Duchscherer (nickname: "The Duke of Hurl") was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 8th round (241st overall) of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft out of Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas. His high-80s fastball made him one of the hardest throwers in the area, but his velocity soon ranked as only average as he entered the minor leagues.\n', '

In 1998, he went 7-12 with a 4.79 ERA in 30 appearances (26 starts) for Single-A Michigan. As Duchscherer continued to struggle in the low levels of the minor leagues, he was beginning to look more like a roster filler than a big-league prospect. But in 2001, he turned his career around. He went 6-3 with a 2.44 ERA in 12 starts for Double-A Trenton before being traded to the Texas Rangers for catcher Doug Mirabelli. He finished the year pitching well with the Texas organization, going 4-0 for Double-A Tulsa and sporting a 2.84 ERA after his call-up to Triple-A Oklahoma. He received his first major league call-up in 2001, a very forgettable one. He went 1-1 with a 12.27 ERA for the Rangers.\n', '

In spring training 2002, Duchscherer was traded to the Oakland Athletics for Luis Vizcaíno. After suffering a lower back injury in 2002, Duchscherer bounced back in 2003,[citation needed] going 14-2 with a 3.25 ERA for Triple-A Sacramento.\n', '

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