Interesting read on Dmitri

We all know how Dmitri Young’s time in Detroit ended, and I’d like to think people appreciated how Dmitri turned his life and his game around last year and ended up an all-star. Now, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Dmitri sees an opportunity to pass that on with the Nationals’ much-maligned trade for Elijah Dukes.

"I love being in this role," said Young, a 12-year veteran and .290 career hitter. "This is what makes my life meaningful. If I can get to Elijah and make him realize that he can get his life straight, be a role model for every young, underprivileged black kid in the city who has no hope, then I’ve given back.

"So far he’s been very receptive. Once spring training comes along, I’ll have eight months with him. I’ll be around him all the time. He’ll see my face every day. I’ll go to dinner with him, we’ll spend time at the ballpark together. Maybe he’ll get sick of me, but I’m going to be there."

Say what you will about Dmitri, and plenty of people around Detroit have had their say already, but he has an appreciation for what this game means to people and the responsibility one generation has to mold the next. Does that make him a team leader? No, but it makes him a mentor, and Jim Bowden is hoping he can fill that role for Dukes, whose list of transgressions goes well beyond what Dmitri did his final year in Detroit. Bowden has already had Dukes working out with Barry Larking in Orlando.

Here’s a quote from Bowden from a Q&A story he did with Bill Ladson on MLB.com:

"[Dukes] has never had direction or discipline. He never had someone take him aside and really care about developing him as a human being and helping him learn about things off the field.

"This player on the field is dedicated to winning. He never talks about himself on the field. He talks about moving runners. He talks about what he can do to help the team win. He is a winner on the field. His problems have been off the field. I think, in this world, when we are blessed to be in a game like baseball, part of our responsibility is to try and help young people improve their lives — not just as players but as people.

"This is a tremendous challenge. I would call it my biggest challenge of my career, but one we are going to put a lot of time and effort into. If we can help him off the field and on the field, he will play in an All-Star Game."