Quick Facts Born: November 30, 1980 in Wailuku, HI Team: Philadelphia Phillies (2005-Present) Position: Centerfield MLB Tenure: 5 seasons 2009 Salary: $3.125 million 2009 Stats: 102 R, 13 3B, .292 BA Other: 2009 All Star, 2008 and 2009 Gold Glove Award, 2008 World Series Champion Shane Victorino, also known as "The Flyin' Hawaiian," has had a busy couple of months--fresh off a trip to the World Series, the Gold Glove winner headed to the altar earlier this month on Maui, and hosted his second annual celebrity golf tournament a week later. Victorino is among the most successful local boys to make it big in baseball, and has not forgotten his roots--the golf tournament, held in Maui supports the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation.
The Second Annual Shane Victorino Celebrity Golf Classic was held at Makena Beach and Golf Resort on Maui and included a round of golf with celebrities such as golfer Tadd Fujikawa, Miss Hawaii 2009 Raeceen Woolford, ESPN's Neil Everett, Phillies teammates Ryan Howard and Joe Blanton, and ex-MLB player Lenn Sakata, followed by live and silent auctions. Some of the items up for auction were: a VIP experience with Rachael Ray, autographer memorabilia, jewelry, a trip to Las Vegas, a trip to Philadelphia for a Phillies game and a meet-and-greet with Victorino, rounds of golf, and "days/evenings/weekends out" from Hawaii restaurants, hotels, and travel companies. Last year's event raised $100,000 for Alzheimers research. This year's goal was $120,000.
Victorino, a former Eagle Scout and winner of the 2008 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, had this to say about his charitable work during a visit to Sunrise on Hawaii News Now: "Anytime I can give back to my community, it puts a smile on my face... Anytime I have the opportunity to give back, some way I can help, whether it be financially, whether it be my time, whether it be speaking to kids... To be in the position that I am, growing up here in Hawaii, I never had the luxury to look up to somebody and say, 'Hey, I want to follow this guy.' And I'm in a position now that I'm able to do that, and I've always said that if I had that opportunity that I'm going to do whatever I can to give back to the community, to be involved, speak to kids, to be known as a role model, to be somebody that kids idolize... When I go out there and I play the game of baseball, I don't take it for granted. I understand opportunity that I'm having, because things could change. I could drive out of here, (knock on wood) get into an accident and never play again. That's how I approach my everyday life-- that everyday may be my last. When God calls, He calls. So I go out there and I do something like this. I do it from the heart and I want to give back anyway I can. "
Born: January 16, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Team: St. Louis Cardinals (2001-Present)
Position: First Base
MLB Tenure: 9 seasons
2009 Salary: $14.4 million
2009 Stats: 124 R, 45 2B, 47 HR, 135 RBI, 115 RBI, .327 BA
Other: 3-time NL MVP, 8-time All-Star, 2001 Rookie of the Year, 5 Silver Slugger Awards, 1 Gold Glove, 2008 Roberto Clemente Award Winner
Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals is notorious for the power numbers he produces on the field (which recently earned him his third National League MVP Award), but he makes big contributions off the field as well. The 2008 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award primarily contributes through his non-profit organization, the Pujols Family Foundation. Just when you think he can't get any better, he does.
The Pujols Family Foundation, which has a focus on Faith, Family, and Others, is geared toward three main causes: promoting awareness and helping families and children who have Down Syndrome (Pujols' stepdaughter is affected by it), improving the lives of children with disabilities and/or life-threatening illnesses, and helping impoverished children in the Dominican Republic (his home country). The foundation is funded through donations, fundraising events (like the annual Christmas Celebration, Golf Classic, etc.) and sponsors, such as Ford Motor Company and American Airlines. The foundation also hosts events for the people it helps, like their annual prom for people with Down Syndrome and Mother-Daughter events. Pujols also stepped up to help establish a Down Syndrome center for adults in St. Louis and provided funding for Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Tournament (Coolbaugh was a former teammate of Pujols' who was killed by a foul ball in the minor leagues).
Though Pujols is mostly known for his big bat, it should also be known that he also has one of the biggest hearts in the league.
