Rays farm director honored by Minor League Baseball

Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics has won the fifth annual Chief Bender Award, which honors distinguished service in player development. Lukevics will be presented with the award at the winter meetings in December in Nashville, Tenn. Lukevics has been with the Rays for 17 years, including the last seven as farm director, and has been in professional baseball for 38 years. Chief Bender was in baseball for 64 years as a player, manager and executive, including 39 with the Cincinnati Reds and 22 as the team's farm director.