself in Tampa, trying to soak up what he could from Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams, who was working his way back from knee surgery, and Don Mattingly, who's son Taylor was a Gulf Coast League teammate.
"Those guys, they know so much, you hear everything they have to say," Duncan said. "You can learn a lot.
"They said, 'Just let everything come to you. Don't try to force it.' That's what they all seemed to harp on."
Now that he's been assigned to Staten Island, Duncan is back living at home in Florham Park, N.J., trying to catch up with his high school buddies before they head off to college. He's made a quick positive impression on Staten Island manager Andy Stankiewicz.
"He's a great kid. A 'Yes, sir. No, sir' kind of kid," Stankiewicz said. "He's the kind of young man a manager or a coach enjoys working with."
I just hope the Yankees management don't do a 'Henson' with this kid and move him up to fast. Same goes for Yancy Brazoban. He is struggling a little in AA but that's where he should be he'll learn how to pitch this year and hopefully take that knowledge into next year. Low and High A ball were too easy.
What I hope they do is let this kid experience success at the single A, double A, and triple A levels, for full seasons before advancing him. Henson had success when he first went to Norwich, and the organization promoted him to Columbus I believe mid season, or even earlier. It was too much too soon, and probably a factor in his decline. Let's hope they don't repeat that mistake with Duncan, or any other good prospect.Originally posted by 23jordan
I just hope the Yankees management don't do a 'Henson' with this kid and move him up to fast. Same goes for Yancy Brazoban. He is struggling a little in AA but that's where he should be he'll learn how to pitch this year and hopefully take that knowledge into next year. Low and High A ball were too easy.
Henson did fine in Norwich for the Yankees. However, that was when they traded him to the Reds. Something happened to him while he was away and he's never been the same player since. It would have made sense for the Yanks to send him back to Norwich after they'd re-acquired him.Originally posted by JfromJersey
What I hope they do is let this kid experience success at the single A, double A, and triple A levels, for full seasons before advancing him. Henson had success when he first went to Norwich, and the organization promoted him to Columbus I believe mid season, or even earlier. It was too much too soon, and probably a factor in his decline. Let's hope they don't repeat that mistake with Duncan, or any other good prospect.
I think they've done a good job of promoting players when they are ready. A couple years back, Dievi Mendez was promoted to Greensboro too quickly, but other than that they've done a great job with Cano, Navarro and Sardinha (although Sardinha was sent down to Battle Creek after struggling in Tampa.)
I am really excited about this kid and look forward to next year when he will play a full season for us.
I think this means that Hector Zamora may be headed for high A Tampa next year, while Duncan goes to Battle Creek. This is a division that would benefit both players.
Duncan would get to prove he's an advanced prospect, though I don't think Battle Creek will be getting a good overall team next year.
Zamora can't carry a team, but on a club with the Guillen's, Arias' and Andrus' next year, he could really emerge as a player in his own right.
He just 4 for 6 yesterday. He is batting 475 and slugging over 800. It looks like he'll move quickly through the system. I think the Yankees expect Duncan to be the majors the same age that Jeter got to the majors.
I'd think more of Ryan Anderson, but that's just me. I think he can fluxuate a little in A ball but I want him to play Full seasons at AA and AAAOriginally posted by 23jordan
I just hope the Yankees management don't do a 'Henson' with this kid and move him up to fast.
Hopefully he will be in the majors by 2007.Originally posted by Matsui55
I think this means that Hector Zamora may be headed for high A Tampa next year, while Duncan goes to Battle Creek. This is a division that would benefit both players.
Duncan would get to prove he's an advanced prospect, though I don't think Battle Creek will be getting a good overall team next year.
Zamora can't carry a team, but on a club with the Guillen's, Arias' and Andrus' next year, he could really emerge as a player in his own right.
========Originally posted by Matsui55
I think this means that Hector Zamora may be headed for high A Tampa next year, while Duncan goes to Battle Creek. This is a division that would benefit both players.
Duncan would get to prove he's an advanced prospect, though I don't think Battle Creek will be getting a good overall team next year.
Zamora can't carry a team, but on a club with the Guillen's, Arias' and Andrus' next year, he could really emerge as a player in his own right.
In today's SI game (SI 7 Aberdeen 5), Zamora started at SS. Bobby Murcer said it was an experiment to see if Zamora could move to that position full time.
Three more hits for Duncan, now hitting 500.Originally posted by GrouchoNYY
========
In today's SI game (SI 7 Aberdeen 5), Zamora started at SS. Bobby Murcer said it was an experiment to see if Zamora could move to that position full time.
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