Quick Facts
Born: November 25, 1980 in Columbus, OH
Team: New York Yankees (2009-Present), Chicago White Sox ('08), Oakland Athletics ('05-'07)
Position: Outfield, First Base
MLB Tenure: 5 seasons
2009 Salary: $5.4 million
2009 Stats: 29 HR, 82 RBI, .371 OBP, 84 R
Charitable Work: Swish's Wishes, cancer awareness, Strikeouts for Troops, Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation, Make A Wish Foundation, Special Olymipcs
Nick Swisher, of the World Series Champion Yankees, is one of the more outgoing players in baseball today. Not only does he have one of the great personalities in the game, but also has one of the strongest giving spirits. Throughout his career, he has been involved with numerous charities including Barry Zito's Strikeouts for Troops, Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation, the Make A Wish Foundation, the Special Olymipcs, and his own foundation-- Swish's Wishes.
Swish's Wishes was founded in 2007, while Nick was still with the Oakland Athletics. Since then, he spent a season in Chicago with the White Sox, and is currently a member of the New York Yankees. During his time in each city, he has worked to make a difference through his foundation and with other efforts such as frequent hospital visits. Swish's Wishes is geared toward "enriching lives and lifting the spirits of children who are facing vital health issues while providing care, comfort, and support through the most difficult of times." Swisher's foundation supports organizations such as the Lynn Sage Cancer Foundation, Janet Pomeroy Center, Tony LaRussa's Animal Foundation, UCSF Children's Hospital, and Military Families Appreciation.
Nick's grandmother, who raised him after his parents' divorce, had a strong influence on him and instilled a giving spirit in him. She battled brain cancer in 2005, and unfortunately passed away. Since then, Swisher has been very involved with cancer organizations. Also in 2007, he grew out his hair for a year to cut and donate it to make a wig for a cancer patient.
This is what Nick says:
"I love helping people, anyway I can. I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can use my position in baseball positively to make a difference in people’s lives... It doesn’t always have to be a big new story to help someone, the way I see it, it’s reading a story to a child in the hospital, visiting with our injured troops and shaking hands and talking baseball, growing out my hair so a wig can be made for a woman dealing with hair loss from chemotherapy, or simply making sure I sign as many autographs as I can. Every action I take can make a difference in someone’s life. It’s the challenge and the opportunity that we all have to give back to others. This is what drives me. This is who I am."
Quick Facts:
Born: March 16, 1981, Blue Island, IL
Team: Detroit Tigers (2004-Present)
Position: Centerfield
MLB Tenure: 5 years
2009 Salary: $3.5 million
2009 Statistics: 30 HR, 71 RBI, 23 2B, 72 BB, 20 SB
Other: 2009 All-Star
Charitable work: Grand Kids Foundation
The son of two teachers, education was always important to the Detroit Tigers' Curtis Granderson, who is one of the few college graduates playing in the major leagues. (Granderson has degrees in Business Marketing and Business Management from the University of Illinois-Chicago.) In his young, but successful career, Granderson has made many contributions to his community. Granderson's mission with his Grand Kids Foundation is "to enforce educational initiatives to youth and to help bring the sport of baseball back to the nation's inner cities."
Established in 2008, the Grand Kids Foundation has a focus on education and raises funds from annual events (such as the Celebrity Basketball Shoot-Out), sponsorships, and donations. The foundation helps buy school supplies and books for needy families, children, and schools. It also provides equipment, facilities, and other funding for baseball programs in Michigan inner cities. A future goal is establishing college scholarships for high school seniors.
In addition to Grand Kids, Graderson has been involved with a number of charitable organizations, such as: Play Baseball Detroit, Tigers Dreams Come True, Detroit Tigers Autographed Memorabilia Donation Program, Gloves for Kids, and the Detroit Action Team. Granderson has also been an international ambassador for Major League Baseball and represented America's pastime in countries such as China, South Africa, and Italy.
Quick Facts: Born: May 13, 1978, Las Vegas, NV Team: San Francisco Giants (2007-Present), Oakland Athletics (2000-06) Position: Starting pitcher MLB Tenure: 9 seasons 2009 Salary: $18.5 million 2009 Statistics: 4.03 ERA, 10-13 (Wins-Losses), 154 strikeouts Other: 2002 Cy Young Award Winner, 3-time All-Star Charitable Work: Strikeouts for Troops
Barry Zito has been less than stellar since signing a $126 million, seven-year contract with the San Francisco Giants, but he has continued his charity work with his foundation, Strikeouts for Troops. Established in 2005, Strikeouts for Troops raises money for America's veterans of war who are being treated at military hospitals in the US. Funds raised are used for various things, such as: paying for families to visit their recovering veteran, providing Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for military patients and their families, purchasing holiday gifts for military children, supplying medical equipment for smooth transitions from the hospital to the home, providing toiletries and other supplies for patients who arrive at the hospital with nothing-- everything to keep rehabilitating troops' morale high to help them get through difficult times.
