Duke brings bag of ‘tricks’ to Cardinals ‘pen

CINCINNATI — Zach Duke, acquired by the Cardinals in a Sunday swap with the White Sox, joined his new team Tuesday in Cincinnati, a place where, fittingly enough, he once resurrected a flailing career and reinvented himself into an effective late-inning reliever.

Duke had just been released by the Nationals after an unsuccessful try to fit as a long reliever when he signed a Minor League deal with the Reds in June 2013. He reported to Triple-A Louisville, where, with nothing to lose, he decided to experiment with something new. Recalling those days as a boy when he would skip rocks sidearm on the family farm, Duke toyed with a sidearm slot while throwing a bullpen session.

He peeked over to Ted Power — then the Louisville pitching coach, now an assistant pitching coach for the Reds — for affirmation.

“You should probably take that into the game tonight,” Power said.

Duke did, had immediate success, and by the end of August was back in a big league uniform. He allowed one run in 14 appearances down the stretch and parlayed …

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