Atheletes Behaving Badly #1

So Elijah Dukes threatened his wife in this story on ESPN.com. Here is an excerpt:

Tampa Bay rookie Elijah Dukes was held out of the lineup Wednesday night against Seattle following a published report that his estranged wife sought a restraining order after being threatened by the 22-year-old outfielder.

The St. Petersburg Times reported NiShea Gilbert filed for court protection after receiving a threatening message on her cell phone on May 2, as well as a text message that included a picture of a handgun.

That's a great use of mobile technology Elijah... Really cool... I don't think your soon to be a bit richer ex-wife was impressed. The Rae Carruth story should pop to mind for most sports fans and Dukes really should be trying to avoid being mentioned in the same breath. (Too late. I did it.... but he made me do it.)

Gilbert played a voice mail allegedly from Dukes for the newspaper. "Hey, dawg. It's on, dawg. You dead, dawg. I ain't even bulls-------. Your kids too, dawg. It don't even matter to me who is in the car with you. N-----, all I know is, n-----, when I see your m-----f------- a-- riding, dawg, it's on. As a matter of fact, I'm coming to your m-----f------ house."

Nice use of "dawg" here. Dukes gets major style points. (Blogger's Note: How do you categorize usage of "Dawg" as compared to "Dog"? ) Did you forget that they are your kids too? It's good to know that the allegations are not bothering Dukes too much. When asked about it, Dukes had this to say:

"I'm just going to play ball, that's it... I've got to go. I've got a video game to finish."

Brilliant... I'm beginning to wonder about his maturity level...

Here is more background on Dukes from this St. Petersberg Times story by Gary Shelton. When you read this it's hard to fathom that's he's only 22... Here are some excerpts in case you are lazy like me.

In 2003, Gilbert accused Dukes of throwing a remote control at her. In April 2004, she accused him of harassing phone calls. Later that year, she said he hit her with a soda can, threw a glass candy bowl and ripped a phone cord out of the wall when she tried to call 911. In August 2006, deputies arrested Gilbert, accusing her of scratching her husband's back during an argument. The charge was dropped in September.

Four women have gone to court seeking child support from Dukes. In all four cases, the court found Dukes was the father, meaning he has at least five children by four women. Two of those women were pregnant at the same time, giving birth in 2003 within eight days of each other.

At this rate he'll have Shawn Kemp beat by a mile in the race to father more children by more different women. He's about halfway there unless my figures on Kemp are out of date.

The Devil Rays really should cut ties with him. But they shouldn't just drop him as Rob Neyer suggests. Although it makes a statement dropping the supremely talented yet obviously troubled Dukes, there is always someone willing to pay for great talent even if it is damaged goods.

I'm just angry that he has sullied all the great 'Dukes' that came before him like this guy. Spelling differences be damned.

This isn't war, people... It's baseball

This is an article in it's entirety from baseballamerica.com.

It caught my eye for one thing because one of the main players in the story shares a name with one of my good friends here.

The other thing that caught my eye was not an errant throw but the fact that the manager for the offending player condones this. Sure if you stray from the on-deck circle you are somewhat fairgame but this is what can happen...

Molina settles with Christensen

By Jim Callis
February 5, 2002

Anthony Molina reached an out-of-court settlement with Cubs pitching prospect Ben Christensen, who beaned him while warming up before a 1999 college game, on Tuesday, according to Christensen's agent, Steve Canter.

Canter said both sides agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential.

Molina was a junior second baseman and the leadoff hitter for Evansville in an April 23, 1999 game at Wichita State. Christensen was the junior ace of the Shockers. When Molina ventured out of the on-deck circle and within 20 feet of home plate, Christensen fired a warmup pitch at him. The ball struck Molina above his left eye, breaking bones and permanently damaging his vision. At the time, Wichita State pitching coach Brent Kemnitz was quoted as saying that he taught his pitchers to brush back hitters in that situation.

Though Molina returned for his senior season in 2000, he batted just .266 and any chance he had for a professional career effectively had ended. He played two games in the independent Frontier League in 2000, going 1-for-3 with two strikeouts. He now works as a rental agent for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Henderson, Ky.

Canter characterized the incident as an accident and said that Christensen had no intention of hurting Molina.

