Elijah Dukes - done w baseball ?????

[scr]

Dukes receives an additional 30 day suspension from the Rays.

Friedman says he wants to insure that the kid has a productive major league career, and this is part of that insurance. Friedman correctly pointed out that the last incident was not a big deal, that this suspension was part of a bigger picture.

In this context, I agree with Mr. Friedman. He (Friedman) was not condemning the kid, but trying to wrap these incidences in a blanket and throw them in the garbage by spending 30 days on suspension. It also give the president of the Durham club time to cool off.

Of course, the writer from MLB could not help himself. He just had to include the "showering in sewer water" quote, almost in an attempt to establish a foundation of negativity that subliminally justifies the suspension. True to form, the writer did not include the fact that Dukes has disputed the quote. Terrible journalism.

I understand the suspension. I think Friedman is doing the right thing. I can't stand the journalist for not including Duke's response to the USA today article. Again, this is exactly the problem with journalists today. The average joe will walk away from that article as they have after the USA Today article to think Dukes is a bad guy. The irony is the kid is a good kid whose got problems and a family to feed, and a father in jail for murder. He's also got a ton of talent as a ballplayer. I think the kid gets called up in September if the Durham president hasn't gotten over this thing.

If you read the USA Today article, it appears that the only jovial guy out of the three interviewed was Dukes. I came away with the sense that Dukes was clowning around (which is why he has disputed the quotes) but the article was framed to get you to believe otherwise.

Moral of the story: Don't ever talk a reporter named Nightengale, and stay away from a columnist named Finnelly of the Tribune, lest you wish to be taken out of context or disparaged.

[deerayfan072]

Dukes receives an additional 30 day suspension from the Rays.

Friedman says he wants to insure that the kid has a productive major league career, and this is part of that insurance. Friedman correctly pointed out that the last incident was not a big deal, that this suspension was part of a bigger picture.

In this context, I agree with Mr. Friedman. He (Friedman) was not condemning the kid, but trying to wrap these incidences in a blanket and throw them in the garbage by spending 30 days on suspension. It also give the president of the Durham club time to cool off.

Of course, the writer from MLB could not help himself. He just had to include the "showering in sewer water" quote, almost in an attempt to establish a foundation of negativity that subliminally justifies the suspension. True to form, the writer did not include the fact that Dukes has disputed the quote. Terrible journalism.

I understand the suspension. I think Friedman is doing the right thing. I can't stand the journalist for not including Duke's response to the USA today article. Again, this is exactly the problem with journalists today. The average joe will walk away from that article as they have after the USA Today article to think Dukes is a bad guy. The irony is the kid is a good kid whose got problems and a family to feed, and a father in jail for murder. He's also got a ton of talent as a ballplayer. I think the kid gets called up in September if the Durham president hasn't gotten over this thing.

If you read the USA Today article, it appears that the only jovial guy out of the three interviewed was Dukes. I came away with the sense that Dukes was clowning around (which is why he has disputed the quotes) but the article was framed to get you to believe otherwise.

Moral of the story: Don't ever talk a reporter named Nightengale, and stay away from a columnist named Finnelly of the Tribune, lest you wish to be taken out of context or disparaged.

exactly Friedman is working on trying to help him out. I think if the guy in Durham says he cant come back there is nothing the Rays can do since it is not a part of the rays org but only an affiliate. I think this is good to give him time to cool. Won't 30 games end after the AAA season is over??

[deerayfan072]

Dukes will be playing winter ball for the Rays, and back in Durham in 2007, unless he makes the team out of ST

[shortsavage]

Dukes will be playing winter ball for the Rays, and back in Durham in 2007, unless he makes the team out of ST

From Fox Sports, Ken Rosenthal:

The Devil Rays aren't giving up on outfield prospect Elijah Dukes, whom they suspended indefinitely on Aug. 1.

"We are still very much behind Elijah," Rays executive vice-president Andrew Friedman says. "We've had a lot of discussions with him the last couple of weeks that have been very encouraging. We expect for him to play winter ball this off-season and come into camp next year with a chance to win a job."