1971-1972
DUANE JOSEPHSON   C

Duane Josephson was born in New Hampton, Iowa on June 3, 1942. High school was where he first showed his stuff athletically, lettering 10 times in baseball, basketball, and track. It was wheret he first caught the eye of the Chicago White Sox.

His promise as a big-league prospect earned him a full scholarship to the State College of Iowa in Cedar Falls (now the University of Northern Iowa) to play baseball, basketball, and football. On the basketball court, he averaged over 20 points per game and on the diamond, he became the first Panther to be named a Baseball All-American. Not only did Duane star at sports for his college, he also was named Most Popular Guy in the school yearbook.

Before the 1964 season, lacking just one semester for his degree in physical education, the 21-year-old was signed by the White Sox as an amateur free agent. He was assigned to the Clinton C-Sox (Class A, Midwest League). In 1965, he moved up to Double A, playing for the Lynchburg White Sox in the Southern League. An improved performance at the higher level earned him a September call-up to the majors and he debuted in September 1965, against the Angels.

The following year, 1966, was spent at Triple A playing for the Indianapolis Indians. He was chosen an all-star, hitting .324 and was named Most Valuable Player in the Coast League.

After his MVP season, he joined the White Sox again in 1967. The season almost ended prematurely, however, in a March exhibition game when Frank Howard swung hard at a pitch and the backlash of his swing sent Duane to the hospital after being hit in the head. He spent almost all of 1967 with the White Sox, but instead of being the regular catcher, he appeared in just 62 games. After the season ended, he spent a couple of weeks in the Florida Instructional League just to get in a little more work. 

In 1968, he appeared in 128 games, the most of any year before or after and that summer, he was one of two backup catchers in the All-Star Game. The White Sox pitching staff in both 1967 and 1968 had two knuckleballers, Hoyt Wilhelm and Wilbur Wood and Duane learned to catch the knuckler. 

Duane suffered a blood clot in his right shoulder in June 1969, and missed all of July and August, not returning to action until September. Despite suffering another broken finger in May 1970, he was back three weeks later and had by far his best season at the plate, hitting .316 and leading the White Sox. He raised his profile enough to make him trade bait for the last-place White Sox who pulled the trigger in March, sending him to the Boston Red Sox.

Red Sox manager Eddie Kasko penciled him in as the starting catcher, relegating Bob Montgomery to backup work. Red Sox pitchers seemed to perk up early on, thanks to his defense and his aggressiveness. As always, he was fine behind the plate, but all of a sudden, he blossomed with some power, hitting 10 home runs but hitting only .245. He then lost three weeks after a home-plate collision with Davey Johnson of the Orioles and played progressively less as the season deepened, with Montgomery playing more in July and August, and Carlton Fisk taking the lead after his September call-up. 

Duane hit well in 1972 spring training and was at one point thought to have regained the battle for the lead role as catcher, but Fisk prevailed and Duane was practically a forgotten man as Fisk came on strong. Duane’s season was cut short when he was hospitalized again for a recurrence of the pericarditis. His last game was in July.

In March 1973, an electrocardiogram administered during spring training troubled the Red Sox and he was sent back to Boston for testing. It proved to be his third bout with heart disease. Then as he was released from the hospital, Duane announced his retirement from baseball at age 30.

Duane kept busy in baseball retirement, running a sporting goods store he owned named Josie’s and then working in real estate. In his spare time, he helped coach basketball at New Hampton, Iowa's high school.

Duane Josephson survived a near-fatal heart attack in 1995, and then succumbed to a second one on January 30, 1997, at age 54, in New Hampton.