"No one felt worse about Anthony Molina's injury than Ben Christensen," Canter said. "Ben was inconsolable for hours after the accident. If Ben were a bad guy, he wouldn't have been so upset. Ben is a bright, articulate, warm individual.

"Now he can focus on getting ready for the season and helping the Cubs. At the same time, he hopes Anthony can move on with his life and be successful too."

Molina's attorney, Rand Wonio, couldn't be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Per the terms of the settlement, Molina withdrew a suit in Kansas state court that charged Christensen with battery and sought punitive damages for committing an intentional act. That case was to have gone to court Tuesday in Wichita.

Christensen also was removed from a pending federal suit in Kansas City, Kan., that has been stuck in appeals. Molina also sued Christensen for battery and continues to sue Kemnitz and Wichita State head coach Gene Stephenson for negligence in that case.

Christensen, who was suspended for the remainder of the 1999 college season, was drafted 26th overall that June by the Cubs and signed for $1,062,500. He reached Double-A within a year after turning pro, but was hampered by shoulder tendinitis in 2000 and required shoulder surgery to repair some fraying and tighten the capsule last year. Canter said that Christensen threw off a mound last week in Arizona and said he was 100 percent.

Update: Ben Christensen never made the majors. He ended up moving to Beijing and living happily ever after.

Wow. This is Xtreme...

... not so much.



I think the narrator is on heroin or something. Has anything so "xtreme" ever sounded so mundane??

Damn My Cold, Black Heart

Watch this -->



Now, I'm not a totally insensitive guy. I even might have shed a tear after seeing this video. Great story. Great kid. Great movie material. But it only took me a couple of minutes to ponder whether the meticulous nature of an autistic person would translate into success in a sport that requires more practice and habit formation than that of basketball. Yes, I'm talking about baseball.

Don't get me wrong, the compulsive tendencies of a person with autism might help in basketball. God knows that to have any kind of a shot you have to throw up hundreds of shots a day. But basketball is a fluid game where the most creative have success. Baseball is all about the bodies ability to remember form. The greatest pitchers ever to play the game have had stretches where their mechanics failed them. Hitters go into slumps because of the smallest change to their swing.

I really am just rambling. I shouldn't have even wrote anything for this post. I should have just shut-up and basked in this touching moment (right after trying to get the movie rights).

Johjima, Seahawks, etc...

You've heard so much about him! Women want him and men want to be him! Now he's coming to America for the first time, humble and just looking to do whatever he can for the team!

Seriously though, I like the additions the mariners are making this year (not to mention some of the subtractions; Ryan Franklin ring any bells). Johjima and Washburn are two guys that won't knock your socks off but are perfectly capable of putting up good numbers at Safeco.

Throw in the maturation of one of the most heralded pitching prospects in recent memory (i.e. Felix Hernandez), the continued production of Sexson from the four spot and the possible uncrappification of Adrian Beltre and you are looking at a team that could improve mightily from their disappointing season last year.

I'm looking at a team right now that if they catch some breaks, could get above the .500 mark quite easily. However, the American League West is always pretty tough so we can't count on it.

News and Notes: The Seahawks are heading to their first Superbowl ever and all I am talking about is our new catcher who might or might not be any good. I have issues. Maybe it's just that I don't want to put myself out there so that I can get burned once again. I will try to get my take on the up coming Superbowl down in this space sometime before the game but I can't promise anything considering I'm taking off for Thailand at the end of the week. They do have internet cafes there in abundance but where do you think I would rather be? In a stuffy room looking at a screen or on the beach sipping a drink with a little umbrella in it? That's what I thought.

It is called the mariner...

The Seattle Mariners have just signed a Catcher from the Japan leagues and it has people all up in a huff. Will he be able to communicate with teammates and run the team effectively?

Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the most communicative player on the field usually the catcher? Doesn't he have to develop a rapport with pitchers that can only be achieved by being able to talk with them on more than a basic level.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

Can someone please tell me where the Chiba Lotte Marines play. Can someone also tell who coaches them. Can someone tell me if that person can speak Japanese... Point is Bobby Valentine has been managing in Japan and won a championship there recently. He is not fluent in Japanese. See what I'm saying here? Besides, I hear this new catcher's English isn't horrible... unlike this post.