St. Louis Cardinals’ Dave Duncan on ‘indeterminate’ leave of absence – MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching coach Dave Duncan is reported to have got an ‘indeterminate’ leave of absence as something that the general John manager Mozeliak ruled out could be interpreted as resignation.
Dave Duncan has long been away from the team owing to the fact that he has been looking after his ailing wife Jeanine, who had a brain surgery in August 2011. This basically forced the pitching coach out of the team in order to take care of her.
However, Mozeliak was quick to make it absolutely clear that this recent indeterminate leave of absence has got nothing to do, or has no relation whatever, to his resignation. For now, however, the team has moved quickly to bring in Derek Lilliquist.
Derek Lilliquist shall have the responsibility to serve the team as pitching coach. Lilliquist, it is interesting to recall, had previously remained the bullpen coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. Analysts regard this leave of absence as a difficult decision
for Duncan.
At a time when he was possibly burdened with the charge of heading the bullpen as pitching coach, the difficult decision to tend to his wife also serves to show the importance he attaches to his family.
In his absence, the St. Louis Cardinals may seem an inexperienced lot when it comes to the luxury of having an insightful and experienced pitching coach. Nonetheless, the Cardinals will expectedly move fast to avoid leaving this hole unfilled.
It could also be a big loss for the Cardinals right now. The Cardinals who had won the 2011 World Series after beating the Texas Rangers 4-3 in the best-of-seven finals have already seen their ace hitter, Albert Pujols, switch to the Los Angeles Angels after
a big deal.
The Cardinals will be hoping that this current leave of absence will end soon as the club wants to start the season with all the confidence they can gather. It will be interesting to see how things unfold before the commencement of the 2012 season, especially
for the St. Louis Cardinals which do not have the expertise of an accomplished pitching coach available at this juncture.
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