Elijah Dukes had all the talent in the world. Former legendary director Joe Maddon compared Make him Albert Pujols. But there was a problem: Dukes was a complete dumb case. That’s how he got to the Nationals in the first place. In an article in Vice, he Mozart of haters. The Rays are tired of him. abandoned Sending him to the Nationals for a low-level prospect. For Nats fans, it’s time to buckle up and enjoy the best ride.
With his father in prison and his mother addicted to drugs, Dukes didn’t receive the guidance he needed as a child, which continued to show in his adulthood. When he wasn’t in trouble, he was one of the most promising players in baseball. That’s why the Nationals took such drastic action. employment A former police officer is assigned to take care of a young slugger.
In 2008, when healthy, Dukes was actually very productive. The mercurial slugger posted an .864 OPS and 13 home runs in just 81 games. Besides Ryan Zimmerman, there was an argument that Dukes was the best player on the 2008 team. Looks like the Nationals have found something.
However, due to declining productivity and an incident with Nationals manager Manny Acta, Dukes was fired after the 2009 season. After the Nationals game, Dukes returned to his old habits and had multiple run-ins with the law. eat marijuana After being caught by the police in possession of it.
While the Dukes gave off a loose cannon vibe in DC, we actually got the least crazy version of the Dukes. As we celebrate the Nationals’ 20th anniversary, we look back at some of the most colorful characters in Nationals history. It felt right to start with the iconic figure of Elijah Dukes.
