Former Cardinals player Chris Duncan dies after long battle with brain cancer

Duncan, the son of former major leaguer and Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, reached the big leagues and played five seasons in St. Louis. He helped spark the Cardinals to a World Series title in 2006, hitting .293 with 22 home runs. He had a career .257 batting average.

The Cardinals traded Duncan to Boston in July 2009 but he did not return to the majors. He played in Washington's minor-league system in 2010 before retiring, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported..

Fox Sports Midwest announcer Dan McLaughlin announced Chris Duncan's death during the third inning of Friday night's broadcast, KMOV reported.

Duncan was diagnosed in 2012 with glioblastoma, the same brain cancer his mother had, the Post-Dispatch reported. He had been a talk radio show co-host in St. Louis, but took a leave of absence before leaving permanently in January, the newspaper reported.

“The Cardinals are deeply saddened by the passing of Chris Duncan and extend our heartfelt sympathy to his wife, Amy, the entire Duncan family, and his many friends,” Cardinals Chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. “Chris was an integral part of our 2006 championship team and a great teammate and friend to many in the organization.”