With everyone and everything around him. Below is the article that appeared on Baseball America's web site in regards to Dukes. I saw, if Bowden was even remotely serious about his desire to get Dukes, then he should make the Devil Rays an offer, involving whatever minor leaguers (not on the 40 man roster) it takes. Since players not on a major league team's 40 man roster need not pass through waivers to be trade, a deal could be had. Elijah Dukes has a very high upside, and a change of scenery would very likely be a blessing for him, especially if it was done quickly. Note to Jim Bowden and Stan Kasten, you both said something about the Nats current state of farm system, I believe. So move youre collective butts...
Link to original article...
Is Dukes Done?
By Chris Kline - August 1, 2006The Tampa Bay Devil Rays suspended Elijah Dukes indefinitely today pending an investigation into the 22-year-old outfielder's five-game suspension by the International League.
Dukes, who was slated to return to the lineup at Triple-A Durham tonight, was suspended by the IL after he was ejected for arguing balls and strikes on July 25. That suspension--Dukes' second of the season (he was also placed on the temporarily inactive list in early May after he was involved in an incident with Bulls hitting coach Richie Hebner)--followed an incident a week before when Dukes and manager John Tamargo got into a heated argument in the dugout after the outfielder ran through a stop sign at third base.
The Devil Rays, who have a statement forthcoming, declined to comment on the timing of the indefinite suspension.
"I have no idea when or if I'll be back," Dukes said. "I packed up all my stuff and I'm headed home. To be honest, I don't even know about baseball anymore. Everything is just wearing on me and this year has just been so frustrating. I'm trying to keep my nose clean and keep to myself, but things just keep getting turned around. I'm tired of it."
One of the things Dukes deems as being "turned around" was a recent cover story in USA Today that ran on July 28. The story focused on the on-field, off-field problems of Dukes, B.J. Upton and Delmon Young, and portrays the players as being bitter about not being in the big leagues right now (though Upton has been called up to Tampa since the story ran).
In that piece, Dukes rips the Triple-A franchise at Durham, saying "In the big leagues, you throw your uniform on the ground, and it's washed and hung up nicely in your locker. Here you do that, you come back the next day and find it still on the floor. Those guys up there (in the big leagues) shower in Evian. Here, we use sewer water."
Dukes denies saying anything of the sort.
"That's just some guy who flipped everything around on all of us," Dukes said. "He flipped it all around. I never said anything about sewer water. Evian? I know what he was trying to do and it wasn't trying to make us look good, that's for sure.
"I love playing in Triple-A and I'm not pissed off about not being in the big leagues. If they want to give me a 10-year contract to play in Durham, I'd do it. I never said anything about my uniform being dirty or whatever. It's a joke."
Rightly or not, problems seem to follow Dukes wherever he goes. He's been arrested five times over four seasons, most recently this past offseason when he was popped for driving an unregistered vehicle, and he missed the Arizona Fall League after the Devil Rays ordered him to go through anger management classes.
And this season, while he's stayed out of trouble off the field, Upton and Young have garnered the majority of the attention in that department--Upton was arrested on suspicion of DWI in Chapel Hill, N.C. in June, and Young's 50-game suspension for flipping a bat at a home plate umpire in May made national headlines.
"It's all the same thing," Dukes said. "They've all been saying that I'm a bad influence on those two guys for two years. I didn't room with Delmon this year (though Dukes was Young's roommate at Double-A Montgomery in 2005), but still I'm the bad apple.
"I didn't tell Delmon to throw his bat at that umpire. I didn't tell B.J. to go driving his car after he had some drinks. I don't even hang out with those guys. It was always just me in my apartment after games or whatever. I think I went out twice and both times I got a cab because I don't need any more hassle than I already have on me."
Dukes is a five-tool outfielder who was recruited heavily as a linebacker by N.C. State head coach Chuck Amato out of Hillsborough High in Tampa. And now, with this indefinite suspension, it sounds like his future in the game might be in doubt.
"I just don't know about baseball anymore," Dukes said. "All this stuff keeps following me and now this. I'm tired of it. I don't know if I'm coming back or what. I don't know about the Fall League. I don't know about anything other than I'm going home.
"I'm not saying I should have tried to get to the NFL, but maybe I should have done something else."
