Roberts comes through for the kids
The 3rd annual Brian's Baseball Bash at ESPN Zone was an overwhelming success. And Brian Roberts again came through as a gracious and accommodating host.
Three years ago, Roberts decided to do something big for the University Of Maryland Hospital for Children. Roberts is a frequent visitor of the children patients at the hospital, freely giving of his time, but he wanted to do more. And the idea of a big fundraising event was born.
Brian's Baseball Bash not only raises money for the hospital to help families and patients, it brings critical awareness to the general public about what the hospital does and what is needed to help the children who are ill. Brian fully understands how important it is to get the message out when you are trying to help in a meaningful way.
Brian relates to the kids in a way few professional athletes can. When he was 5-years old, Brian underwent open heart surgery. He remembers being scared and not knowing what it all meant. And he can talk to the children at the hospital, not only as a sports hero but as an equal. He gives the children hope and makes their day brighter by showing up unannounced at the hospital to visit with patients, play games, sign autographs and remind the children that someone cares.
The 3rd annual baseball bash was the biggest and best ever. It attracted a sellout audience, packing the ESPN Zone, and it featured an entertaining and successful live auction.
Brian, through his connections as a Major League All-Star, acquired numerous sports memorabilia items for the silent auction including autographed jerseys, bats, baseballs, cleats, photos and more.
But the highlight of the night was the live auction. There were several unique items to bid on like a batting lesson with Roberts or a pitching lesson with Jim Palmer.
I was honored to serve as the emcee of the event for the 3rd straight year and little did I know my mother and I would become prominent in the bidding.
One item up for bid was spending a day with me at Camden Yards for an Orioles telecast, complete with observing the production meeting, and sitting in the booth during the game. With Brian and the auctioneer getting the crowd hyped up the bidding soared.
Two generous fans agreed to pay $3,000 each to spend a day next season as a guest of MASN and observe a telecast. Amazingly it was the highest bid of the evening, (Yes even more than the pitching lesson with my colleague and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer). It shows how Orioles fans are enjoying the telecasts on MASN and want to get behind the scenes.
But the most unique bid started as a question. Todd Ruprecht of Kristen's Friends, one of the events sponsors, sent word to me on the stage that if I could get my mother to donate two pans of her baked ziti, it was certain to bring in some money and he would be the first to bid.
Whenever my mother visits from New Jersey I have an amazing number of requests for her Italian cooking.
So in the spirit of charity we put the two pans of baked ziti up for bid. And with a pan of German Potato salad donated by my wife Bonnie thrown in, Todd bid $2,000 and won the food. (I quickly called my mother after the event to alert her she now owed Brian's Baseball Bash two pans of baked ziti).
Todd's suggestion reinforced what Brian's event is all about. Getting people together for a wonderful cause to help children who are ill deal with their sicknesses and hopefully recover.
Winning a home cooked dinner was secondary to donating the money to help Brian help the kids. The live auction alone brought in $35,200 and the event was hoping to raise $200,000 for the hospital.
Everyone at the Bash agreed that our children deserve every chance to grow up and succeed.
Not to mention, Brian Roberts is a tremendous baseball player. He's one of the best lead-off hitters in the game; he's a doubles machine; and he can steal bases and is a solid fielder.
But beyond his baseball ability, Roberts is a tremendous person who doesn't take his celebrity for granted and uses it for whatever good he can do. Brian doesn't just use his name to help, here's there, in person, giving back.
The patients at the University Of Maryland Hospital for children and all of us who make Baltimore our homes are fortunate to have such a caring person doing tremendous work in the community.
If you'd like to help. You can make a donation to the University Of Maryland Hospital for Children, in care of Brian's Baseball Bash.
Hey Jim...how about masn posting the video of all the bloopers from the pregame shows over the weekend...I loved them!! Plus it would really help getting over the Bird-withdrawls during the fall/winter season.
~Becky
Jennifer, great to hear from you. My mom is thrilled her cooking is getting so much attention. she'll be visiting in mid October and she'll probably be in the kitchen more than she realizes. But she loves to cook and she won't mind.
