The Official "Please Acquire Elijah Dukes" Thread

[GREEDY]

and now has a special assistant that goes everywhere with him to make sure he stays out of trouble.

 

 

So???? Tadahito had a sidekick... everyone just assumed he was a translater; but really he was there to make sure Gooch didn't have to blame it on the AL-AL-AL-ALCOHOL.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Dukes is the classic example - you wither care about character and personality in your players or you don't.

 

I think we can all agree that throwing that away, Dukes would immediately become our starting center fielder and make a huge impact on our lineup. He takes walks, he's a power/speed combo player with tremendous upside.

 

Of course he's also a terrible human being. We saw last year that guys who don't mesh with the clubhouse don't last on this team. We saw that guys who don't know their role or clash with Ozzie will not be welcome. I think this pretty much rules out nay acquisition of Dukes.

 

On the other hand, before coming to the White Sox, Bobby Jenks was pretty widely accepted to be a psychopath too. I don't think Carl Everett won any humanitarian awards. And then there's that guy behind the plate, who has a similarly spotty reputation.

 

If you'd refuse to acquire a guy who would be a monstrous upgrade just because he's a prick, then you're making a misjudgment. But we'd be right to remain weary of giving up too much to acquire a player who might cause trouble and eventually warrant his release. It's a classical risk/reward scenario.

 

Excellent post. I'll always go with talent in most cases. But I didn't realize how f***ed up Elijah was/is.

Edited April 8, 2009 by Jordan4life

[EvilJester99]

Maybe Dye and Thome could teach him how to be a man instead of a punk ass kid.....just keep him away from AJ lol

[BearSox]

Dukes is the classic example - you wither care about character and personality in your players or you don't.

 

I think we can all agree that throwing that away, Dukes would immediately become our starting center fielder and make a huge impact on our lineup. He takes walks, he's a power/speed combo player with tremendous upside.

 

Of course he's also a terrible human being. We saw last year that guys who don't mesh with the clubhouse don't last on this team. We saw that guys who don't know their role or clash with Ozzie will not be welcome. I think this pretty much rules out nay acquisition of Dukes.

 

On the other hand, before coming to the White Sox, Bobby Jenks was pretty widely accepted to be a psychopath too. I don't think Carl Everett won any humanitarian awards. And then there's that guy behind the plate, who has a similarly spotty reputation.

 

If you'd refuse to acquire a guy who would be a monstrous upgrade just because he's a prick, then you're making a misjudgment. But we'd be right to remain weary of giving up too much to acquire a player who might cause trouble and eventually warrant his release. It's a classical risk/reward scenario.

Jenks and Everett were not even close as to being in the same boat as Dukes. Sure they had their problems, but Dukes takes it to a whole other level. It's silly to compare Jenks and Everett to Dukes.

[TheHolyBovine]

Jenks and Everett were not even close as to being in the same boat as Dukes. Sure they had their problems, but Dukes takes it to a whole other level. It's silly to compare Jenks and Everett to Dukes.

 

All three have/had anger issues coupled with substance abuse and female problems. Are they really that different?

[santo=dorf]

All three have/had anger issues coupled with substance abuse and female problems. Are they really that different?

Neither Jenks or Everett had their fathers convicted of murder when they were children.

[BearSox]

All three have/had anger issues coupled with substance abuse and female problems. Are they really that different?

Show me where Jenks has threatened to kill people and been arrested on different occasions, or show me where Everett has had 10+ bastard kids with several different women and impregnated a 17 year old.

 

Get a grip dude. These situations aren't close to comparable.

Edited April 8, 2009 by BearSox

[R.J.]

I think you're forgetting some of the things that were written about Bobby's past, frankly.

 

Dukes is a violent person and if he doesn't change his behavior he'll end up penniless or in jail. I agree. If he puts up a .380 wOBA again, I don't care.

 

Take a shot, and if he sends any more picture messages, release him.

[TheHolyBovine]

FYI:

 

Blog on Dukes by Rob Neyer -

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?...;name=Neyer_Rob

[BearSox]

Neither Jenks or Everett had their fathers convicted of murder when they were children.

That's a bad point. It's not Dukes' fault his father is a POS. It is Dukes fault that he has pretty much followed in his father's footsteps though.

[TheHolyBovine]

Neither Jenks or Everett had their fathers convicted of murder when they were children.

 

Are you a genetic determinist?

 

Are you saying it is inevitable that Dukes' genetic predispositions will force him to follow the same path?

 

If so, me no likey.

[JDsDirtySox]

Jenks was just a crazy drunk who didn't take baseball seriously and pissed the Angels off with his childish/alcoholic behavior.

Carl's wife was accused of corporal punishment of their kids.

 

NEITHER OF THEM COMPARE to the path Dukes has traveled.

 

I am all for giving people a second chance... but I am very skeptical about bringing in a character like Dukes.

[R.J.]

