The Dukes Problem

The St. Petersberg Times reported on Wednesday that the wife of Elijah Dukes has filed for a restraining order against the Rays rookie outfielder. Dukes allegedly burst into the classroom of NiShea Gilbert, a middle school teacher, in April. Gilbert has told Florida officials that Dukes threatened to kill her and sent her a photo of a handgun to her cell phone, in addition to leaving a voice mail on her phone saying "You dead, dawg. I ain't even [expletive]. Your kids, too."

Dukes is not a stranger to trouble…or kids for that matter; he has fathered five kids in three years by four different women. Additionally, a judge has twice ordered him to stay away from, for a year, two separate women- the plaintiff, NiShea Gilbert, and another women, Carla Bryant.

Considering Elijah’s troubled, dubious past, these allegations are not shocking. What is shocking, however, is the assertion that, if the allegations are true, Dukes should not be dismissed from the team. It does not matter how well he can play baseball, a man who threatens death upon his wife and kids, as well as escalating tensions by confronting his wife at school, does not deserve to be employed.

Dukes’ has squandered his chance to utilize his ample talent and become a perennial All-Star. The 22 year-old may be playing his All-Star games in the state penitentiary league.

Dukes went 2-4 against Seattle in Tuesday’s game. Hopefully, it will be his last.

Emergence of Carlos Pena

Ever since the departure of Fred McGriff, the Devil Rays have been looking for a dependable first baseman. They have found it in the most unlikely of places. Signed in February to a minor league contract, Carlos has emerged as the Rays everyday first baseman following the injury to Akinori Iwamura, and Ty Wiggington's subsequent move to the hot corner.

Pena’s stat line of .307/9/25 is comparable to the top first basemen in the league. Among first basemen, he is second in the American League in homeruns and rbis. Whether his current performance can be sustained over the long-term is yet to be seen; the few full years that Pena played in Detroit yielded numbers, which averaged out to approximately .240/20/60. Pena’s relatively young age, coupled with his defense and new found bat have the Rays staring at a possible long-term answer at first base.

Will Pena sustains his current output at the plate? Undoubtedly, the answer is no. Pena will produce above his career averages; however, he will not continue to produce awe-inspiring numbers. A reasonable assumption is that his bat will taper off and he will end up with respectable numbers: a .275 average, 25 homeruns, and 80 rbis.

The more pertinent question to both Ray’s fans and management is whether or not he is the first baseman of the future. If Pena is able to produce the numbers predicted above, he provides a reliable everyday first baseman that easily out produces the likes of Jorge Cantu or Greg Norton. Therefore, it is entirely possible that the Rays, a team desperate for stability, could see Pena manning first base for the next couple years.

With the exception of the Twins Justin Morneau, no other American League first baseman has as legitimate a claim to be on the All-Star team as Carlos Pena. Improbable, yes. Unbelievable, yes. Undeniable, yes. Enjoy it while you can.

Home Away From Home: Devil Rays in Orlando

Mickey dusted off home plate. Goofy sang the national anthem. Donald threw out the first pitch…and caught it too.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays swept the Texas Rangers in a series that was played at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando. In a direct attempt to increase the Devil Ray’s dismal regional popularity, principal owner Stuart Sternberg made plans during the off-season for the three-game “home-away-from-home” set.

Thursday night’s series finale drew 9,635. The average turnout for the series of 8,972 was well above the 8,241 the teams averaged for six dates last season at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

However, the question remains: Did the Devil Rays front office succeed in their endeavor of exposing and making fans out of, central Florida, or more specifically Orlando, residents?

a. Yes

b. No

c. Too early to tell

d. The question circumvents the fundamental issue; making Tampa Bay residents Tampa Bay fans.

In declining to acknowledge the true problem, Devil Ray’s management has succeeded in their continual, unremitting pursuit of both trivializing the game locally and alienating fans. On the games at Disney, team president Matt Silverman said. "It was great exposure for the team. ... These games got the attention of the market." With its wealth of new fans, the front office is correct in expecting an exponential boost in team merchandise and memorabilia, especially with a plethora of star “attention grabbing” players and a storied history. I, for one, have already pre-ordered my leather-bound 5-year anniversary, commemorative “We Did Not Finish in Last Place” book, which chronicles the Devil Rays on their record setting, historic 2004 campaign.

The dream of realizing a successful baseball franchise in Tampa Bay is possible with a few significant changes: a payroll over 30 million, an outdoor stadium, and/or a winning team. The reason I tacked an “or” on to the last condition is that winning solves everything, and consequently, produces fans. For example, after years of atrocious football, Tampa residents were quick to embrace the Buccaneers, because they became winners.

Yankees fans outnumber Devil Ray fans 5:1 when they visit the Trop. And that is appalling. Do not blame it on Tampa’s population that is not largely homegrown. Blame it on the front office and their unwillingness to field a winning team. Would the story be different if the Devil Rays had finished first the last ten years and the Yankees last? You’d better believe it.

It is inequitable to blame all the teams’ problems, largely caused by poor performance since the inaugural season, on current management. It is fair to blame them for bypassing the large pool of local fans in preference for those who live three hours away. The man who lives down the street from the stadium doesn’t care about the Devil Rays, because they don’t care about him.