Showing posts with label Adam Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam Jones. Show all posts

Friday, August 03, 2018

Orioles' Adam Jones contributes $8.5K to help Mamie Johnson Little League team

When a Washington, D.C., Little League team reached out for help to fund a trip to an upcoming tournament, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones was ready with a response -- and a check.

Jones agreed Friday to contribute $8,500 toward bus transportation for the Mamie Johnson Little League team, which will represent the nation's capital in the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament starting Sunday in Bristol, Connecticut.

"It's a blessing for the kids and the families,'' Keith Barnes, the league president, told ESPN. "For them to experience this opportunity and for him to help us, it just means the world to these kids. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, so it's a great gesture. And we really appreciate it.''

The Mamie Johnson team is the first predominantly black squad to advance to the Mid-Atlantic Regional -- the final obstacle to a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Of the 12 players on the roster, 11 are African-American.

Jones' representatives at CAA Sports were in contact with Little League officials and finalized the details Friday. Barnes said the team had already received $15,000 in contributions before Jones became involved. Some of the funds were contributed by competing Little Leagues in the area. He said the surplus created by Jones' contribution will go toward enhancing future participation. The Mamie Johnson Little League players come from less-than-affluent circumstances, Barnes said, and the league charges only $20 to players' families as an initiation fee.

Jones, 33, has a long record of community outreach during his tenure with the Orioles. In 2015, he received the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award from the MLB Players Association, the Brooks Robinson Community Service Award from the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association and the Governor's Service Award from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

[SOURCE: ESPN]

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Baltimore Orioles' Adam Jones donates $20K to Negro Leagues museum

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, the target of racial taunts during a recent game in Boston, has donated $20,000 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

Jones visited the museum and spoke with its president, Bob Kendrick, on Saturday before the Orioles continue their series against the Kansas City Royals.

The museum, founded by a group of former Negro Leagues stars, is located in the historic 18th and Vine district, a hub of black culture in Kansas City during the first half of the 20th century.

Jones' experience on May 1 in Boston touched off a discussion of racism across the sports landscape. Major League Baseball is reviewing security protocols at all 30 of its stadiums, and the Red Sox banished a fan from Fenway Park for using a racial slur against another fan in a separate incident.

He said Saturday that the widely condemned racial insult hurled at him at Fenway illustrates the need for dialogue about race and for fans to police each other.

[SOURCE: ESPN]