Elijah Dukes

[cgilmo]

This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

He wasn't doing charity work. He was doing a paid appearance and was late to his real job. He deserved the fine but it should have been larger. Honestly $500 to a person collecting a MLB salary doesn't send a message.

no, but the "we will option you to AAA" is a message.

The money is meaningless.

 

[Topnotchsy]

Personally I've been quite impressed with how Dukes has handled himself over the last year (and it has given me the confidence to invest some money in his cards.) The $500 he got for showing up does not bother me in the least. I'm sure they made much more having him, and it's not like it's significant money to him anyway. Not sure what the team was thinking, but I'm glad to see he hasn't responded negatively. He's made many mistakes, but it's those who have made the most mistakes and later turned around their lives, that offer the most potential for good. (Not saying he's fixed his life completely, but he looks like he's definitely working on it.)

 

[rico08]

A quick Dukes record:

Arrested for assault (fight with girlfriend, tossed TV remote...who hasn't?); formal papers never filed.
Arrested for obstructing without violence.
Charged w/ misdemeanor battery.
Arrested for battery again, this time no contest.
Misdemeanor marijuana possession.

And getting $500 for a charity event is the incident that put you over the top??

 

[mburgin]

honestly jeff n., the fact that you don't like dukes makes me like him even more.

 

[Kutzy]

This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

Cole Hamels didn't send a text of a gun to his baby momma and threaten to kill her.

So, that makes him marked for life as a bad guy who will never be different?

Dukes got a second chance to turn himself around and it all starts with the first step. It seems a bit harsh to judge him for trying to do positive things and change his ways.

How many second chances are we supposed to give this guy? From what I understand, its not like he beat his lady once and that was it. This guy has a history of this. Second chances are great, but how many chances does he get? Most people get "rehabilitated" in prison for doing things like this, some guys get a chance to show up late for their major league baseball game after leaving a paid appearance.

So the fact that he has shown over the past year or 2 that he is moving towards a better and more productive life means that he is wrong? Honestly, the guy has grown up alot. He is showing all the right signs towards a positive change and its sad that there are people like you, who are completely unwilling to give him the support needed to allow those changes. Hell, you dont even need to support him, just put away your blind hatred for him and observe his actions. Constantly looking for the smallest reasons to break someone down is not only childish but hurts the greater community.

 

[WJCIII]

This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

Cole Hamels didn't send a text of a gun to his baby momma and threaten to kill her.

So, that makes him marked for life as a bad guy who will never be different?

Dukes got a second chance to turn himself around and it all starts with the first step. It seems a bit harsh to judge him for trying to do positive things and change his ways.

How many second chances are we supposed to give this guy? From what I understand, its not like he beat his lady once and that was it. This guy has a history of this. Second chances are great, but how many chances does he get? Most people get "rehabilitated" in prison for doing things like this, some guys get a chance to show up late for their major league baseball game after leaving a paid appearance.

So the fact that he has shown over the past year or 2 that he is moving towards a better and more productive life means that he is wrong? Honestly, the guy has grown up alot. He is showing all the right signs towards a positive change and its sad that there are people like you, who are completely unwilling to give him the support needed to allow those changes. Hell, you dont even need to support him, just put away your blind hatred for him and observe his actions. Constantly looking for the smallest reasons to break someone down is not only childish but hurts the greater community.

I never said I hate the guy, and I don't care anything about him one way or the other. I just don't think we need to say a guy has turned it around just because he didn't respond negatively to this situation. Call me crazy, but I need a little more convincing. All I'm saying is that the positive doesn't outweigh the negative yet, but if he's still acting like an adult in 3 years then I will give him his due credit. You need to understand that people haven't just developed their attitude toward this guy over nothing, he's got a history of violence toward women, among other things. I'm not ready to pronounce him as rehabilitated over this. I'm not breaking him down, he's done it to himself.

And my community is fine with me in it, I promise!

 

[Bob Loblaw]

[quote="Jeff N.":13aghheq]

This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

Cole Hamels didn't send a text of a gun to his baby momma and threaten to kill her.

So, that makes him marked for life as a bad guy who will never be different?

Dukes got a second chance to turn himself around and it all starts with the first step. It seems a bit harsh to judge him for trying to do positive things and change his ways.

Positive things does not include taking money that could be spent on field maintenance, upgraded facilities, uniforms, or clinics and taking it for himself.

You seem so focused on the money. It was offered to him, he accepted it. I doubt he would demand $500 to make an appearance.

Lets say Cole Hamels came to your son's little league for an appearance and was going to be given $500 to do so. Cole has no track record like Dukes.

Do you feel the same way?[/quote:13aghheq]

Definitely. I don't feel that any MLB player should take money out of the hands of little leaguers.

 

[Kutzy]

Noone said he was rehabilitated. However, what did he do wrong here? Honestly?

