A Mentor For Dukes
Uncle Teddy's Home For Wayward Youth is not just a DC phenomenon.
NFA has been running down the coaches for next season, and a name on the GCL team caught my eye, Cesar Cedeno.
Cedeno was a terrific ballplayer. He played for 17 seasons, mostly with the Astros. He had pretty good power, when you consider that the ballpark he was playing would make RFK look like a bandbox. He hit for average, had great speed, knocked in runs and scored 'em. All the talent in the world.
But he had his issues off the field.
In December 1973 while near his home in the Dominican Republic, he was showing off his gun to his mistress. Like our friend Dukes, Cedeno apparently loved the ladies. As he tried to get the gun away from her, they wrestled a bit, and the gun went off, killing his mistress. Cedeno eventually was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and ordered to pay 100 pesos as "punishment".
But that wasn't his only incident either. As a commenter at Primer said, "Later, in 1988 he was arrested again for allegedly assaulting the mother of his child. That article recounts his other antics . . . in 1978 he injured his hand in an outburst after making an out in a close game (fined $5K by the team). In 1981 he went into the stands to confront a heckler in Atlanta, this time the league hit him up for the $5K. In 1985 he picked up a DWI as his car ended up stuck in a tree, that cost him $400 fine and $7K in property damage restitution. At the time of the 1988 arrest he was awaiting trial after being charged with smashing a glass into a man's face at a nightclub."
Despite those off-field incidents, Cedeno was still able to play 2006 games in the majors at a very high level. Hopefully Dukes is able to turn his life around and avoid all further off-field crap. And hopefully he'll be able to do what Cedeno did on the field.
NFA has been running down the coaches for next season, and a name on the GCL team caught my eye, Cesar Cedeno.
Cedeno was a terrific ballplayer. He played for 17 seasons, mostly with the Astros. He had pretty good power, when you consider that the ballpark he was playing would make RFK look like a bandbox. He hit for average, had great speed, knocked in runs and scored 'em. All the talent in the world.
But he had his issues off the field.
In December 1973 while near his home in the Dominican Republic, he was showing off his gun to his mistress. Like our friend Dukes, Cedeno apparently loved the ladies. As he tried to get the gun away from her, they wrestled a bit, and the gun went off, killing his mistress. Cedeno eventually was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and ordered to pay 100 pesos as "punishment".
But that wasn't his only incident either. As a commenter at Primer said, "Later, in 1988 he was arrested again for allegedly assaulting the mother of his child. That article recounts his other antics . . . in 1978 he injured his hand in an outburst after making an out in a close game (fined $5K by the team). In 1981 he went into the stands to confront a heckler in Atlanta, this time the league hit him up for the $5K. In 1985 he picked up a DWI as his car ended up stuck in a tree, that cost him $400 fine and $7K in property damage restitution. At the time of the 1988 arrest he was awaiting trial after being charged with smashing a glass into a man's face at a nightclub."
Despite those off-field incidents, Cedeno was still able to play 2006 games in the majors at a very high level. Hopefully Dukes is able to turn his life around and avoid all further off-field crap. And hopefully he'll be able to do what Cedeno did on the field.
posted by Chris Needham at
10:39 PM
5 Comments:
Ugh-i think this is a bit of a stretch even for you Chris. A second tier coach (not even the manager) on our Gulf Coast League team? I'm pretty certain there are a few minor league teams with coaches who have done things in the past that they aren't proud of. Not that i'm excusing it at all, but the last incident you speak of was nearly 20 years ago.
Point is, people are already laughing at us for Dukes and Lo Duca. You're doing nothing to help with well, pointless posts like this. I'm as cynical as anyone when it comes to the Nationals. But for a self-proclaimed Nats "fanboy" but you sure do spend a lot of time bashing anything and everything involving this team. We get it, you don't think Dukes and Lo Duca were great moves. Neither do i, but contantly bitching about it isn't going to change things.
By
Anonymous, at 12/20/2007 9:57 AM
Eh. Whatever.
Cedeno's name stuck out, and it's an interesting story, showing that even a player with a terrible off-field reputation could put it together enough to be a valuable contributor on the field.
That's not exactly a pointless post. It's not the most insightful thing I've ever written, for sure, but it's far from the most pointless!
By
Chris Needham, at 12/20/2007 10:03 AM
I hear you. I'm just sayin'.
Despite all this, i still think you run a great blog. I may not always agree the often negative vibe, but i think you do good work, and this is the best Nats blog out there.
Just tired of reading about Dukes and Lo Duca is all. There is so much more to write about this team than just those two.
By
Anonymous, at 12/20/2007 10:31 AM
Like what?
Cause I got nuttin'
Those two have been the only news coming out of the team lately. I don't make the news. I just react to it.
By
Chris Needham, at 12/20/2007 10:33 AM
Please post that the Nats signed Jason Jennings. That would be more than nuttin', but you have got to make it happen first!
By
Anonymous, at 12/20/2007 5:26 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home