KANSAS CITY -- Back in 2010, Royals left-hander Danny Duffy was toiling in the Minor Leagues when he suddenly decided he'd had enough of baseball and simply quit. He packed his bags and headed for his hometown of Lompoc, Calif.
At the time, the Royals and Duffy, a third-round pick in the 2007 Draft, called the early retirement a matter of "personal issues." Before he went home, he had a chat with Royals officials Scott Sharp, J.J. Picollo and Dayton Moore.
"Seems like yesterday," Duffy said at a press conference Tuesday to formally announce his five-year contract extension for $65 million.