Elijah Dukes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elijah Dukes |
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Dukes with the Washington Nationals in 2009
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: June 26, 1984 Homestead, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 2, 2007, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 4, 2009, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .242 | ||
| Home runs | 31 | ||
| Runs batted in | 123 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Elijah David Dukes, Jr. (born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a right-handed outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Dukes played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Washington Nationals.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Elijah Dukes grew up in Tampa, Florida. He went to several high schools, including Hillsborough High School. During his high school years, he was a talented athlete.
- He played both football and baseball for all four years.
- He also played basketball and ran track for two years.
- In football, he was a top player, rushing for over 1,000 yards in one season.
- He was even named an All-State player in football.
- After high school, he planned to play college football at North Carolina State University.
Playing Professional Baseball
Elijah Dukes chose to play professional baseball after high school. He was drafted by a Major League Baseball team.
Starting with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays picked Elijah Dukes in the third round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. This meant they wanted him to join their team.
- On April 2, 2007, Dukes played his first official game in Major League Baseball.
- In his very first time at bat, he hit a home run! This is a rare and exciting way to start a career.
- In his second game, he hit another home run against the New York Yankees.
- In December 2007, Dukes was traded to the Washington Nationals.
Time with the Washington Nationals
Elijah Dukes joined the Washington Nationals in 2008. He faced some challenges with injuries during his time there.
- He hurt his right hamstring early in 2008 and had to take time off.
- After returning, he struggled a bit but then started playing much better in June.
- He hit 4 home runs in June 2008.
- Dukes also injured his knee and calf during the 2008 season.
- Despite injuries, he played well in his last 29 games of 2008.
- Overall in 2008, he had a batting average of .264. He also hit 13 home runs and had 44 runs batted in.
- The Nationals released Dukes from their team in March 2010.
Playing for the Newark Bears
After leaving the Nationals, Dukes continued to play baseball.
- In July 2010, he signed with the Newark Bears.
- The Newark Bears were a team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
- He played 28 games for the Bears.
- During this time, he had a strong batting average of .366.
- He also hit 5 home runs and stole 2 bases.
See also
- Home run in first Major League at-bat
