Frank Duffy

Frank Thomas Duffy

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.
• School Stanford University
• High School Turlock High School
• Debut September 4, 1970
• Final Game May 11, 1979
• Born October 14, 1946 in Oakland, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Shortstop Frank Duffy played 10 seasons in the major leagues. He was a regular with the Cleveland Indians from 1972 to 1977. His double play partners were Jack Brohamer and Duane Kuiper, and third base was manned during the period by Graig Nettles and Buddy Bell.

Duffy played three years in the minors, 1968 to 1970. He broke into the majors in September 1970 with the Cincinnati Reds, who went on to win 102 games that season. He was traded in May 1971 to the San Francisco Giants, who also won their division; that trade was one of the more lopsided in baseball history. Along with pitcher Vern Geishert, Duffy went west for outfielder George Foster. Duffy played just 21 games for the Giants; Geishert never pitched in the majors again. Foster played sparingly his first several years in Cincinnati but emerged as a key member of the Big Red Machine clubs of the 1970s and went on to win the 1977 National League Most Valuable Player Award.

The Giants compounded the mistake by sending Duffy to the Indians with Gaylord Perry for Sam McDowell, another trade they lost hands down: Duffy was the Indians' regular shortstop for six seasons and Perry won the 1972 American League Cy Young Award while McDowell was almost through as a pitcher. Duffy's best year was 1973, when he hit .263 with 8 home runs and 50 RBI. After his time with the Indians, Duffy was traded to the Boston Red Sox, who won 99 games in 1978. Brohamer was also on that team.

He was at Stanford University at the same time as Bob Boone.

Related Sites

• Frank Duffy at the SABR Bio Project