LOCALS IN THE PROS NOTES: Well-traveled Greg Duncan (UVa-Wise) now in Mexican League; Gavin Cross is crushing; Hunter Stratton, Evan Carter on injured list; former major leaguer from Morristown passes away; (2024)

Life in baseball’s independent leagues can be unpredictable and Greg Duncan has experienced his share of change lately.

The former pitcher at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise tossed a scoreless ninth inning to notch the save for the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League on June 9.

Less than 48 hours later he was on a 6 a.m. flight bound for a different country to play for a different team.

He is now unleashing pitches for Caliente de Durango of the Mexican League.

“Getting to Mexico was wild and happened very fast,” Duncan said. “I found out through a colleague of mine at work back home who asked if I had interest in playing in Mexico. Initially, I thought he was talking about winter ball or next year. A couple of days later I got a phone call from the staff in Windy City that my contract was purchased. I was excited for the opportunity but it was tough having to move on from the close relationships I built in a short time with the club in Chicago.”

Duncan was 1-2 with five saves and a 1.96 ERA in 14 games for Windy City so that certainly got the attention of scouts.

It also led to the latest adventure in a career full of them for the 25-year-old right-hander from Centreville, Virginia.

He won 18 games in four seasons at UVa-Wise from 2017-2020.

“My time at Wise was very special just looking at how I developed as an athlete but also a man,” Duncan said. “Both my coaches and my professors will always hold a place in my heart.”

He pitched well after transferring to Radford University in 2021 and then began his odyssey in the pros as he’s amassed plenty of frequent flyer miles and been on his share of long bus rides.

The Gateway Grizzlies (Frontier League), Gary SouthShore RailCats (American Association), Winnipeg Goldeyes (American Association), Billings Mustangs (Pioneer League) and Quebec Capitales (Frontier League) are among the teams Duncan has had stints with.

There was also a career-threatening injury he suffered last year in his debut with Winnipeg.

“After facing a few hitters in my first game back, the stress fracture in my elbow that was listed as stable, completely snapped on a 1-1 slider against the Milwaukee Milkmen,” Duncan said. “Having to fly home from Milwaukee with my arm in a makeshift cast alone was a very low point for me. I had several doctors tell me that I had a less than 30 percent chance of being able to have full strength and range of motion in my right arm, let alone throw a baseball.”

Talk about a mental and physical toll.

“I felt like that was it; it was enough of a reason to hang ‘em up, but I also had this voice in the back of my head telling me to get back up and go again,” Duncan said. “Maybe it was the little kid that grew up hearing all the time I couldn’t do something and to show one more time I had enough to give it a go. I had a great team of doctors from the Anderson Sports Medical Center that were able to repair the joint with a couple pieces of hardware – seven screws and a plate to be exact. I like to refer to it as my door hinge. Rehab was my wake-up call for having to ask myself how bad do I want to finally get out there again. Full disclosure, the first six weeks were the most difficult and painful experiences I’ve gone through. Having to break away scarring and make metal bend and move is far from a walk in the park. I’ve had a great support system and for me, I want my career to end on my terms.”

That is why he relishes every opportunity.

Duncan has a 12.00 ERA in his first three appearances with Durango as he adjusts to the higher level.

Former MLB All-Star Neftali Feliz is among his teammates and every team in the league features former big leaguers.

“The coolest part so far was realizing that players I watched through high school and college in the big leagues are now either my opponents or teammates,” Duncan said. “Jumping into the bullpen with Durango it’s been cool getting advice and talking baseball with Neftali Feliz and other vets with MLB experience like Sam Travis. Although I know it’s a step up in competition – in fact, Neftali said this league is on par with, if not better than Triple-A – it’s still 60-feet, 6-inches to the plate and my job does not change. I’m taking each day as an opportunity to learn and grow and hopefully see what is on the other side when the season ends.”

Who knows where Duncan’s baseball journey will take him next?

The well-traveled hurler is just glad to be on the trip.

“Anybody who is facing adversity where walking away is the easier option,” Duncan said. “The hard work and pain will bring a bigger sense of pride knowing you did everything possible with no regrets rather than taking the easy way out and playing the game of what-ifs. You’ll be surprised to find out what you’re capable of both physically and mentally.”

