| Feature News |
It's Been Weeks
Trade Rumors Surround Rockets Second Baseman
By Aviator McShadless / Rakeville Times
It has been a long winter for Rickie Weeks, the top prospect in the Rakeville Rockets organization. Since November, the Daytona Beach native has been involved in more trade rumors than he can count. He has been slated to go Mexico, Canada, Bizton or even stay with Rakeville, yet this whole time, no one has asked him where he wanted to go. Fortunately, he doesn’t care.
“I would have love to gone anywhere, as long as I can play,” said Weeks, during an interview after an Arizona Fall League game. “Anywhere, except Las Vegas.”
According to Weeks, he has a gambling problem that once dominated his life.
It began with playing cards in High School, and grew into an addiction in
College. At one point, Weeks was $34,000 in debt and feared for his life.“A bookie hired a few guys to break my legs,” he said. “My friend got word of it and told me, and I was able to outrun them. I was able to collect the money a few days later, but the was my lowest point, by far.”
For six years, his bankroll was up and down. He even turned to selling drugs to make a profit, but pledges he never used himself.
“It was a tough time for me, so I did what I had to. I am just glad Coach Willis found out.”
Theodore Willis, Southern University’s batting coach, discovered his star players problem and spent the rest of the season helping to cure Weeks.
“It wasn’t hard to figure out,” said Willis. “Some of the players knew about it, but many were overlooking it. I knew Rickie had a bright future if he could shake the habit, but if left unattended, it would destroy him.”
Weeks hasn’t wagered any money in years, but now the lure of Las Vegas has put fear into his heart.
“It is the capital of vice,” said Weeks. “I hope I can avoid coming in contact with it more than I have to.”
According to Peter Gammons, Las Vegas is the front-runner in the Weeks lottery. If the trade does go through, he may be added to a list of unscrupulous characters that have played for the Doggs such as steroid-using Jason Giambi, Homosexual Mark Prior and sandwich addict D’Angelo Jiminez.
Weeks was signed by the Rakeville Rockets midway through the 2004 season, but played mostly for the team’s minor league affiliate in Stackerville.
Aviator McShadless is a reporter for the Rakeville Times. For reasons unknown, he changed his last name from McTwoshades to McShadeless sometime during the Christmas holiday.
