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Elijah Dukes, Winning, and Character


By Mike Silva ~ March 17th, 2010. Filed under: Mike Silva.

Earlier today this site caused a stir with Howard’s endorsement of the Mets signing just released outfielder Elijah Dukes. One of our readers, Mark, had this to say about it:

Having a guy like this on the team would sap all enjoyment of the season for me. Would you be happy with at team of 9 Barry Bonds’ even if we won 140 games? I’d stop watching. And I’d rather watch of team of Mookie Wisons that loses 100 games (not saying that team would – love the Mook).

Mark makes a great point that I am sure many fans would echo. I guess I question if that is a totally fair assessment.

For the record, I agree with Howard and believe the Mets should at least look into bringing Dukes to the organization. In the right environment Dukes may be able to succeed and finally reach his potential. Would I count on it? No, Dukes has a long history of violence dating back to when he was 12 years old. He could easily become a problem, but one that could be disposed of as easily as acquired.

Some may find my position hypocritical considering I supported the departure of Lastings Milledge just a couple of years ago. My position on Milledge was more from what I was told by a former coach of his, not due to his off the field behavior. I have never felt Milledge was as gifted physically as many made him out to be and, when you factor in the lack of baseball intellect, it’s a recipe for unfulfilled potential. The Mets got, what I thought at the time, were two players that could help them win now. Dukes clearly has a gift for the game of baseball, but has demons that go way beyond the field.

As for character on a team. Yes, I am the biggest proponent of character and chemistry, but that doesn’t mean these players exemplify it off the field. The 86′ Mets have been all over the police blotter, yet that team is loved to this day. Even a notorious “good guy” like Tim Teufel was arrested that season.

This city is known to give second chances and build it into a success story. Just a decade ago Latrell Sprewell committed one of the worst sportsmanship acts imaginable. He was sorry for his actions and given a second chance by Dave Checketts and the Knicks. That season Sprewell helped lead the Knicks to the Finals and was loved during his tenure. Was Sprewell any different person? Of course not, as his later actions indicated, but in the right environment he was successful. The Yankees did the same think with Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden after they hit rock bottom. People can change, even if it’s just for the short term. Remember, we don’t have to live with them, it’s just baseball.

Do Yankees fans feel dirty about their 96′ title? No and why should they? Just like the Knicks aren’t giving back their 1999 Eastern Conference Championship. Is Latrell Sprewell someone that I would want people to model themselves after off the court? Would I want to hang out with him? Of course not, but he was a fine basketball player and that is what I admired. As a general rule I tend to separate the player from the person. Are there exceptions? Of course, Michael Vick would never play for my team if I were an owner. However, I don’t think Eagles fans enjoyed their season any less because of his presence on their team. Thankfully, we haven’t been put in that position here in New York and I am not sure if Elijah Dukes puts the fans in that spot anyhow.

Building a winning team is hard enough. The 2003 Mets were full of great guys: David Weathers, Joe McEwing, Ty Wigginton, and Vance Wilson are just a few examples. The problem is they weren’t very good. Barry Bonds, jerk and all, led his Giants team to the World Series in 2002. I am sure not all San Franciscans would want to have dinner with Mr. Bonds.

You have every right to want good guys on your team, but I don’t know if utopia is possible. For now, let’s focus on bringing in depth of talent and let Jerry, Omar, and company manage the personalities. I think a fairer question is if this is the right environment for Dukes to be successful, not the other way around.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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4 Responses to Elijah Dukes, Winning, and Character

  1. Mark
    March 17th, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    There’s a big difference between being rowdy and cocky and starting a food fight on a team plane, etc (’86 Mets) and this. But, for what it’s worth, I had trouble rooting for Dykstra and Vince Coleman and Sheffield, etc for the same reasons and was happy when they were gone. I’m sure if I knew the players intimately, there would be players I’d have trouble rooting for that I don’t have an issue with now (like I never had an issue with Jeff Kent, but all first-hand reports say I was wrong).

