Jan Dukes

Noble Jan Dukes

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.
• School Santa Clara University
• High School Mills High School
• Debut September 6, 1969
• Final Game July 22, 1972
• Born August 16, 1945 in Cheyenne, WY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jan Dukes was born in Wyoming but moved to California early in life when his father, an airline mechanic, was transferred. He and Wally Bunker matched up in a famous high school baseball game in 1963, 15 innings, where Bunker had 23 strikeouts going the distance while Dukes had 19 in 12 innings.

Dukes went on to Santa Clara University where he suffered an arm injury. He converted to the outfield for a year before coming back to pitch again. However, his arm never quite was as good.

He had three cups of coffee in the major leagues, in 1969 and 1970 with the Washington Senators, and in 1972 with the Texas Rangers after the Senators had relocated. Ted Williams was his manager all three seasons. He went a combined 0-2, 2.70 in 16 games, all of them in relief.

He finished up his baseball career at age 28 in Mexico.

He took a job working in Belmont, CA, and was eventually inducted into the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame.

His son Kyle Dukes was a star high school pitcher in 2005.

Source: Jan Dukes is a legend in county baseball lore.

Further Reading

• Clayton Trutor: "Jan Dukes", in Steve West and Bill Nowlin, eds.: The Team That Couldn't Hit: The 1972 Texas Rangers, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2019, pp. 54-56. ISBN 978-1-943816-93-4

Related Sites

• Jan Dukes at the SABR Bio Project