Full Name: Matthew Clark Duff
Born: 10/06/74
Birthplace: Clarksdale,MS
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195
Position: P
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
College: University of Mississippi
Mississippi Delta Community College
High School: Lee Academy , Clarksdale, Mississippi
MLB Debut: 07/30/02

CAREER SUMMARY
2002: After being released by the Florida Marlins 3/30, Duff signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals 4/1 and pitched at four different levels in a season in which he made his Major League debut...Opened the year at Potomac (Class-A) and appeared in four games, earning four saves and allowing no runs in 4.1 IP...Promoted to New Haven (Double-A) where he accumulated an 11-1 record to accompany a 1.38 ERA in 47 games, fanning 91 batters and allowing just 38 hits in 65.0 IP...Earned Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors for May...Named to the Eastern League All-Star team as a reliever...His .917 winning percentage at New Haven led the Eastern League, as did his 12.6 strikeouts per 9.0 IP...Ranked second among EL relievers in runners allowed per 9.0 IP (8.3) and was third in batting average against (.167)...Allowed just 2 ER at home over a two-month period between 5/7 and 7/20...Allowed more than one earned run just one time in 47 appearances...Eastern League opponents hit just .131 (8-for-61) with runners in scoring position...Made his Major League debut 7/30 at FLA, with 1.0 perfect inning pitched and two strikeouts...Appeared in seven games for the Cardinals, pitching 5.2 innings...Optioned to Memphis 8/14 and posted a 1.93 ERA in four games.

2001: Released by the Pirates at the end of spring training and signed with St. Paul in the independent Northern League in May...Recorded three saves for St. Paul...Traded to Sioux Falls in July and went 4-0 with seven saves and a 1.71 ERA in 17 games...His total of 10 saves ranked fourth in the Northern League, as did his 39 appearances.

2000: Spent the entire season at Double-A Altoona and had six saves and a 3.93 ERA in 47 appearances... Fanned 61 batters in 55.0 innings of work.

1999: Began the season as a starter at Class-A Lynchburg and went 2-3 with a 4.99 ERA...Moved back to the bullpen and was given his first promotion to Double-A...Recorded 12 saves and a 2.81 ERA at Altoona, where he made 44 relief appearances...Named the Pirates' Double-A Reliever of the Year...Played in the Maryland Fall League after the regular season and led the league in appearances and innings pitched.

1998: Opened the year at Class-A Augusta and appeared in 10 games while notching three saves...Promoted to Lynchburg (Carolina League), where he made 40 appearances and posted 10 saves with a 3.30 ERA...Finished second in the Pirates organization in saves (13) and fifth in ERA (3.27).

1997: Began his professional career with Springfield (Ill.) in the independent Frontier League...Went 7-4 and finished second in the league with a 2.71 ERA in 14 games (12 starts)...Signed by the Pirates in August and pitched two games (one start) at Augusta (Class-A), working 6.O innings and allowing one run with six strikeouts.

Misc.: Graduated in 1993 from Lee Academy in Clarksdale, Miss., where he played baseball, basketball and football...Was a three-time (sophomore through senior) all-conference honoree in baseball and football and a two-time honoree (junior and senior) in basketball...Attended Mississippi Delta Community College and helped them to a two-year record of 90-30...Converted from infielder to pitcher as a sophomore, when he went 11-4 and earned Academic All-America honors and was named the school's Athlete of the Year...Played two years at the University of Mississippi and majored in marketing...Attended the Major League Baseball Rookie Career Development Program in Lansdowne, Va., in January 2003.

Transactions - Signed by independent Springfield (Frontier), 1997; Contract purchased by Pirates from Springfield, Aug. 25, 1997; Released by Pirates, March 30, 2001; Signed by independent St. Paul (Northern), May 2001; Signed by independent Sioux Falls (Northern), July 2001; Signed by Marlins, Nov. 13, 2001; Released by Marlins, March 30, 2002; Signed by Cardinals, April 1, 2002