Dukes Sent Packing, To The Minors

[missionhockey21]

The Devil Rays finally had enough of Elijah Dukes, at least for now.

The troubled outfielder was reassigned to the minor leagues and placed on the temporary inactive list.

“It’s the right move for right now,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “The tact we are taking will make everyone better.”

Maddon, who held a meeting with the players though said it wasn’t specifically about Dukes, said Friday’s move will “be viewed as a positive ... By everyone.”

Dukes, a 22-year-old rookie from Tampa, has been the subject of controversy and scrutiny for weeks, since the May 23 St. Petersburg Times report of allegations by his estranged wife that he threatened to kill her and their kids.

Dukes created another controversy Tuesday by calling a Tampa radio station to defend himself and his family and make further accusations against his estranged wife, NiShea Gilbert.

Rays officials were not pleased, acknowledged they were frustrated over the distractions he had caused and seemed poised to accelerate plans to cut ties.

The Rays called up outfielder Dustan Mohr from Durham to replace Dukes on the roster.

In other news, the Rays moved outfielder Rocco Baldelli from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL as a result of his recurring hamstring problems.

- Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Link

Dukes is going to be angry... I wonder who he'll threaten and who he'll knock up. I call the threat if I have to choose between the two.

[brewersfan19]

sad. I wish these athletes would swallow some pride and get help. There is nothing wrong with asking and getting help from professional counselors, whatever. People have problems, we all need to deal with them. There are too many temptations in this day and age, and if an individual needs help from these temptations, then so be it. It is O.K.!!

[Fishercat]

Seriously, I'm not sure if it's even worth it to keep him at this point. We talk about Pac-Man Jones troubles...how about Elijah. My God. I'm going to C&P a post from another forum about this. It's absurd

That and the reported domestic abuse and 5 pregnancies with 4 different women. Does it affect his overall baseball value, I doubt it. But at some point, you simply don't want to deal with that kind of person. He's been suspended at least two times in the minor-leagues for on-field incidents, he recently called up a radio station and went on what USA Today called "one of the more interesting 10-plus minutes of sports talk radio you will hear ", basically retaliating against his soon-to-be-ex-wife who was on the radio station and such, he was suspended indefinitely by the D-Rays last year and threatened to quit, he's threatened his estranged wife by voicemail and "sent a picture of a gun to her cell phone".

"Over the years, he’s been accused of throwing a remote control at his wife, making threatening phone calls to his wife, throwing a soda can at his wife, throwing a glass candy bowl at his wife, and ripping a phone out of the wall while his wife tried to call 911; he has also been arrested on an unspecified domestic battery charge and twice been hit with orders of protection, by two different mothers of his children." (Not my quote)

[brewersfan19]

time for someone have some intervention with this person. He is crying out for help.


Mr. Dukes turn to God, it helps, seriously!!

[browntown653]

I'll be shocked if he's in baseball 5 years from now.

[brewersfan19]

More importantly than baseball, but I hope he gets his life in order by then.