Thanks for your kind comments about my broadcasting. I appreciate it very much. And sorry for the confusion. When I signed off from the game last Sunday I was thanking the game crew because that was my last play by play assignment this season. I am assigned to the studio for the remaining games. And yes I will be back next season and I'll be here for a long time. Baltimore is my home. I love it here and I intend to retire here (many years from now !!) and hopefully have someone wish me a happy 80th birthday.
keep in touch !!!!
Becky, maybe some day I can attend zitifest...or better yet have my mom attend zitifest. My best to your dad on his hip replacement...he'll be dancing before you know it....
Thanks as always for your support.....Go O's and pass the Ziti !!!!!
Don't worry we will have fun at zitifest!
Tonight after work, listening to the game, My friend and I were talking about how we hate hospitals, cause monday my dad is going in for hip replacement, and we seriously can't see how these kids can do that. But knowing that kids get super happy just by seeing someone who cares about them, and has been through what they are going though (and being a professional ball player helps) just makes me want to help. Also because of Brian im going to a Fashion Show in October to help out with another health problem.
And I'm saving money for season tickets and a Brian's Baseball Bash ticket, and for the silent auctions!! I'll be working my butt off this winter!
Jim,
It sounded like a great event, with great results. It's fun to volunteer our moms for stuff like that, isn't it?
I also wanted to thank you for your broadcasting of the O's games. Each year it's a pleasure to hear you. You were particularly kind to my family and me some years ago when you wished my mother a happy (80th) birthday during a radiocast.
I heard you signing off on Sunday, indicating that you would not be doing any more MASN TV games (this season?) I hope you'll be back with the O's broadcast team next year!
Thanks,
Jennifer Gottschalk
Melissa,
I don't know that Mama Hunter can share her recipe for the baked Ziti. I've never actually seen her cook with a recipe. She learned from her mother who was born in Sicily and they just cook, nothing is ever written down. When she taught me how to make gravy for spaghetti I really had to pay attention because every instruction was verbal, (a pinch of this, a pinch of that).....But I will tell her of your interest and maybe next season at the Bash we can auction a home cooked meal by Connie Hunter. She's a good sport and an amazing cook.
Thanks for your comments......and thanks for the support
It's great to see the players like Brian who go out and do things like this. Brian is so involved in the community, and is such a great person. Props to him and the other Orioles that were involved!
I would like to offer thanks for everyone who attended the Bash. I know first hand at what this money goes towards. As a parent of a child who has underwent many procedures to a volunteer who has raised money with the Hunters, we are lucky to have people like Brian and the rest of the teamn here to help the children in our community.
Thank you Brian, O's fans,Jim and yep Mom too for the ziti...I can't wait for it.
You really don't know what it means to the families to know how much people care about their children.
Looking forward to next year...
Maybe next year Mama Hunter could offer for auction her recipe for baked ziti??? That would be soooo cool. Maybe she could write a cookbook, too?
And, yes, Brian is one helluva great resource to baseball and to Baltimore. He makes baseball a lot more meaningful, in the old-fashioned "sportsmanlike" way. Congrats to everyone on a job well done, and thanks for the article and video, Jim and MASN.
Becky,
thanks for writing. You are so right about the awareness event's like Brian's Baseball Bash brings to so many people to hopefully show how they can help. My wife Bonnie and I have done alot of charity work for pediatric oncology at Hopkins. Hearing from the doctors always brings into focus how important it is to give back. Events like Brain's help the doctors help the children and that makes it all worth it.
Mom was thrilled that her Ziti was such a big hit...and that fact that it helps the kids is even better. I just hope she makes a third pan for me !!! Have fun at your zitifest !!!
Thanks for your support.....
Jim
I will admit, at first I didn't pay attention to those children in there. But after hearing of all the things those children have gone through and the things Brian has done has open my eyes to it. Brian is not only a favorite on the field for me, but also out in the community, and it has come to my attention that we need more people like him showing they care.
P.S the part about the ziti was just wondderful, reminds me of zitifest at my friends house every october!
Thank you Brian for opening my eyes, and you are definitely my favortie player!