"Go Green" cap auction to benefit Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota

The wearing of the green is a big deal, even during spring training to the guys who normally don black and orange.

Once again this St. Patrick's Day, the Orioles are wearing specially designed green caps in their game against the Pirates in Bradenton and during morning workouts at Ed Smith Stadium. The game-worn and team-issued caps will be autographed, authenticated and auctioned online at www.orioles.com/spring to benefit Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Orioles fans may bid online to support Selby Gardens in the Orioles' annual "Go Green" auction at www.orioles.com/spring through Wednesday, March 22, at 10 p.m. The club will present all proceeds raised from the auction to Selby Gardens prior to the final home game of spring training on Thursday, March 30. In the past two years, the "Go Green" auction has raised approximately $17,000 for Selby Gardens.

Selby Gardens is a world-renowned botanical garden and leader in environmental research and education nestled in an urban setting on the shores of Sarasota Bay. More than 180,000 guests visit each year to relax, learn, explore and experience the plants, exhibits and educational programs available 364 days a year. Selby Gardens specializes in epiphytes - plants like orchids. bromeliads and ferns that grow upon other plants without harming them. Through educational outreach and horticultural displays, Selby Gardens promotes understanding of the natural world and stimulates advocacy for plant habitat conservation.

Additionally, Ed Smith Stadium is one of the most environmentally friendly ballparks in the nation, using recycling, reclaimed water for toilets and irrigation, and solar panels and roofing materials that conserve energy. The Orioles are a partner in Sarasota County's "Green Business Partnership" program. Additional information on the Orioles' commitment to the environment at Ed Smith Stadium can be found at www.orioles.com/sarasota.

In another St. Patrick's Day note, Orioles head groundskeeper Nicole McFadyen is among the 2017 nominees for induction into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. McFadyen, one of two female head groundskeepers in the major leagues, is listed among the executives on the organization's ballot.

Results of the voting will be announced in late April. The induction ceremonies will take place this summer at Foley's Pub & Restaurant in New York, which houses the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. Voters include past inductees into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame and a distinguished panel of baseball historians.