He was 5 minutes late becuase he was trying to be a positive influence on the community. He is reforming his image into a positive one and he is making great strides in doing so. The fact that people are bashing him for something as insignifigant as this is deplorable IMO. Not only that but it discourages people from doing the right thing, if even when they do it, they still get blasted for it.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

[quote="Jeff N.":2t3zwkf1]

This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

Cole Hamels didn't send a text of a gun to his baby momma and threaten to kill her.

So, that makes him marked for life as a bad guy who will never be different?

Dukes got a second chance to turn himself around and it all starts with the first step. It seems a bit harsh to judge him for trying to do positive things and change his ways.

Positive things does not include taking money that could be spent on field maintenance, upgraded facilities, uniforms, or clinics and taking it for himself.

You seem so focused on the money. It was offered to him, he accepted it. I doubt he would demand $500 to make an appearance.

Lets say Cole Hamels came to your son's little league for an appearance and was going to be given $500 to do so. Cole has no track record like Dukes.

Do you feel the same way?

The 500 dollars they paid him to show up was an investment, I'm sure they made alot of money they may not have made if he hadnt been there. Of course, those who dont believe in the idea a person can change will blindly go forward with their argument.


Dukes handled this situation with class and thats a step in the right direction...[/quote:2t3zwkf1]

How can you be sure about this? Have you contacted the little league? It's not like the article stated there was a "win a day with Elijah Dukes and his 6 babies" auction that was won and funds were raised. The article stated that he showed up, signed some autos, spoke for a minute or two, then collected his $500 and ran off to the ballpark.

My problems are 1) this is not someone that should be a role model to children looking for a role model; 2) taking money from a little league.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

He wasn't doing charity work. He was doing a paid appearance and was late to his real job. He deserved the fine but it should have been larger. Honestly $500 to a person collecting a MLB salary doesn't send a message.

no, but the "we will option you to AAA" is a message.

The money is meaningless.

If the money is meaningless, why did Dukes take it? Why did he charge $500 in the first place?

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Noone said he was rehabilitated. However, what did he do wrong here? Honestly?

He was 5 minutes late becuase he was trying to be a positive influence on the community. He is reforming his image into a positive one and he is making great strides in doing so. The fact that people are bashing him for something as insignifigant as this is deplorable IMO. Not only that but it discourages people from doing the right thing, if even when they do it, they still get blasted for it.

How is taking money from a nonprofit organization "being a positive influence on the community"? Why is it necessary to get paid?

 

[WJCIII]

This is not a big deal to me, and I would have never started a thread about it one way or the other. I just voiced my opinion like everybody else once people started blasting the original poster for bringing it up. You need to stay focused on the fact that this was not a "charity" event, it was a paid appearance. Had he shown up late after not getting paid a dime, then I would say that the Nationals are completely in the wrong on this. The amount of money is not significant, but the fact that this was a paid appearance makes all the difference.

 

[Kutzy]

Noone said he was rehabilitated. However, what did he do wrong here? Honestly?

He was 5 minutes late becuase he was trying to be a positive influence on the community. He is reforming his image into a positive one and he is making great strides in doing so. The fact that people are bashing him for something as insignifigant as this is deplorable IMO. Not only that but it discourages people from doing the right thing, if even when they do it, they still get blasted for it.

How is taking money from a nonprofit organization "being a positive influence on the community"? Why is it necessary to get paid?

If he was offered money, why is he such a monster for accepting it? Millions of people accept cash gifts from non-profits, are all of them wrong as well? Im willing to bet that over 90% of the league has accepted a cash gift for an appearance before. I guess we need to make an example out of all of them as well, correct?

 

[Kutzy]

[quote="Jeff N.":2jtr6dl8]

[quote="Jeff N.":2jtr6dl8]

This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

Cole Hamels didn't send a text of a gun to his baby momma and threaten to kill her.

So, that makes him marked for life as a bad guy who will never be different?

Dukes got a second chance to turn himself around and it all starts with the first step. It seems a bit harsh to judge him for trying to do positive things and change his ways.

Positive things does not include taking money that could be spent on field maintenance, upgraded facilities, uniforms, or clinics and taking it for himself.

You seem so focused on the money. It was offered to him, he accepted it. I doubt he would demand $500 to make an appearance.

Lets say Cole Hamels came to your son's little league for an appearance and was going to be given $500 to do so. Cole has no track record like Dukes.

Do you feel the same way?

The 500 dollars they paid him to show up was an investment, I'm sure they made alot of money they may not have made if he hadnt been there. Of course, those who dont believe in the idea a person can change will blindly go forward with their argument.


Dukes handled this situation with class and thats a step in the right direction...[/quote:2jtr6dl8]

How can you be sure about this? Have you contacted the little league? It's not like the article stated there was a "win a day with Elijah Dukes and his 6 babies" auction that was won and funds were raised. The article stated that he showed up, signed some autos, spoke for a minute or two, then collected his $500 and ran off to the ballpark.