    I just don’t see how a Barry Bonds or a Elijah Dukes gets into the batters box and you cheer? What are you cheering for? The man? The laundry? The chance he could help you win a game that is fairly meaningless to your life?

    Don’t get me wrong, I watch close to 162 Met games and have since 1976, well-knowing they are meaningless to my life. But making me root for known bad apples is a good way to get me to stop. Give me a bunch of good guys, trying hard, hustling, etc and I’ll root for that team whether or not they win (see, for example, the Carlos Baerga-era Mets; I loved that team or the days of Joel Youngblood/Doug Flynn). Give me the Vince Coleman Mets and I can find better things to do.

  2. RonOK
    March 17th, 2010 at 9:38 pm

    I absolutely disagree 1000% with you guys on this but respect your right to offer your opinion. That said, “second-chance” comment really confuses me: ” … this city is known to give second chances and build it into a success story …”

    I am all in favor of giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third chance …. however, it seems to me that between the Rays and Nationals, he has aleady had about a dozen second chances.

    From The St. Petersburg Times – August 2, 2006
    http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/02/Rays/Suspended_Dukes_threa.shtml

    Dukes, an outfielder for Triple-A Durham, has been suspended at least twice by the Rays (and benched another time) and once by the International League this season and has been ejected from two games. He has had an altercation with coach Richie Hebner in the Bulls clubhouse, a fight with teammate Ryan Knox in a hotel lobby (which led to a 15-game suspension) and a dugout incident with Bulls manager John Tamargo.

    He also was quoted as making some of the disrespectful comments about the Rays and Bulls organizations last week in the controversial USA Today article that drew a strong rebuke from Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman and manager Joe Maddon, including the line about how big-leaguers “shower in Evian” while the Durham players “use sewer water.”

    Then from his Wiki Page, Here is a chronology of his off-the-field issues:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Dukes

    In 1997, Dukes was arrested for the first time. Dukes has been arrested at least three times for battery, and once for assault. According to court records, he fathered at least five children with four women between 2003 and 2006.

    On May 23, 2007, it was reported that his wife filed a restraining order after he threatened to kill her. On June 12, a 17-year-old foster child who was living in the care of a relative of Dukes accused him of impregnating her. Police said the sex was apparently consensual. When the girl confronted Dukes, he allegedly got angry and threw a bottle of Gatorade at her.

    Dukes has received anger-management training. When Dukes was traded to the Nationals, the team also hired an ex-police officer in the role of “Special Assistant: Player Concerns”. This person accompanies Dukes everywhere to ensure that he keeps himself free of trouble.

    Finally, this wonderful talent has just been cut by the one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball …. aren’t you interested in why they did this? Shouldn’t that in itself be a major red flag?

    I am just baffled by the whole site today …. I really love reading and listening to you guys and have the utmost respect for you — but all of your Mets related posts today have really caused me to scratch my head and roll my eyes.

  3. Rick
    March 18th, 2010 at 10:00 am

    Honestly… hypocritical much? You say Vick would never be on your team if you were an owner, but Dukes is worth a look? How does that work exactly? A long history of domestic violence and outbursts on the field vs. someone who did something really stupid but paid his debt to society and seems genuine about his desire for a second chance? What chance would Dukes be on now, his 7th?

    Anyway, I disagree the Mets should take a look at Dukes, but not because he’s a “bad guy” – simply because the Mets don’t need to take him on. With how well F-Mart’s playing and Bay signed to a 6 year deal, where’s the room for him? What’s the point?

  4. Rick
    March 18th, 2010 at 1:12 pm

    One more note on Dukes, from ESPN:

    “General manager Mike Rizzo, however, admitted to the Washington Post that Duke was hardly a breath of fresh air. ‘The clubhouse will be more united,’ Rizzo said. ‘We’ll have a better feel around the ballclub. We’ll gain just by that alone.’ ”

    No new recent incidents or not, does that sound like the type of guy you’d want sitting on your bench?

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