Show me where Jenks has threatened to kill people

 

That's funny because Bobby threatened to kill his pitching coach when he played for Little Rock.

 

Bobby said it was a "figure of speech." The coach didn't recall it in that light.

 

I don't want to pick on Bobby or even suggest that the turnaround in his life and career was something you can expect to happen in other situations, but if we had declined to take a shot on him because of his laundry list of behavioral problems, god knows what happens in '05.

[TheHolyBovine]

That's a bad point. It's not Dukes' fault his father is a POS. It is Dukes fault that he has pretty much followed in his father's footsteps though.

 

 

It doesn't really matter how many kids Dukes has, either. If that were some kind of real standard for decency, the NBA wouldn't exist.

[santo=dorf]

That's a bad point. It's not Dukes' fault his father is a POS. It is Dukes fault that he has pretty much followed in his father's footsteps though.

The stats show kids who grow up without fathers tend to be scum of society a lot more often than those who did have a father in the household. Plus it was at a very young age. I think Jenks started hating his parents in late high school. Carl's parents didn't exist because they weren't in the Bible.

[BearSox]

That's funny because Bobby threatened to kill his pitching coach when he played for Little Rock.

 

Bobby said it was a "figure of speech." The coach didn't recall it in that light.

 

I don't want to pick on Bobby or even suggest that the turnaround in his life and career was something you can expect to happen in other situations, but if we had declined to take a shot on him because of his laundry list of behavioral problems, god knows what happens in '05.

There's a big difference between saying you're gonna kill some one after an argument, and sending pictures of guns to your baby's momma and telling her how you have planned to kill her.

 

Also, it seems like everyone has forgotten how Dukes had to be physically restrained by the team last year from attacking Manny Acta for yelling at Dukes for doing some stupid ass dance after he hit a home run.

Edited April 8, 2009 by BearSox

[BearSox]

It doesn't really matter how many kids Dukes has, either. If that were some kind of real standard for decency, the NBA wouldn't exist.

And now you would know why I don't give two s***s about the NBA.

 

I'm all for big families, I want a lot of kids... but there is a big difference between that, and having 10+ kids with several different women all by the time you are 20. Not to mention impregnating a 17 year old when he was 24.

 

That just shows a complete lack of morals and complete disregard for human life quite frankly.

[R.J.]

I don't think about morals when I watch professional sports. I care about putting notches in the W columns.

 

The absolute only time that professional athletes having a "lack of morals" or even being criminals is in two situations:

 

1. It distracts from the team. The clubhouse is distracted by it. It's a clash of personalities. Solution: release the guy.

2. It's bad PR.

 

That's it. Like many have said, if your opinion of a team changes significantly if too many of the players are unethical, then I'd hate to tell you how many of these dudes are getting a little road beef.

[DBAHO]

I'll give you those numbers. However, both are average in the field and have absolutely no power. Sounds like Scotty Pods. Can't we do better?

Willits can play all 3 OF spots, although he's probably fields a corner OF spot better than CF. He'd still be a solid upgrade on Wise though.

 

Gregor Blanco meanwhile had a RZR of .918 in CF last season, and although his OPS sucks, he's a younger version of Pods with speed who can actually handle CF defensively.

 

Dukes' causes way too much trouble in the clubhouse, and would probably cost more than the 2 above.

[Steve9347]

Steve's Fantasy Sports advice strikes again.

BAM!

[caulfield12]

Is Dickerson in the rotation over in Cincy?

 

I know they have Taveras and Darnell McDonald (their version of Wise) in CF...and Jay Bruce in RF. Hairston in LF?

[Steve9347]

Eric Bynes would work.

[caulfield12]

3 years/$30M (2008-10)

signed extension 8/7/07

$2M signing bonus (paid in 2 installments in 2008)

08:$6M, 09:$11M, 10:$11M

no-trade protection

 

 

No, no and no on that idea...if we're going to do that, we might as well just bring back Aaron Rowand.

 

KW HAS to give Anderson one last chance to play everyday b4 making that kind of a desperation move. And Eric is ALWAYS hurt seemingly.

[SouthsideDon48]

The stats show kids who grow up without fathers tend to be scum of society a lot more often than those who did have a father in the household. Plus it was at a very young age. I think Jenks started hating his parents in late high school. Carl's parents didn't exist because they weren't in the Bible.

 

Oh please, that's ridiculous, offensive, and very stereotyping. Stats are not reliable. I grew up without a father, and most of my friends also came from homes without fathers. In fact, out of all my friends, the one with the most extensive police record actually grew up with a POS alcoholic father in his household.

[SouthsideDon48]

I have no problem at all if the Sox ever tried to acquire Dukes. I read about Dukes' saga a long time ago, and I admit that a lot of it is alarming, but if he helps the team win then it's worth it.

 

Also, big deal about him having 10 children from several different women. Since when did everyone on this site become Holy-Roller Morals Thumpers???