Opening Day
What can only be classified as every American boy’s dream, these
players get to play baseball all year and get paid big bucks to do it. With the
World Series safely in the wake of baseball season, Brad Roemer now looks to what the
players will do in the offseason. Certainly, some will be traded, but we are
more interested right now in how they will give back to the community.
Off Season
With some deals already signed and some people raking in $93
million-dollar contracts, we are hoping that they will decide to help out local
communities and their hometowns as well. Let’s take a look at some of the
players, both active and retired, that help out the most.
1.
David Ortiz – Big Poppy retired two
years ago but is still very much a part of many charities around the United
States. Very active in the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles affords David a
lot of time to spend with the children with terminal diseases. Along with this,
he also still participates in five additional charities and donates millions of
dollars annually.
2.
Cal Ripken, Jr. – Another retired
player, but another player that still donates millions of dollars to charities.
Cal is associated with five different charities, one of which is one he
founded, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. The organization does work with
at-risk youth in underserved and underfunded areas across the United States.
3.
Alex Rodriguez – Quite possibly one of
the most controversial players on this list, Alex makes it his mission to
donate to several different charities – four to be exact. One of the charities
he donates to is Soles4Souls who have donated over 26 million pairs of shoes
across the globe. Those of us that live in first world countries tend to take
shoes for granted, but having been to many third world countries, Alex knows
that it is something everyone should have.
4.
Derek Jeter – Perhaps we spoke too soon
on the controversial players. Derek, being a member of the New York Yankees,
garnered much criticism for his on and off-field antics. However, we could not
overlook the fact that he donates to four different charities. In conjunction
with his teammate Alex, they donate millions of dollars to Soles4Souls and help
them to put shoes on the feet of people from underdeveloped countries.
5.
Mike Piazza – Only really controversial
late in his career, Mike showed his worth early on both on the field and off.
Donating millions of dollars annually to the Jason Taylor Foundation, Mike has
promoted education through them. The foundation concentrates on literacy but
will not turn their back on any education that a child needs.
Last Game
It has always impressed Brad Roemer the number of athletes that give
back. What is more impressive is the fact that even after their careers, they
continue to give to the community. This gives us all hope for a bright and
prosperous future both in sport and out of sports.
