James Francis Duffalo (born November 25, 1935) is a former American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player. A

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dext ...

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

, Duffalo played all or part of five seasons (1961–65) in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

, and 18 years in organized baseball as a whole. He was a member of the 1962 National League champion San Francisco Giants, but did not appear in the

1962 World Series The 1962 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1962 Major League Baseball season, 1962 season. The 59th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the defending Amer ...

. Listed at and , Duffalo entered the professional ranks as a member of the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

farm system In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...

in 1955, winning 17 games as a rookie in the Class D

Georgia–Florida League The Georgia–Florida League was a minor baseball league that existed from 1935 through 1958 (suspending operations during World War II) and in 1962–1963. It was one of many Class D circuits that played in the Southeastern United States during t ...

in 1955, then another 16 games in the Class B

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

the following season. But the Pirates sent him to the Giants during the 1958 season. Duffalo made his Major League debut on April 12, 1961, for the Giants in a 2–1 win over the Pirates at

Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium located in the Bayview-Hunters Point, Hunters Point area of San Francisco, California, United States. It was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 S ...

. He entered the game with two on and two outs in the ninth inning against

Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a right fielder. On December ...

, who grounded out to end the game, and Duffalo was credited with a save. His best years were in 1963 and 1964; in 1963 he pitched 34 games with a 4–2 record and a 2.87

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

, followed in 1964 with 35 games and a 5–1 record with a 2.92 ERA. Duffalo would play 119 of his 141 Major League games for the San Francisco Giants. He was traded to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

for

left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply l ...

relief specialist Bill Henry on May 4, 1965. In 22 games he was 0–0 with a 3.45 ERA in what would be his last Major League season. However, he spent another seven seasons in

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

before his retirement in 1972 at age 36. He compiled a 15–8 record with six saves and an ERA of 3.39 during his MLB career, starting 14 games, all for the Giants, and relieving in 127 games. In 297

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

, he allowed 238

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

and 155

bases on balls A base on balls (BB), better known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches during a plate appearance that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The bas ...

, with 210

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s. As a minor league hurler, Duffalo was 110–72 with an ERA of 3.48 in 387 games and 1,655

innings An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). In cricket and rounders, "innings" is ...

pitched. He briefly coached in the Giants' farm system after his playing career ended.

References

External links

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Retrosheet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffalo, Jim 1935 births Living people Amarillo Giants players 20th-century American sportsmen Baseball players from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania Brunswick Pirates players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cincinnati Reds players Florida Instructional League Reds players Indianapolis Indians players Kinston Eagles players Lincoln Chiefs players Major League Baseball pitchers Midland Cubs players Oklahoma City 89ers players San Diego Padres (minor league) players San Francisco Giants players Spokane Indians players Springfield Giants players Tacoma Giants players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela