I really have no problem with what Zim said and neither should Dukes. If he was really, really pissed he would've charged Pelfrey when he did get hit. I genuinely feel that Dukes knows he overreacted when he hit the homer and almost got hit the pitch.
And Zim is the leader of the team - appointed by the think tank and Manny (not us) - so he has that freedom to speak. He wasn't throwing him under the bus, he made one brief comment on the situation but said it wasn't his to say and that Dukes is very talented.
I'm sure Dukes doesn't get along with everyone, but for the most part he's done a decent job in keeping his head on straight and keeping his name out of the negative headlines. It's a long season, tempers will flare between teammates, player vs. opposing player, player vs. umpire, player vs. manager and hell even player vs. fan.
It's subsiding his anger/emotions that will be key.
I have no issue with what RZ said, but I do think it is better said behind closed doors. I would hope that Dukes would get backed up a little more by his team mates and manager, although I think Acta was more diplomatic. Dukes is a football player at heart, and I kind of like that he shows this level of passion. He does need to stay within himself, but that is something that he should get from the other players on the team. It would be easier for RZ to get that point across to him by handling this in private, while publicly backing him up a little more. (Just my take on how I'd like to see it handled.) I think Dukes is genuinely well liked and appreciated.''
