2:30 p.m. Friday update:
The Cardinals announced today that bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist will replace Dave Duncan as the Cardinals pitching coach, and minor league pitching coordinator Dyar Miller will serve as Cardinals bullpen coach.
Lilliquist served as pitching coach last August and September, when Duncan took a leave of absence to assist his wife in her recovery from cancer.
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Our earlier story about Dave Duncan stepping down as Cardinals pitching coach:
Dave Duncan intends to step aside as Cardinals pitching coach in order to deal with personal matters related to his wife Jeanine's ongoing battle against cancer.
The club is expected to announce as early as today Duncan's intention to relinquish a position he has held with the Cardinals since October 1995 and within the major leagues since 1980, making him the longest-tenured pitching coach in the game's history.
Reached Thursday night, Duncan declined comment until the club issued a formal announcement.
General manager John Mozeliak confirmed a change in Duncan's status, describing it as "a fluid situation."
Mozeliak is expected to meet today with manager Mike Matheny to discuss a successor. Should the club elevate bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist to the position as expected, an additional move would follow. Sources familiar with the situation cited Memphis pitching coach Blaise Ilsley as a leading candidate to fill the bullpen role.
"I really don't have much to say at this time," Duncan said.
Duncan, 66, left the club last August immediately upon his wife experiencing symptoms associated with a brain malignancy. Aware of manager Tony La Russa's intention to retire after the season, Duncan rejoined the club before its last regular season game against the Houston Astros. At his wife's urging, Duncan then remained in uniform during the Cardinals' remarkable trek to a World Series championship over the Texas Rangers.
Even while expressing a desire to serve out the second year of a two-year contract extension after La Russa's departure, Duncan acknowledged that family concerns could trump his return.
Though Mozeliak postponed discussing further details of the situation Thursday night, sources confirmed that Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. recently agreed to assume the balance of Duncan's contract, which runs through the upcoming season and included a buyout for 2013. Duncan, however, will not serve in that capacity this season.
"There is no timetable attached to anything because that might create an unnecessary pressure or expectation," Mozeliak added.
Duncan earned $1 million, including bonuses, last season, making him the game's highest-paid coach.
Jeanine Duncan recently began an additional round of treatment that includes chemotherapy and regular visits to the Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Her condition, a brain malignancy diagnosed last summer after she temporarily lost some motor function on one side of her body, has left her unable to drive and in need of constant attention that her husband does not wish to delegate.
Though Jeanine's condition is described as stable, Dave recognized that there was no way he could maintain his professional schedule. Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny became increasingly aware in December that Duncan may not be able to return for a 17th season as pitching coach.
Duncan is eligible to remain with the club in another capacity, according to club sources, technically making his status a leave of absence. However, pitching coach is not considered within the spectrum of possibilities.
Within days of La Russa's retirement, Duncan spoke at length with Mozeliak about his potential need to occasionally step away from the club to tend to his wife. Mozeliak insisted Thursday night that the team's subsequent selection of the inexperienced Matheny as manager had nothing to do with Duncan's decision. However, sources familiar with his situation indicated Duncan was deeply disappointed Mozeliak chose not to retain bench coach Joe Pettini and first base coach Dave McKay. Duncan and McKay served on La Russa's staff while with the Oakland A's. The club also jettisoned bullpen coach Marty Mason after the 2010 season and dismissed bullpen catcher Jeff Murphy shortly after Matheny's hire.
Duncan's absence represents a third seismic shift within the organization since the Cardinals' Game 7 win over the Rangers. La Russa announced his retirement a day after a downtown parade celebrated the club. First baseman and three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols then surprised many within the industry last month by accepting a 10-year contract from the Los Angeles Angels.
Duncan is among the most influential pitching coaches in the game's history, overseeing Cy Young seasons from LaMarr Hoyt with the Chicago White Sox, Bob Welch and Dennis Eckersley with the Oakland A's, and Chris Carpenter with the Cardinals. It was Duncan's inspiration to transform Eckersley from a moderately successful starting pitcher into a Hall of Fame closer. Duncan's preference for pitch economy and a sinkerball mentality helped transform journeymen such as Woody Williams and Jeff Suppan into pitchers of influence with the Cardinals.