Stratton injured

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Hunter Stratton (Sullivan East) was placed on the injured list June 14 with what has been ruled a right triceps strain.

The right-hander left an outing against the St. Louis Cardinals the day before after throwing just seven pitches, wincing in pain after his last offering and getting a visit on the mound from the team’s trainer.

Stratton is 2-1 with one save and a 4.26 ERA in 29 relief outings in 2024.

Cross crushing it

Gavin Cross of the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals recently had a stint on the injured list with what was classified as mild back tightness, a move that appeared to be more of a precaution than anything else.

Opposing pitchers have had to take precautionary measures lately when dealing with Cross at the plate.

The former Tennessee High and Virginia Tech slugger has hit safely in all four games since returning to the lineup for the farm team of the Kansas City Royals.

He singled off Steven Matz, a MLB veteran on a injury rehabilitation assignment, in his first plate appearance back on June 11 and went 3-for-6 with a home run on Sunday against Springfield.

Cross has a slash line of .296/.374/.471 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs in 50 games.

Injured Evan

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter (Elizabethton) has been on the injured list since May 28.

Originally diagnosed with a lumbar sprain in his back, Texas manager Bruce Bochy later told reporters it was a stress reaction.

Carter was hitting .188/.272/.361 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 45 games at the time of his placement on the IL. He played a starring role last year as the Rangers won the World Series.

Knack nearing MLB return?

With the Los Angeles Dodgers experiencing a rash of injuries, it might not be long before pitcher Landon Knack rejoins the club.

The former Science Hill High School and East Tennessee State University standout was 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA in four starts earlier this summer for the Dodgers.

He is 3-2 with a 3.54 ERA 10 games (nine starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City, including an outing on Sunday against Sugar Land in which he allowed one run on three hits in 2 2/3 innings, while walking three and striking out seven in a no-decision.

Catching up with Cole

Cole Harness was hitting .161 with two RBIs in his first nine games with the Austin Weirdos of the independent Pecos League at last check.

He also pitched in a game on June 12, allowing six runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and one walk.

Harness played at Eastside High School, Southwest Virginia Community College and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

Will’s way

Will Carter (Science Hill) had a couple of stints on the injured list for the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League, but he appears to be back to his old self.

He has pitched to the tune of a 1.28 ERA in eight appearances and crafted a perfect inning on Sunday.

Shaddon’s Status

Right-handed pitcher Shaddon Peavyhouse (Unicoi County) has struggled with his control this season for the Everett AquaSox, High-A farm team of the Seattle Mariners.

He is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 15 games and has racked up more walks (20) than strikeouts (18) in 20 innings of work.

Wurtz: Back to Billings

Greg Duncan isn’t the only former UVa-Wise standout on the move in the independent leagues.

The Atlantic League’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs traded outfielder Gabe Wurtz to the Billings Mustangs of the Frontier League on June 14.

Wurtz, an ex-Highland Cavalier, hit .200/.297/.355 in 33 games for Southern Maryland.

He returns to Billings, where he played during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Latest on Linton

Pitcher Carter Linton (Dobyns-Bennett) has had a rough go of it with the Northern Colorado Owlz of the independent Pioneer League as he’s 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA in 13 relief outings.

Blaum’s bat

Catcher Tyler Blaum, a former standout at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, is hitting .161 with three RBIs for the Quebec Capitales of the independent Frontier League.

Emener Update

Ex-East Tennessee State University pitcher Austin Emener is 0-4 with a 4.65 ERA in 10 starts for the Fresno Grizzlies, Low-A farm team of the Colorado Rockies.

Word on Watters

Jake Watters has pitched well as of late for the Lansing Lugnuts.

The former Bland County High School and West Virginia University ace is 5-2 with a 4.89 ERA in 13 games (six starts) for the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics and has allowed just one earned run in his last 16 2/3 innings of work.

He was the winning pitcher in outings on May 29 (vs. Peoria), June 4 (vs. Dayton) and June 9 (vs. Dayton) in what has been the best stretch of his three-year professional career.

