MLB Player News: [Alert: LOW] B.J. Upton (SS), TB

Posts: 4543 · Posted: Jun 17, 2006 1:56 am

Baseball Player News: B.J. Upton (SS), TB
By: Abhi Hendi

News: BJ Upton was arrested on DWI charges after being caught doing 51 in a 30 at 3:30 in the morning on Friday.

Views: Here's an analogy. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are to the Portland Trail Blazers as 1 is to 1. They are both pretty bad teams, and their young players always seem to get in trouble with the law. Upton will probably get called up in September, but at this point it doesn't seem like he will have much value this year.

Posts: 8671 · Posted: Jun 17, 2006 2:14 am

and the phils lost to the devil rays. excellent.

Posts: 5167 · Braves in '09? Joined: 11 Apr 2002 Posts: 5167

Those poor Devil Rays.

Posts: 41 · FIC Rookie Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Location: Tampa Posts: 41

name another player that plays for the d-rays that got in trouble with the law recently.........

Posts: 8296 · Posted: Jun 17, 2006 8:25 am

Delmon Young?

Posts: 41 · FIC Rookie Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Location: Tampa Posts: 41

come'on now throwing a bat at an umpire that made a bad call doesnt count .

some one on tha d-rays that broke tha law 4 real ...

Posts: 8671 · Posted: Jun 18, 2006 12:59 am

Ok sorry, it was an exaggeration. If Delmon Young wasnt a baseball player he'd be in jail for assault.

Posts: 1705 · Posted: Jun 18, 2006 1:17 am

Not that recent, but they're still a very young (not only the players, but the franchise) franchise. How about Josh Hamilton?

Posts: 2399 · Posted: Jun 18, 2006 10:16 am

hes nasty, tamps minors has some major character problems.

Posts: 5167 · Braves in '09? Joined: 11 Apr 2002 Posts: 5167

Hamilton is the only guy I know that's gotten in trouble with the law consistently, but I think MLB is letting him come back and play for the Rays.

Posts: 4 · FIC Rookie Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 4

Elijah Dukes just spit the bit too.

Posts: 5167 · Braves in '09? Joined: 11 Apr 2002 Posts: 5167

What did Dukes do?

Posts: 4 · FIC Rookie Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 4

Devil Rays Prospect Dukes Suspended Indefinitely

PHILADELPHIA - Rays farmhand Elijah Dukes was suspended indefinitely by the organization for unspecified disciplinary reasons, the team announced Saturday.

The Durham outfielder and former Hillsborough High standout had been hitting .295 with eight homers and 41 RBIs and had played and behaved well enough to possibly earn a late-season call-up.

Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman did not wish to comment on the matter Saturday night.

He played in Friday night's game at Durham against Buffalo, going 0-for-4, but was absent from the Bulls' game Saturday.

Dukes' biggest roadblock from the majors has been avoiding off-field troubles. He was drafted by the Rays in the third round of the June 2002 draft and received a $500,000 signing bonus.

Early last month, Dukes was involved in an altercation with Bulls coaches and was removed from the team for seven games. Later in the month Dukes was scratched from the Bulls' starting lineup for showing up late to a game, but he returned the next day.

Last season he served separate six- and three-game suspensions while at Double-A Montgomery.

Dukes has been arrested four times in Hillsborough County since 2003 - all misdemeanor offenses - with the latest coming in September 2005.

But Dukes impressed Rays manager Joe Maddon in the spring with his ability to play center field and his discipline at the plate. Dukes hit .400 (8-for-20) in the spring with one homer and seven RBIs.

Problems at Durham continue to pile up. Shortstop B.J. Upton was arrested for drunken driving Friday. Outfielder Delmon Young returns from a 50-game suspension Monday for throwing a bat at an umpire. And Manager John Tamargo was suspended 10 games earlier this season for bumping an umpire.