March 24, 2010
By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
Click here to receive the Knights Insider via email
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - When name by name came and went without a mention of his own and the minutes and hours of last spring's Major League Baseball Draft painfully ticked by, Chris Duffy vowed this baseball season at UCF would be different.
Not getting selected in the draft wasn't as much a wake-up call for Duffy as it was a shocking slap in the face. And it didn't just light a fire under him; this was the equivalent of a raging forest fire that still burns white-hot today almost a year later.
The Orlando native had been selected in the ninth round of the draft coming out of Cypress Creek High School by the Chicago White Sox. But instead he opted for UCF following the advice of his father, James Duffy, that he pursue his education. But going undrafted after his junior season hit him like a tons of bricks and left him wondering if his childhood dreams of playing pro ball were fading.
``The only way you wouldn't be (upset) is if you weren't human,'' Duffy said. ``Oh, definitely that motivated me. Everything that happens negatively I take it to learn from. I used it as a motivating factor. I'm focused on this year only, and I'm trying to do what I can for the team, but that did motivate me.''
Duffy, a powerful 6-foot-2, 240-pound senior, has taken out his frustrations on the baseball this season for UCF (14-8). The sweet-swinging left-hander had two more hits in Tuesday's upset of No. 12 Miami and is hitting a team-best .530 with a whopping .584 on-base percentage. Even more impressive have been the 12 home runs that Duffy has powered out of park for the Knights, which leads the nation. Overall, he has 40 RBI, 11 doubles and a triple.
The power surge has come after his numbers dipped from his sophomore season (eight home runs) to junior season (six home runs). He worked hard to improve his strength over the summer and tried to become a more selective swinger at the plate. But he said the primary reason for the success has been a more simplistic approach.
``I'm just trying to keep things simple - see ball, hit ball,'' he said with a chuckle. ``That's basically it. I'm waiting back on the ball, I'm scooting up in the box and I'm taking a two-strike approach up there. And I'm not scared to fail.''
That's somewhat of a different philosophy than in previous years when Duffy was admittedly somewhat stubborn when it came to his stroke. But he's worked for hours in the batting cage with UCF assistant coach Cliff Godwin to better understand the mechanics of his swing and to swing only at pitches that he can drive.
And drive the ball he has. Against Savannah State, he was four-for-five with two home runs and eight RBI with 13 total bases. And he even made a nifty sliding catch in the game that he was the most proud of. Even last week in a painful loss to USF, Duffy still had two hits by driving the ball in the gap each time, and came back the next day at Stetson with two homers. So far, there have been no off days for Duffy, clearly a hitter in a groove.
``He made a statement to me the other day when I told him, `Chris you are doing great. You're batting .500 and knocking the ball out of the park,''' said his father, James. ``He said, `Dad you know what's scary? I can do a lot better.' And that really is scary.'''
About as scary as seeing his dreams evaporate when he went undrafted last June. The sleight got Duffy's attention and let him know he needed to work harder than ever to have a solid senior season.
And he also wanted to become more of a leader on a talented, but young UCF squad that features 21 newcomers. He's been outwardly more of a leader this season - in the dugout and in the batter's box with the 12 home runs.
``Now I'm focused on this year only, and I'm trying to do what I can for the team. I believe we just need that one great moment, and I want to be a part of it,'' Duffy said last week before Tuesday's landmark win against Miami. ``I'm trying to be a leader and stay vocal. I don't want to put pressure on guys, but I want to motivate them to take their game to another level.''
Another level like the one that Duffy has reached.
====
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFathletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.