A conversation with Pacific Coast League MVP Duffy
By akraft21
It was a pretty good year for Matt Duffy in 2015. The 26-year-old third baseman from Boston, Massachusetts played for the Triple-A national champion Fresno Grizzlies and walked away with Pacific Coast League MVP honors. In the wake of the Grizzlies being awarded the MiLBy for Best Team of 2015, Duffy took a few minutes to reflect on his experience with the team as well as a year that saw him establish several statistical bests, be a part of a 19–1 run, play alongside Carlos Correa (twice) and earn his first big-league callup during the Astros’ playoff run.
Q: When the season was getting started, what did you expect from this team in terms of what you thought this group was capable of?
Duffy: “Before the season when the rosters came out after Spring Training, a lot of guys were on the bubble for making the [Astros] out of Spring Training. So right there you know you have a talented group when there are so many guys that really had an opportunity to make the big league club.
“So I knew looking around at first that we were going to be really good. I expected us to be really good, and obviously we were really good. We had high expectations. Our coach [Tony DeFrancesco], I remember in the first meeting he said we should expect to win the whole thing and that should be our goal, and it was great to accomplish that.”
Q: At the beginning of the year you had a chance to play with big-name players such as Preston Tucker, Domingo Santana and Carlos Correa. What was it like working with them?
Duffy: “It was awesome. As you started to rattle off some of the names right there, I forgot about Santana and Tuck. I mean, the lineup was just stacked. It was crazy. It was awesome to pick those guys’ brains about hitting every day when we were in the cage and stuff.
“Everyone got along. I think that’s what made us very good in that everyone was friendly with one other. We had great chemistry and guys were really pulling for each other, whether it was talking about the pitcher and trying to help each other out or helping each other make adjustments in the cage. It was a fun atmosphere to be in, and like I said, a great group of guys.”
Q: Throughout the season your team sent a lot of talent to the Majors, but were able to integrate guys like Tony Kemp, Tyler White and Mark Appel from Double-A Corpus Christi. What were they able to bring to the table?
Duffy: “It seemed like every time someone went up, someone stepped in seamlessly and we didn’t miss a beat. We could win in multiple different ways at the beginning of the year. We had power 1 through 9, and then as the lineup kind of shifted, we became more of a small-ball team and just manufactured runs. It was really cool to kind of be there most of the year and see the multiple ways we could win a game.
“It was just really cool, and those guys did a great job. Tony Kemp, Mark Appel. They came up and they obviously were there down the stretch and were a huge part of why we won. It’s definitely a testament to the organization and how deep we are and how good the talent is and the coaching. It was definitely fun to see them have that much success.”
Q: You guys led the PCL in runs. What made this lineup so tough to pitch to?
Duffy: “I’d break it down to every batter was a really tough out 1 through 9. We really didn’t have any weak holes, and every guy had a role and they played it well. Whether your role was to drive in runs or get on base, no one tried to get outside of their game. Everyone just stayed within themselves, and it just worked.
“We had great table setters in Tony Kemp and the guys that hit at the front of the order. Whoever it was seemed to be getting on base and the guys would try to have good at-bats behind them, and like I said, just any way we could manufacture a run. We could steal a base, we had speed, so we could do it more than one way.”
Q: As a team you opened August with 19 wins in 20 games. What was it like going on such a dominant run?
Duffy: “That was ridiculous, that was definitely the coolest. That’s when I really, really knew we were really good, ’cause I had never been a part of anything like that. It’s Triple-A, there’s great talent on all the teams in the league and great pitching. So to think that we could rattle off that many in a row, looking back, is awesome. That was something that I hope I can be a part of again at any level of baseball. That was just a great streak … we were feeling good after that going into the playoffs.”
Q: For yourself, personally, what did it mean to you to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player at the end of the year?
Duffy: “That was great. When they announced that, I was definitely happy. It was cool for my family that I got to tell them. My teammates were happy, but like I said earlier, it really helped having guys on base that allowed me to drive in a lot of runs and kind of have some big numbers because our team was so good.
“So it wasn’t like I had to put the team on my back and carry it. There was a new guy every single night. There was someone new getting the job done. It was great to win the award. It was definitely a huge testament to my team and how good my teammates were to help me get some of those numbers, but it was great. I’ll definitely remember it forever.”
Q: You got your first Major League callup while the Grizzlies were in the PCL semifinals. Obviously, you love an opportunity to get up to the big leagues, but at the same time, was it tough to leave this group that you had spent so much time with?
Duffy: “Yes and no. You’ve played with those guys all year and you form relationships and friendships, so you definitely want to be out there with your teammates trying to finish off what you started. … The first callup to the Major Leagues … there’s nothing like that. When that comes in anytime, that’s gonna be, I mean, that’s a dream come true. Obviously, you want to play with your guys and I wished them well. I still stayed tuned and knew what was going on and texted my teammates. But that callup, it was a feeling you only have once.”
Q: What was it like finding out that your old teammates had won the Triple-A National Championship Game? Was that a proud moment for you?
Duffy: “Yeah, it was awesome. So we had a bunch of guys [in Houston], I mean, I wasn’t the only one. There was a bunch of guys that started the year in Fresno and played a little bit there. All those guys were keeping an eye on the Grizzlies the whole year.
“Like I said, you become really good friends with these guys coming up, so you’re just checking in on the team to see how they’re doing. So yeah, it was great to find out. Me and Max Stassi and Tucker and Correa and all those guys were excited for the Grizzlies to win it.”
Q: You had a chance to see what’s in place (in Houston) and what’s coming up (in Fresno). How exciting is it being part of the Astros organization right now?
Duffy: “It’s awesome. There’s so much talent in this organization. I think the Astros are going to be good for a very long time. I’m happy to be here obviously. Happy to be a part of the playoff run with the Astros. I know they’ve got a boatload of talent coming up. Hopefully, I can be fortunate enough to be a part of it.”
