May 24, 2007

Elijah Dukes.... WTF!?!

I'm a Rays fan, and I want them to win badly. With Rocco Baldelli on the DL (again) and with how Dukes' bat has been heating up lately it sure would be nice to see him patrolling center field. However, if the allegations against him from his wife then the Rays need to cut ties immediately with him.

It's not exactly like Dukes has a spotless past, so the charges by his wife that he threatened her and her children's lives are believable. However unless she brings formal charges by filing a police report there is nothing the police can do.

St. Pete Times (2007.05.24)

Law enforcement officials, however, said they would not pursue
charges unless his estranged wife, NiShea Gilbert, filed a complaint, which she
reiterated Wednesday evening she does not intend to.

And unless Dukes were to be charged with a crime, it doesn't sound like the Rays will do much else. Their actions are limited because of an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players union, which has successfully overturned past disciplinary actions. The agreement also limits how the Rays can investigate Dukes.

Here's the problem. The Rays already have enough public relations problems without housing criminals on their roster.

• Their payroll is the lowest in baseball.
• They've got one of the worst records in baseball the last 10 years (their entire existence).
• Their former owner Vince Naimoli was a public relations nightmare in his own right.
• They let troubled former top pick Josh Hamilton go this spring and he's now tearing things up in Cincinnati.
• The highlight of their existence thus far is a FOURTH PLACE finish in 2005.

With his obvious talent (and the Hamilton experience) I can see why they'd be hesitant to dump Dukes hastily. However, Dukes' past shows a significant pattern of (shall we say?) 'questionable' behavior.

St. Pete Times again:

• According to court and law enforcement documents, Dukes has several arrests.
  Hillsborough deputies were called to break up a fight between Dukes and NiShea Gilbert on Dec. 8, 2003, shortly after the birth of their child. According to an arrest report, Dukes threw a remote control at Gilbert and was arrested on an assault charge. Formal charges were never filed.
• He was arrested again on Dec. 25, 2003, and accused of obstructing an officer without violence. Prosecutors allowed him to enter an intervention program.
• On Oct. 12, 2004, Dukes was charged with misdemeanor battery. The case was never prosecuted.
• He was arrested again on a charge of battery on Jan. 18, 2005. He did not contest the charge and the judge withheld adjudication, sentencing Dukes to one year probation and $549 fine.
• According to the Tampa Police Department, one of Dukes' ex-girlfriends filed a sworn request for prosecution against him on Jan. 24, 2005. The ex-girlfriend, Zanquesha L. Jefferson, told police that Dukes choked her with his right hand and forced her into a chair. He squeezed her cheeks while demanding a kiss, the records show. The outcome of the complaint could not be determined Wednesday.
• Dukes' most recent arrest was in January, when he was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. He pleaded not guilty.

So will the Rays dump Dukes? Who knows? I think they'll risk alienating some fans if they don't, however legally there is no reason for them to cut him loose without official police involvement in the case. Unless Gilbert files a police report, Dukes will continue to be a Ray (for better or worse).