Trey hits tank

Houston Astros utility man Trey Cabbage (Grainger) connected for his first MLB home run of the season on June 5, taking Miles Mikolas of the St. Louis Cardinals deep.

Cabbage has compiled a .265 batting average in 19 games for the Astros.

That’s the same average he had in 31 games with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys as he’s shuttled back and forth between the minors and majors this summer.

Wagner on IL

Infielder Will Wagner of the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys was placed on the injured list June 4 with an unspecified ailment.

The Houston Astros prospect was hitting .303/.419/.406 with two home runs and 23 RBIs in 47 games.

Will Wagner played at The Miller School in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Liberty University and is the son of Tazewell High School graduate and former MLB All-Star relief pitcher Billy Wagner.

Former Morristown major leaguer dies

Morristown, Tennessee, native Joe Shipley died on May 1 at the age of 88 in St. Charles, Missouri.

Not to be confused with the former East Tennessee State University baseball coach of the same name who died in 1987, this Joe Shipley pitched in 29 MLB games and had an 0-1 record and 5.93 ERA.

He suited up for the San Francisco Giants in 1958, 1959 and 1960 (their first three seasons in California after moving from New York) and also had a three-game cameo with the Chicago White Sox in 1963.

Hank Aaron was just 1-for-8 with a strikeout against Shipley and the right-hander also struck out future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Gil Hodges.

Shipley didn’t have much luck against Eddie Mathews, Aaron’s Milwaukee Braves teammate, who was 4-for-7 against him.

Shipley broke in with the Big Stone Gap Rebels of the Mountain States League in 1953 and struggled with his command. He went 0-3.

“Sure, I remember Shipley,” Frank Potter, the business manager and official scorer for Big Stone Gap, told the Bristol Herald Courier’s Gene Thompson in 1957. “We were really hurting for pitchers and [Giants scout] Dale Alexander brought him up to us fresh out of high school. I think we were to pay him $175 a month. Shipley was a big, gangling, raw-boned boy who could throw the ball like a bullet. But he was wild as a billy goat. I don’t think he ever knew where the plate was. He had a natural fastball, and a pretty good curve, but he’d end up by walking the ballpark. We kept him around for awhile, but we needed somebody with experience who could win, so we asked the [New York] Giants to move him. I told [Giants farm director] Jack Schwarz that Shipley was a real good prospect, but that we needed pitchers – not prospects.”

One of Shipley’s teammates in Big Stone Gap included future John Battle High School coach and Appalachian League president Bill Halstead.

“He had a lot of stuff on the ball,” Halstead told Thompson. “We all told him that if he could ever learn to get the ball over the plate his troubles were over.”

Shipley ended that ’53 season with Vidalia Indians of the Georgia State League and eventually worked his way up to the bigs. He never did quite gain complete control of the strike zone at the game’s top level either as he walked 35 – compared to 23 strikeouts – in 44 innings.

Today in History

Jimmy Gobble (John Battle) was the winning pitcher for the Kansas City Royals in their 7-4 triumph over the Houston Astros on June 18, 2006.

Gobble needed just eight pitches to retire Preston Wilson and Brad Ausmus on grounders and Adam Everett on a flyout in the eighth inning.

KC scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to break a tie.

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Greg Duncan’s Baseball Road Map

The many teams of former University of Virginia’s College at Wise pitcher Greg Duncan:

2013-16: Westfield High School, Chantilly, Virginia

2017: Loudoun Riverdogs (Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer League)

2019: Purcellville Cannons (Valley Baseball Summer League)

2017-2020: UVa-Wise (NCAA Division II)

2021: Radford University (NCAA Division I)

2021: Gateway Grizzlies, Sauget, Illinois (Frontier League)

2021: Gary SouthShore Railcats, Gary, Indiana (American Association)

2022: Billings Mustangs*, Billings, Montana (Frontier League)

2023: Quebec Capitales*, Quebec City, Canada (Frontier League)

2023: Winnipeg Goldeyes, Winnipeg, Canada (American Association)

2024: Windy City ThunderBolts, Crestwood, Illinois (Frontier League)

2024: Caliente de Durango, Durango, Mexico (Mexican League)

*Did not play for team due to injury.