"Washington Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes avoided the possibility of a 90-day jail sentence yesterday by paying $39,767 in outstanding legal fees several hours before the court-appointed deadline. One week earlier, a Hillsborough (Fla.) Circuit Court judge had ordered that Dukes must pay the money, owed to attorneys representing his estranged wife, by 5 p.m. yesterday.

"Right now, the money is being processed by our firm, so I consider it paid," said attorney Carlos Ramirez, who represents NiShea Dukes. "They made the deadline."

The deadline -- and the court's ruling that Dukes must pay the debt -- came after NiShea Dukes's attorneys filed a motion for civil contempt, a means to claim the unpaid fees. Dukes has three children with his estranged wife, and he has been involved in a lengthy series of court proceedings related to the payment of child support.

Supporting His School

Ryan Zimmerman sat in the home clubhouse yesterday afternoon and spoke about how the University of Virginia's baseball program helped catapult his career. Of course by that point, Zimmerman's feelings for his college were self-evident. On Thursday, it was made public that the Nationals' third baseman, who in April signed a five-year, $45 million contract, had donated to his old program $250,000, aimed to improve the team's facilities.

"I just like to support the people that got me where I'm at," he said. "