He may not pitch Saturday for Royals, but it’ll still be a special Danny Duffy day
“Bury me a Royal,” Danny Duffy once tweeted, instantly endearing himself to many fans in Kansas City.
At that time, late in 2017, Duffy had seen rumors that he might be traded by the Royals. It never happened and he has remained in a Royals uniform for his entire 11-season career.
And on Saturday, he’ll join an exclusive list of Major League Baseball players when he reaches 10 years of service time. Fewer than 10% of players in MLB history have made it to a full decade. Among that select group, Duffy is part of an even smaller circle of players who have done so with just one team.
Of the 13 players who reached the 10-year mark in the first two months of this season, just two have spent their entire career with one team.
Duffy reflected on his time with the Royals in a YouTube interview with team host Taylor Davis.
“I’m a little bit longer in the tooth,” Duffy said. “Definitely more than halfway through this ride that I’ve been on since I was 18. And you just realize how special it is every second that goes by. This walk of life, as to every walk of life, will have some tough spots and put you through some tough things. And a lot of my battles were self inflicted. So you learn the hard way, you learn on the go and you become better for it.
“And, gosh, with everything that’s gone on over the last year, it’s just a really special job that we get to go out and do. It’s like you’ve never worked a day in your life. This is my 15th season with this organization and I just appreciate every second that goes by more and more.”
Duffy, 32, has a 4-3 record this season with a 1.85 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings pitched.
The Royals don’t have a starter announced for Saturday. But even if he doesn’t pitch, Duffy will reach the coveted 10 years of service time, which means he will receive a full pension from Major League Baseball after retiring. It’ll happen just three days after teammate Jarrod Dyson.
Lefty Mike Minor made it to 10 years earlier this season, and catcher Salvador Perez should join them on July 31.
“That’s the mark of longevity in this game,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said earlier this year. “Obviously there’s guys that have gone way beyond that, but just still ... it’s very few who’ve been fortunate to play this game and been able to stick around for 10 years.”
This story was originally published June 25, 2021 at 11:43 AM.