Strikeouts for Troops receive funding from player pledges, events, donations, and corporate sponsors. Contributing players include: Barry Zito, CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Tim Hudson, Chris Carpenter, Brad Lidge, Adam Wainwright, Joe Blanton, Jake Peavy, Nick Swisher, Scott Rolen, Chipper Jones, Orlando Hudson, and Jermaine Dye, to name a few. These players pledge donations based on their on-field accomplishments (number of strikeouts for pitchers, and number of homeruns, RBI, hits, etc. for position players). Barry Zito, for example, pledged $500 for each strikeout he had in the 2008 season. (He had 120 K's, totaling $60,000.) Since its establishment in 2005, Strikeouts for Troops has raised over $1 million.
In addition to Strikeouts for Troops, Zito has also contributed to other causes such as, cancer research, juvenile diabetes, world literacy, autism, Special Olympics, performing arts, animal rescue, and Little League funding.
Quick Facts: Born: July 18, 1975 in Pine Bluff, AR Team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2008-Present), Minnesota Twins (1997-2007) Position: Centerfield MLB Tenure: 13 seasons 2009 Salary: $18 million 2009 Statistics: .311 Batting Average, .380 OBP, 85 RBI, 22 HR Other: Gold Glove Award Winner for 8 consecutive seasons, 3-time All-Star Charitable Work: Torii Hunter Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and more
A quick Youtube search of Torii Hunter will pull up videos of Hunter's spectacular defensive plays, his rally-igniting home runs, and various interviews, behind-the-scenes specials, and commercials highlighting Hunter's charismatic personality. Hunter always displays his exceptional abilities on the field, but he also does exceptional work in the community.
The Torii Hunter Project, named for its founder, is "a comprehensive, long-term effort to impact youth in need in various parts of the United States." The program supports a variety of causes, but has a focus on sports, community, education, and wellness. The Project is teamed with the Heart of a Champion Foundation (a non-profit organization aimed at youth character development) to benefit middle school students. Another part of the Project is "Hunter's Hundred," which will provide 100 college scholarships to students from Anaheim, Pine Bluff, and Las Vegas over the next four years. Through the Project, Hunter has also teamed with Little League Baseball's Urban Initiative to help maintain and improve baseball fields in inner cities. In November, Hunter will hold a Celebrity Golf Classic to raise money for the Project.
Hunter has helped other programs and projects in addition to his own. In 2008, he helped fund the construction of the "Torii Hunter Field" in Placentia, CA for youth softball, especially for the Boys and Girls Club and the R.B.I. (Reviving Baseball in Innercities) League. He was also the Angels' representative for the Prostate Cancer Foundation's MLB Home Run Challenge. The list goes on and on...
Hunter has been a Gold Glove winner for eight consecutive seasons for his outstanding play in centerfield, but he has also received recognition for his work in the community. These include the 2007 Marvin Miller Man of the Year award (given to "the player in either league whose on-field performance and contributions to his community inspire others to higher levels of achievement"), the 2009 Branch Rickey Award (honoring "individuals in baseball who contribute to their communities and are strong role models for young people"), and two Roberto Clemente Award nominations (for the MLB player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team").
Here's what Hunter himself says: "Everything I do comes from having certain values instilled in me by my mother and grandmother. They always taught me to treat others the way I want to be treated, and that's something I've always done. I've been blessed to be able to help others not as fortunate, not just in baseball but in life. I'll be doing this until I die. It's something I feel strongly about... I get a lot of pleasure out of helping people through The Torii Hunter Project and in other ways. I'd like to see more players do a lot more as far as helping out the community, whatever they can... My message to everyone is what my mother and grandmother instilled in me: Always treat people like you want to be treated, and you can never go wrong. That great feeling you get after helping somebody is a feeling you want for the rest of your life. These are great awards, and I'm truly honored to be considered for them - for what I do on the field and off the field."
Quick Facts
Granderson reads to students at Hugo Elementary School. 
Barry Zito holds a flag that was flown at the airbase in Balad named for Zito and his foundation. 
