You can’t make this stuff up. Elijah Dukes, who HAS to know there’s a microscope the size of Cecil Fielder’s Thanksgiving dinner on him, was involved in an altercation with an umpire in the Domincan. (Marc Topkin and Eduardo Encina)
Dukes reacted angrily after being called out on strikes in the ninth inning and was ejected after going chest-to-chest with the umpire, and had to be restrained by several teammates at different times.
I’m going to put the odds on Elijah being somewhere other than St. Pete in April at 99%.
November 30th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
That St. Pete Times article made it sound much worse then what it looks like on the video link of the incident. He didn’t hurt anyone and if Lou Pinella did the same thing a few years back most of us would love that passion and reaction. Let him play baseball and not make a big deal about weak stuff like that.
November 30th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Curt, I agree to a certain point. Most players would get away with this, and there wouldn’t be an issue. But Dukes is supposed to be changing his ways and there is a very watchful eye over him by all ML teams. At this point, we might need to think about trading him to Japan because there really might not be a single team interested in him after the Nats and Mets trade. If we don’t get a trade for him, I say just release the guy. It’s out of hand at this point. Everytime you start to think he might be ready to get things turned around he throws it back in your face. Time to cut the line right about now. He’s useless.
November 30th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
To me it just looks like everyone is just scared of him because he is a big black guy. If he was a little white guy with all that talent this wouldn’t be the big deal. I believe there is some underlying racism behind all the hate toward him sometimes. I know he has done some bad stuff in the past but I don’t consider this one of those bad things.
November 30th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Didn’t look that bad to me. I agree with Curt.
December 1st, 2007 at 12:19 am
The ugly ol’ race card has been dropped. I have learned to fold on that.
But Dukes is not as dispensable as he once was.
Heard the Rays are interested in Darin Erstad. Friend of a friend type rumor…but enough weight to put it out there.
December 1st, 2007 at 7:41 am
With Young gone and Baldelli a frail hamstring pull away from going on the DL for another season, Dukes should be the opening day starter in RF in 2008.
Who cares what he does beyond getting him ready for the BIG club next season. The guys an animal at the plate and is going to be a tearer for pitchers throughout his career.
Leave the guy alone and support him rather than jeer him for stupid altercations like this.
Peace!
December 1st, 2007 at 9:13 am
Peace?
December 1st, 2007 at 10:19 am
After further discussion with my ’source,’ it sounds safe to upgrade the Erstad rumor to a probable signing.
December 1st, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Erstad should not come anywhere near here. especially to start…
December 1st, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Erstad’s 2000 numbers are so abnormally above any other year you have to wonder if her was not medicating.
December 1st, 2007 at 5:14 pm
He’s also so abnormally bad that I can’t imagine Andrew would do that to us.
December 1st, 2007 at 6:23 pm
I love how certain people think Dukes is this great hitter and that he’ll hit so well when given the opportunity. He didn’t do terribly great when given the opportunity last season. He is actually very similar to Jonny Gomes at the plate in terms of his all or nothing swing. He is a decent defender in the OF, but his troubles have been ongoing for too many years. I have seen him play since he was a freshman in high school, and he’s always had problems since before then. I always hope for guys like him to pull through, but he just doesn’t get it yet. I know this incident wasn’t a huge ordeal, but it’s just stupid of him to worry about a call from an umpire with his life the way it is. He knows everybody is watching him like a hawk, and this is just another small step back for his attitude. He needs to really get his life straight soon or, unfortunately to say this, but he may end up the same way Sean Taylor did. If anyone thought Taylor had problems, then they don’t want to look into Dukes’ background. He needs the opportunity to go elsewhere and the Rays shouldn’t worry too much about what they get in return for him in a trade. If he does well, then good for him on turning his life around. I understand that this wasn’t as big a deal as it was reported, but he does just need to learn to let stuff go-like a call from a bad umpire. 99% of umpires are somewhat terrible, and everybody knows it. Good luck to Elijah in the future, but I really hope it’s not in Tampa. It has nothing to do with skin color anybody…it has to do with stupidity.