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Dukes To Play Winter Ball In Dominican

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 10, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Elijah Dukes heads to the Dominican Republic today for winter ball, the latest step in his attempt to get his career back on track.

The 23-year-old outfielder, placed on the temporary inactive list by the Devil Rays in June after a series of off-field controversies, will join the storied Licey Tigers for this season. The winningest team in Dominican baseball approached the Rays and Dukes' agent about bringing the Hillsborough High product aboard, and all parties agreed it could be a worthwhile move.

'Elijah continues to make great strides,' Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. 'We're still at the point in the process where it'd be premature to elaborate much more, but we feel like he is at the stage where it's appropriate for him to go out and play some in the winter league and take it from there.'

Santo Domingo-based Licey, managed this winter by Washington Nationals third base coach Tim Tolman, opens play a week from today. When Dukes makes his debut, it will represent his first game action since June 19, when he came on as a late-inning defensive replacement in a game at Arizona.

Three days later, the Rays optioned Dukes to the minors and deactivated him so he could sort through various domestic problems stemming from his alleged threats of violence toward his estranged wife, NiShea, and their children. The two have spent plenty of time in Hillsborough County courtrooms in the ensuing months, but Dukes is eager to get back on the field.

'Baseball's in his blood,' Dukes' agent, Scott Pucino, said Tuesday. 'He's ready to go back and play. He's really looking forward to this opportunity.'

Dukes, who hit .190 with 10 homers in 52 games for Tampa Bay this year, remains on the Rays' 40-man roster. It's far from certain that he will be in spring training with his hometown team come February, as a trade remains a possibility, but Pucino said he hopes his client can resume his career in Tampa Bay.

'I think that they've worked really hard to keep him a Devil Ray, and him going to the Dominican and them wanting him to go there shows me they want him to play baseball and want him to be ready,' said Pucino. 'I think it's all pretty positive.'

COACH WATCH: The Rays could name a replacement by the end of the week for bench coach Bill Evers, whose contract was not renewed.

Rangers third-base coach Don Wakamatsu and former Nationals and Diamondbacks coach Eddie Rodriguez are candidates to fill the job.

Former Rays OF Dave Martinez, who filled in for first-base coach George Hendrick early this season after Hendrick underwent knee surgery, also is in the mix. He likely would take over for one of the base coaches, Hendrick or Tom Foley, allowing one of them to move to the bench.

The Rays also are pondering adding a quality-control coach - now a fixture on NFL staffs - who wouldn't be in uniform during the game but would serve as an extra set of eyes and work closely with Manager Joe Maddon and his staff.

STAY TUNED: The Rays are expected to release their 2008 schedule, highlighted by a June visit to Tropicana Field by Lou Piniella's Chicago Cubs, today.

Marc Lancaster

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