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http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/devilrays/20...rospects-cover_x.htm

Just looking for some discussion. I saw this, and was shocked that no one had brought it up.

quote:
It's late morning at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and already 92 degrees. There is no breeze. No clouds. Just stifling humidity.
"I don't know whose idea this was to play a day game," says Class AAA Bulls third baseman B.J. Upton, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. "It's the hottest time of the year here. It's going to be about 130 (degrees) on the field. And you wonder why we can't wait to get out of this place.

"I still can't believe I'm here. The three of us all thought we'd be all up in Tampa by now."



quote:
No trades means no call-ups.

"I don't know what they're waiting for," Young says. "They're what, 30 games (actually 20) out of first place? They think we're going to mess up their clubhouse chemistry. B.J. should be up there. What are they waiting for? They always have excuses."

Young stops himself.

He has already said too much. Please, he asks, let it be known that he was just venting. Don't take him seriously.



quote:
Dukes, the oldest of the trio at 22, laughs and shakes his head. Trouble? He may be the king. He has been suspended four times the last two years, and was ejected five times last year and twice this year.

"The only thing holding me back is me," says Dukes, who is hitting .293 with 10 homers and 50 RBI this season. "I know I can play in the big leagues. On any team. But they want to see whether I can stay away from trouble.

"If I can just do that, if I can just keep my cool, I'll be fine. Because when there is trouble, whether it's my fault or not, I'm the one who's got to pay the consequences."

Dukes is staring disgustedly at his baseball jersey while talking. It has dark stains around the collar. His pants have tears by both knees.

If this were the big leagues, the uniform would be in the garbage.

But this is Durham.

"In the big leagues, you throw your uniform on the ground, and it's washed and hung up nicely in your locker," Dukes says. "Here you do that, you come back the next day and find it still on the floor. Those guys up there (in the big leagues) shower in Evian. Here, we use sewer water."


Young, 20, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound right fielder, was suspended 50 games in April by the International League for throwing a bat at an umpire.

Dukes, a 6-2, 240-pound left fielder, has been suspended twice by the Devil Rays — the first time for one week and the second for two weeks — for fights and/or arguments with a teammate and coach.

Upton, 21, a 6-3, 180-pound shortstop, was arrested in June for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

"Its embarrassing," Upton says. "Those things shouldn't have happened. Not to me. Not to Delmon. Not to Elijah. Then we get lumped together and people have this perception of us

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The shame of it all is that there are players that would give anything to be playing a hot day game, or wearing a uniform with stained collars or torn knees, and these guys want to gripe? What are they going to do when they play a day game in Texas or Kansas City? Sit out because it's too hot?
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Sounds like all that they need is a good dose of maturity. They'll get that through time.

Soon, they'll be in the big leagues and on the police blotters every couple of months with people making all kinds of excuses for them.

What is Tampa Bay trying to do? They haven't been competitive since they've been in the big leagues.

Need new ownership and management from what I can see/read.
As a Red Sox fan, I get to see Tampa Bay play quite a bit. They have a lot of good young players. Crawford and Baldelli in the outfield, Gomes as a DH, Cantu at 2nd. Upton is a top minor league prospect. He recently moved from ss to 3b. If he could play defense he'd already be in the beague leagues. If Young could get a head on his shoulders he'd be in the big leagues too. They have one of the best young pitchers in the game in Kazmir. They need to work on building their pitching rotation around him and add some bullpen help.
Those are 3 fine role models .

I don't have time for the "give them time to grow up" excuse. These guys should be proud and gracious to have the opportunities they do at that age. This is not an attitude that just came over them, this is deep rooted in their past. I know some will come out and say "he really is a good guy", but in my mind they laid their real hand out on the table. Add to my "screw 'em" list 3 more names of current athletes who from the heart have no respect for their god given talent or the game they should represent with honor.
Wow it sure is a tough life having to play a game in that heat. Maybe they should try working in the tobacco fields or roofing a house. I grew up in Durham and lived there most of my life. I used to go to the Bulls games alot during the summer at the old Durham Athletic Park. Last year I took in a game and it was more like a circus. Sumo wrestlers between innings, karate guys kicking boards between innings, blaring music so loud that my head hurt for a week. Ninety percent of the people had no idea who was winning or who was even playing the game. It was all about the beer and the circus atmosphere between the innings. The thing that got me the most was the players walking on and off the field , trotting to first base, trotting to second on a double because the outfielders conceded the play and just lobbed the ball to the cut. I would rather watch a HS or College baseball game any day than one of these "events". Coddled spoiled brats that think the game owes them something. Sorry but I had to get that off my chest.
Coach you forgot the "sewer water" in the bathrooms.


quote:
The thing that got me the most was the players walking on and off the field , trotting to first base, trotting to second on a double because the outfielders conceded the play and just lobbed the ball to the cut.


But coach its REALLY hot sometimes.
"He has already said too much. Please, he asks, let it be known that he was just venting. Don't take him seriously."



"venting" = saying what you really think but know you shouldn't actually say...but you do anyway. Roll Eyes


"Its embarrassing," Upton says. "Those things shouldn't have happened. Not to me. Not to Delmon. Not to Elijah. Then we get lumped together and people have this perception of us"


Is it embarrassing because you screwed up, BJ, or embarassing because the local authorities obviously don't know who you are? Strange, the way Some People get this perception of you because of what you do and what you say. How curious. Roll Eyes

Perhaps instead of signing bonuses, the club should have given them each a clue.
Last edited by Orlando

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