My problems are 1) this is not someone that should be a role model to children looking for a role model; 2) taking money from a little league.[/quote:2jtr6dl8]

Your opinion on #1 is meanigless to this discussion. Obviously the Little League felt he was worthwhile and in turn asked him to show up and speak. Your personal opinion is only around because you are trying to justify him being wrong despite all evidence showing he wasn't.

 

[WJCIII]

Noone said he was rehabilitated. However, what did he do wrong here? Honestly?

He was 5 minutes late becuase he was trying to be a positive influence on the community. He is reforming his image into a positive one and he is making great strides in doing so. The fact that people are bashing him for something as insignifigant as this is deplorable IMO. Not only that but it discourages people from doing the right thing, if even when they do it, they still get blasted for it.

How is taking money from a nonprofit organization "being a positive influence on the community"? Why is it necessary to get paid?

If he was offered money, why is he such a monster for accepting it? Millions of people accept cash gifts from non-profits, are all of them wrong as well? Im willing to bet that over 90% of the league has accepted a cash gift for an appearance before. I guess we need to make an example out of all of them as well, correct?

If those players are late to their games because they were doing a paid personal appearance, then hell yes they should all be punished.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Noone said he was rehabilitated. However, what did he do wrong here? Honestly?

He was 5 minutes late becuase he was trying to be a positive influence on the community. He is reforming his image into a positive one and he is making great strides in doing so. The fact that people are bashing him for something as insignifigant as this is deplorable IMO. Not only that but it discourages people from doing the right thing, if even when they do it, they still get blasted for it.

How is taking money from a nonprofit organization "being a positive influence on the community"? Why is it necessary to get paid?

If he was offered money, why is he such a monster for accepting it? Millions of people accept cash gifts from non-profits, are all of them wrong as well? Im willing to bet that over 90% of the league has accepted a cash gift for an appearance before. I guess we need to make an example out of all of them as well, correct?

Millions of people accept cash gifts from non-profits. If this is the case, I am willing to bet they're not earning $415,500 per year. I'm willing to take your bet that 90% of the league has not accepted a cash gift from a non-profit organization -- that's the distinction here -- a YOUTH LITTLE LEAGUE NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION. To me, it's reprehensible to take money from kids. And I find it hard to believe that the majority of the posters here find it to be okay. I don't care if it's Elijah Dukes or Derek Jeter. It's wrong either way. The fact that Elijah Dukes is being looked at as a role model makes the whole thing incredibly surreal.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

[quote="Jeff N.":1yco4nyj]

[quote="Jeff N.":1yco4nyj][quote="thefasterblade":1yco4nyj]This thread is harsh. He was late because he was working a charity event not sponsored by the team. The charity felt bad because they caused him to be late and is willing to pay the $500.00 fine.

I see no difference having him around my kids than having Cole Hamels around my kids.

Cole Hamels didn't send a text of a gun to his baby momma and threaten to kill her.

So, that makes him marked for life as a bad guy who will never be different?

Dukes got a second chance to turn himself around and it all starts with the first step. It seems a bit harsh to judge him for trying to do positive things and change his ways.

Positive things does not include taking money that could be spent on field maintenance, upgraded facilities, uniforms, or clinics and taking it for himself.

You seem so focused on the money. It was offered to him, he accepted it. I doubt he would demand $500 to make an appearance.

Lets say Cole Hamels came to your son's little league for an appearance and was going to be given $500 to do so. Cole has no track record like Dukes.

Do you feel the same way?

The 500 dollars they paid him to show up was an investment, I'm sure they made alot of money they may not have made if he hadnt been there. Of course, those who dont believe in the idea a person can change will blindly go forward with their argument.


Dukes handled this situation with class and thats a step in the right direction...[/quote:1yco4nyj]

How can you be sure about this? Have you contacted the little league? It's not like the article stated there was a "win a day with Elijah Dukes and his 6 babies" auction that was won and funds were raised. The article stated that he showed up, signed some autos, spoke for a minute or two, then collected his $500 and ran off to the ballpark.

My problems are 1) this is not someone that should be a role model to children looking for a role model; 2) taking money from a little league.[/quote:1yco4nyj]

Your opinion on #1 is meanigless to this discussion. Obviously the Little League felt he was worthwhile and in turn asked him to show up and speak. Your personal opinion is only around because you are trying to justify him being wrong despite all evidence showing he wasn't.[/quote:1yco4nyj]

What language is this? I am "trying to justify him being wrong despite all evidence showing he wasn't." Wrong about what? How does someone justify someone being wrong?

My opinion on #1 is why I posted this thread in the first place.

 

[i43770]

I assume the Little League offered him the $500, and I bet he wasn't the first player they contacted. They were probably just turned down by the other players, because their time was worth more than the money they were being offered.

About him accepting money from a non-profit, they wouldn't be the first to pay someone to show up and make an appearance.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Apparently he was at a parade.


Lots of money made at parades, right?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/62301/

 

[justinmandawg]

This board is nearing socialism when it comes to guys making money on cards but defends a guy making 400k a year when he takes 500 bucks from a non-profit. Seems a bit odd.