Elijah Dukes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elijah Dukes |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
Dukes with the Washington Nationals in 2009
|
|||
| Outfielder | |||
| Born: June 26, 1984 Homestead, Florida, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| 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 | |||
|
|||
Elijah David Dukes, Jr. (born June 26, 1984) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played as a right-handed outfielder. Elijah Dukes played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two teams: the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Washington Nationals.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Elijah Dukes went to several high schools in Tampa, Florida. He spent his junior and senior years at Hillsborough High School. Before that, he attended Jefferson High School, C. Leon King High School, and George D. Chamberlain High School.
Dukes was a talented athlete in high school. 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 star player. As a junior, he played both tailback and middle linebacker. He was even chosen as an All-State player for his skills as a linebacker. He also ran for over a thousand yards on offense. His high school football team, the Hillsborough Terriers, did very well. They reached the state regional semifinals in his junior year and the quarterfinals in his senior year. After high school, he planned to play football for North Carolina State University.
Professional Baseball Career
Elijah Dukes had a professional baseball career that included time in Major League Baseball. He played for two different teams during his time in the big leagues.
Playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003–2007)
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays chose Elijah Dukes in the third round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. This was his first step into professional baseball.
On April 2, 2007, Dukes made his big league debut. In his very first official turn at bat, he hit a solo home run. This impressive hit went to center field against the New York Yankees. In his next game, he hit another home run, helping his team win against the Yankees again. On December 3, 2007, the Washington Nationals traded for Dukes. The Devil Rays received Glenn Gibson, a left-handed pitcher, in return.
Playing for the Washington Nationals (2008–2010)
When Dukes joined the Washington Nationals, he faced some challenges. He hurt his right hamstring on Opening Night of the 2008 season. This injury meant he had to go on the disabled list. He returned to play on May 9, 2008. He had a tough time hitting in May, with a low batting average of .167.
Dukes improved his hitting in June. He batted .292 and hit 4 home runs that month. However, he injured his knee on July 5, 2008, during a game against the Cincinnati Reds. He had surgery on his knee but returned to play much sooner than expected, on July 31, 2008. Soon after, on August 7, 2008, Dukes was back on the disabled list with a calf strain. He returned to the Nationals on August 26, 2008. In his last 29 games of the season, he hit .267 with 7 home runs and 26 runs batted in.
Overall, in 2008, Dukes played in 81 games. He had a batting average of .264. He also had a .386 on-base percentage and a .478 slugging percentage. He hit 13 home runs and had 44 runs batted in during his 276 at bats. The Nationals released Dukes from their team on March 17, 2010.
Playing for the Newark Bears (2010)
After leaving the Nationals, Dukes played for the Newark Bears. This team is part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He signed with them on July 2, 2010. He played in 28 games for the Bears. During his time there, he hit .366, had 5 home runs, 19 RBIs, and stole 2 bases.
See also
- Home run in first Major League at-bat
