Report: Fine against Dukes being paid

WASHINGTON, April 22 (UPI) -- A $500 team fine against Washington outfielder Elijah Dukes will be paid from a fundraiser by the Great Falls (Va.) Little League, The Washington Post said.

Dukes was fined and benched by Manager Manny Acta for being five minutes late to last Saturday's game against the Florida Marlins because he was signing autographs at a little league function the team sponsored.

Dukes was told if he was late again, he would be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

"The next day we're reading the paper (and) … our first thought was we want to raise the money in the community to pay that fine," Leslie McClain, a mother of one of the little leaguers told the Washington Post. "We just think it's appalling."

"It's not a question of whether this guy can afford the 500 bucks," said league president Jim Mraz. " We're just trying to send a message to our kids: He was here for us. Now we've got to be there for him."