Chris Duffy

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**Chris Duffy**

Pittsburgh Pirates — No. 6
Center Fielder
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
April 7, 2005 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Selected MLB statistics (through August 11,2006)
Avg	.254
RBI	13
HR	1

Christopher Ellis Duffy (born April 20, 1980 in Brattleboro, Vermont) is a Major League Baseball player who plays outfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1 Amateur and minor leagues
2 Major leagues
3 Career statistics
4 Sources

[edit] Amateur and minor leagues

Before his major league career he played baseball for two seasons at South Mountain Community College in Arizona. In 2000 he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 43rd round of the draft, but opted to attend Arizona State University instead. At ASU in 2001, he batted .373 with four home runs, 37 RBIS and 20 stolen bases and was named a First Team All-Pac-10 selection. That year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 8th round and accepted a contract with them.

He made steady progress through the Pirates' minor league system from 2002 to 2005, spending time with their teams in Williamsport, Lynchburg, Altoona and Indianapolis. Over 5 minor league seasons and 524 games, he achieved a .299 batting average with 27 home runs and 190 RBI.

[edit] Major leagues

In 2005, Duffy received his first call-up to the majors on April 7, but spent only two weeks with the team before returning to Indianapolis on April 21. On July 17, he was again called up and spent the rest of the season on the Pirates' roster. Before an injury in late August ended his season, he hit .341 with 1 home run and 9 RBI in 39 games with the Pirates.

In 2006 Duffy began the season as the Pirates' starting center fielder. After faring poorly at the plate in April and May, however, the Pirates optioned him to the minor leagues on May 14. After an emotional closed-door discussion with the general manager and head coach, Duffy unilaterally decided to instead return to his home in Glendale, Arizona, causing the Pirates to suspend his pay. While Duffy had been very critical of coach Jim Tracy for insisting that he change his batting style, he has insisted through his agent that he was not protesting the Pirates' decision. Rather, he was on leave for personal reasons that he does not wish to disclose, but that reportedly have to do with a lack of desire to continue a career in professional sports.^[1]

Duffy returned to the minor leagues after about a month and -- despite earlier reports that the decision to quit had nothing to do with Tracy's change to his batting style -- immediately reverted to his 2005 batting style and hit for a .349 average in 26 games. Duffy returned to the majors on August 2 and, apparently with the support of the clubhouse, Tracy installed him directly into the starting center field and leadoff spots.^[2]