Duffy's Pitch Count Limits Innings

If you’re wondering why DANNY DUFFY has accumulated only 13 innings during all of July for the Kansas City Royals Rookie League team in Arizona you’re not alone. The young lefthander reported late in June but after Monday’s outing he had pitched just 13 2/3 innings. His performance was brilliant— only one earned run for an ERA of 0.66, 25 strikeouts [two per inning and three times his eight bases on balls], and only seven hits against him—so why not more innings? He threw 58 in two months at Cabrillo this spring.

His dad, DAN DUFFY, clarified the issue today. “He’s a hard-throwing strikeout pitcher,” the elder Duffy pointed out. “He uses more pitches than some others.” And the Royals are not tabulating innings. They count pitches. Duffy added that there was a two week stretch when Danny was shut down after overall body soreness which came as a result of a swim workout. Duffy hastened to add it was not in any way an arm problem but the Royals wanted to be cautious. “Everything is good,” Duffy said. His son has even been selected to participate in the Royals’ fall instructional league, a strong indication the club continues to think highly of him.

AL HUNT, writing today in the Santa Barbara News-Press, pointed out that Duffy’s four inning performance Monday was his longest of the season. The inquisitive Hunt even got Duffy’s manager, Lloyd Simmons, to comment: “He’s a good prospect,” Hunt reported Simmons saying. “He’s been sharp here.” Simmons told Hunt that Duffy would throw 60 pitches every fourth game all month.

Duffy is expected back in Lompoc for two weeks in September before reporting to the fall instructional league.

Miscellaneous—RYAN CHURCH went 2-for-5 tonight against the Cincinnati Reds and boomed his 33rd double. He banged two hits last night and two on Tuesday for a 6-for-13 (.461) series against the Reds whom the Nationals swept. Church’s 33 doubles rank fourth in the National League. His batting average is now .261… SHELDON CANLEY on Bill Walsh: “Remember, he was a San Jose State Spartan”… former Lompoc High, Hancock, Upper Iowa, and Bologna Italy quarterback ANDREW JONES will be a guest on the next Lompoc Locker Room TV show set to air Aug. 13. He will join Cal miler MICHAEL COE on the show… B.J. LINGLE seems to like the web site: “was just checking out the site, and it is awesome. I have a new place to surf to now. I'll do my best to keep you posted about the Falcon football Lompoc connection”… Lingle will be keeping his eye on DERRICK LUKEN as he debuts with the U.S. Air Force Academy JV team….

PS—If anybody knows how the LGSA girls U-16 all-star team is doing in Salem, Oregon, let us know. Same for the LGSA U-10 girls in Las Cruces, New Mexico….