Jeff Duncan made his Major League debut for the New York Mets in 2003. Duncan was a fun player to watch because he always hustled and made some great defensive plays.
However, aside from a brief stretch in July when he collected 12 hits in 11 games, Duncan never displayed the ability to consistently hit Major League pitching. In 154 at-bats over parts of two seasons, Duncan batted just .182 with one home run and 11 RBIs.
Although he never played in the big leagues again after 2004, Duncan continued his career in the minor leagues. Last year, while playing for the Syracuse Sky Chiefs, Duncan ran full speed into the outfield wall trying to make a play. The injury ended his season and threatened his career.
During the winter, Duncan signed with the Somerset Patriots. He was involved in a scary early-season collision with teammate Michael Ryan and he never seemed to completely recover.
Duncan retired after playing in just 16 games for Somerset. He batted .148 with one home run, five RBIs and two stolen bases.
Duncan was nice enough to sign the 2008 Somerset Patriots team set card I mailed to his home, completing my set this year.
