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Charge Against Dukes Is Dismissed
A domestic violence charge against the Nats' Elijah Dukes, shown last season with Tampa Bay, was dismissed when his accuser failed to appear in court.
(By Chris O'meara -- Associated Press)
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Kasten declined to comment on the matter yesterday. Monday, when news of Reese's charge became public, Kasten offered his support, saying Dukes had done everything the club had asked of him. The Nationals have vowed to supply Dukes with counseling and provide him with a significant support system, both in Washington and in Tampa, his home town.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Part of that support, for now, has been work with former all-star shortstop Barry Larkin, a special assistant to Bowden who owns a baseball academy in Orlando. Since the trade, Dukes has stayed in Orlando and worked out with Larkin at his facility.
"He's young, but I think he's a nice guy," Larkin said yesterday by phone. "I think it's a matter of him feeling like he's part of something, and I think the Nationals have done a real good job of making him feel that way."
Larkin, who was known as an exceptional leader during his playing days with Cincinnati, is one of a growing number of people familiar with Dukes who hope a move from Tampa will spur changes.
"Guys who have had a lot of hype and potential and just had whatever obstacles in their way that didn't allow them to become the types of players they were supposed to become or were advertised as, I think a change of scenery can help," Larkin said. "Whatever the situation was, living in Tampa was a source of problems for him."
Irvin's motion indicated Dukes had no intention of having contact with Reese. Though he was in court in Tampa yesterday, he was due back in Orlando to continue working out later in the week.
"He was willing to answer whatever questions were put to him," Irvin said by phone. "But . . . he'd like to just be done with it and just move on."
Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.
