Mariano Duncan was born in the Dominican Republic on March 13, 1963 and played 12-years in the Major Leagues. Fans who love the Cincinnati Reds will remember him as well as the fans of the New York Yankees. Duncan helped both of these teams win a World Series title from the second base and shortstop positions. He played in the 1994 MLB All-Star game as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Duncan is currently employed by the Chicago Cubs organization as a hitting coach for the Tennessee Smokies in Kodak, Tennessee. When asked if he was enjoying his new job in East Tennessee and the 2012 Southern League, All-Star game he enthusiastically spoke, “There’s no question I like being here. It’s so good to be here today at this All-Star game and get to spend some time with a lot of different players from a lot of different teams. It’s such a dream for them and I am very happy for those kids. I played in the MLB All-Star game in 1994 when I played with the Phillies and it’s a lot of fun because you do meet different people from other teams. When asked about expectations for the Smokies during the second half he added, “I think we will continue the turn around. During the last fifteen-sixteen games we have started to swing the bat a lot better and I think our record is 16-6 over the last twenty-two games. If that continues we can hopefully make it to the playoffs.” Duncan has helped guide one of his hitters, Jim Adduci to the third spot on the 2012 hitters top ten list at the season’s halfway point. The Tennessee Smokies finished the first half with a 35-35 record which places them tied for second with the Huntsville Stars and both teams are seven games out of the top spot currently owned by the Jackson Generals.