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Duncans
Reunited in Trenton
by Mike Ashmore
June 22, 2006 - Hunterdon County Democrat
When 21-year-old Eric Duncan was drafted 27th overall by the
New York Yankees in 2003, the Florham Park native was
surrounded by people with the same surname.
"My grandparents were in town," said Duncan of
draft day. "My family was there, and my best friends
were all there listening. It was a pretty special
moment."
Three years later, he finds himself back-to-back with
another Duncan, this time in the Trenton Thunder lineup.
Namely, 2005 Eastern League Home Run Champion Shelley
Duncan.
Shelley, of no relation to Eric, hit 34 home runs for the
playoff bound Thunder last year, while the younger Eric hit
a career high 19 longballs himself for last year's team.
Hitting 4th and 5th, respectively, in this year's lineup,
the Duncan boys will be bringing some pop to a team that's
been sitting at .500 for the past few weeks.
"We were winning before Eric got here," said
Thunder manager Bill Masse. "But with a lot of the guys
who came back from Triple-A and didn't do so well, it's nice
for them to come back and be with guys they've played
with."
Eric Duncan started the season in Triple-A Columbus after
successful stints in the Arizona Fall League, a league
reserved for elite prospects around the big leagues, and
Major League spring training. With many of the Yankee
regulars playing in the World Baseball Classic, Duncan made
the most of his extra playing time, hitting .414 with two
home runs and eight RBI in just 29 spring at-bats.
But he struggled in his first chance at the highest rung of
the minors, hitting just .209 with no home runs and six RBI
in 31 games. Despite the decrease in production, he had no
doubts that he was ready for the jump from Trenton to
Columbus.
"If you succeed at the plate three out of ten times,
you're in the Hall of Fame," Duncan said. "This
game has so much failure in it, that you have to have
confidence. If you don't, you're going to make it that much
tougher for yourself. No matter where they put you, you have
to trust yourself."
After rehabbing a back injury in Single-A Tampa, Trenton is
where the Yankees organization put their first round pick of
three years ago, and that decision has worked out well for
the Thunder so far, with the first baseman hitting two home
runs in just his second game back with the team.
If all goes well, don't be surprised to see the #2 prospect
in the Yankees organization as ranked by Baseball America
back in a Columbus Clippers uniform before the end of the
season, with Duncan being more prepared for the difference
in levels.
"The jump from Double-A to Triple-A is a sizeable
one," Duncan said. "The main difference in
Triple-A is the amount of guys there that have been to the
big leagues. Every jump I've made from level to level has
been an adjustment period."
With many insiders making projections that he'll be the
everyday first baseman in Yankee Stadium by 2008, Duncan
only looks as far ahead as the next game instead of
picturing himself in pinstripes.
"I really honestly try not to think about that kind of
stuff," he said. "The only thing I can do is go
out there and play hard and trust in my abilities, and
everything else will take care of itself."
Thunder Notes: The New York Yankees
called up pitcher T.J. Beam on Saturday, just two weeks
after he'd been called up to Triple-A Columbus from Trenton.
Thunder closer Justin Pope was called up to Columbus to
replace Beam, and Trenton signed Scott Patterson to replace
him. Patterson was the closer for the Lancaster Barnstormers
of the independent Atlantic League and has never pitched in
affiliated baseball...Masse said that infielder Felix
Escalona isn't close to returning from his injury and will
be out another two weeks...Shelley Duncan was named Eastern
League Player of the Week for the second time this season,
and the third time in his two seasons with Trenton.
Around the Eastern League: The EL continues to be the
hot spot for Major League rehab assignments, with Pirates
pitcher Kip Wells and Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett making
starts for Altoona and New Hampshire, respectively.
For More on Mike: MikeAshmore.com
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