Both drafted by White Sox, Duke Ellis fulfills dad's unachieved goal

CHICAGO -- There was an emotional moment shared by Duke Ellis and his dad when the left-handed-hitting outfielder had his contract purchased by the White Sox from Double-A Birmingham in early June.

Robert Ellis not only is Duke’s father, but he also is a former Major League hurler whom the White Sox drafted in the third round of the 1990 Draft and was his son’s coach for four years at Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas. So, that sense of great fatherly pride also came with the ongoing realities of baseball.

“He started tearing up, because it’s a dream come true,” Duke told MLB.com of the phone call to his dad. “We’ve been through it together. We’ve been through every tough up and down.

“So, to tell him, and have him say he’s proud of me … he started tearing up and he was like, ‘I can’t do this. Your work is not done. Get back to work and I’ll call you later.’ And he hung up. That’s him being hard on me. He wants to be happy, but he knows there’s more work to do.”

Duke referred to his dad being his high school coach as a “great experience.” And that toughness put upon the coach’s kid helped this 6-foot-2, 180-pound 26-year-old get to the Major Leagues, in Duke’s estimation.

“I notice in a game of failure, I was able to bounce back from my failures a lot faster,” Duke said. “He was hard on me, but he wasn’t doing it out of anger or anything else. It was just like once you get to this level, you are able to turn the page as fast as you can and handle your failures.”

“Over the last two or three years, it’s fun to sit back and watch what he’s learned, and he’s really a student of the game,” Robert told MLB.com of his son in a separate interview. “The thing I love is to listen to him talk about how everything he does is trying to make his teammates better around him. He loves to win. Very selfless player. For me, that’s what it takes to win championships.”

With 19 appearances, of which 17 were starts, Robert won a World Series ring with the 2001 Diamondbacks amidst his four Major League seasons. Winning a title now serves as Duke’s goal, and would hopefully be achieved someday in Chicago.

Duke made his debut on June 4 as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning of an eventual 7-6 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. And by playing at the Major League level specifically for the White Sox, Duke had already accomplished something his dad never achieved.

“Oh, exactly,” Robert said of his son, who originally joined the White Sox on June 19, 2020, as a Minor League free agent. “When he first signed, it was so exciting because that’s who drafted me. I have a lot of great relationships with the guys who are here.

“That means a lot. He accomplished something that’s pretty cool. I didn’t get to play in the big leagues with the White Sox. He got to do that. It was a dream of mine, but now he’s living that dream for sure.”

This dream featured a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases over eight big league games for the fleet-footed Duke, who was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday after Andrew Benintendi returned from the injured list. Cubs closer Héctor Neris also picked off Duke from second after he stole second during his debut, but Duke faced the media postgame with the demeanor of a seasoned pro.

It's all part of that learning process instilled by his father’s love and toughness as a coach.

“Oh, I have stories and stories,” Duke said with a laugh. “One time in a district game, I steal a base standing up and didn’t slide -- but stole the base with ease.

“He pulled me out of the game and he told me, 'No matter if you are safe or out, no matter what the scenario is, you are sliding. You are getting taken out of the game and you are going to walk home and think about what you did.'”

But his walk was not a long one.

“It was right around the corner,” a smiling Duke said. “It was right next to my high school.”

“I’m proud of him. I’m proud of his work ethic, and I’m glad the organization was willing to give him an opportunity,” Robert said. “We were so excited. I love it.”