Elijah Dukes Makes Nationals People Nervous

Dave “Ride Around” Sheinin was at Elijah Dukes' press conference down at Nats Spring Training and shares a few things about the troubled fourth outfielder’s arrival that are worth block-quoting: “Along a wall in the interview room, Nationals GM Jim Bowden, Manager Manny Acta, President Stan Kasten and two public relations officials looked on anxiously as Dukes spoke.” Never has so much trepidation surrounded such an unheralded acquisition (.190 career batting average, with Tampa Bay of all teams). Of course, there’s reason for that. Just look at the 23-year-old’s rap sheet: Since 1997, he has been arrested at least three times for battery and once for assault, records show. He fathered at least five children with four women between 2003 and 2006, court records show—two of which were born within eight days of each other—and last summer admitted frequent marijuana use. I can overlook four different baby’s mamas in four years, ... [link]