Proceeds from a “sandlot” ball game hosted by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer, will benefit stadium employees who are losing work time due to the coronavirus.
Bauer organized the game after MLB suspended delayed Opening Day resulting in a loss of work for stadium employees, USA Today reported.
The Reds player said he was looking for a way to help the employees and came up with Saturday’s sandlot-inspired game in Arizona for pros and minor leaguers who want to lend a hand.
“It’s really about raising as much as possible for the people affected,” Bauer told the paper.
The game was live-streamed by Bauer’s company, Momentum.
The players wore microphones so those watching the broadcast cold hear their conversations on the field.
In conjunction with the game, a GoFundMe page had raised nearly $23,000 for workers.
“Playing in front of a stadium with no one in attendance is odd for everybody, and we wanted to draw attention to the fact that the people who put on games are very important and struggling right now,” Bauer said.
“The game was really to get a large platform of people watching,” Bauer added. “One, to connect with fans and give them some baseball. But two, hopefully, spread the message and the word about the people that put on games. Playing in front of a stadium with no one in attendance is odd for everybody, and we wanted to draw attention to the fact that the people who put on games are very important and struggling right now.”
Several MLB players joined Bauer for the game, including Reds player Derek Dietrich, the San Diego Padres’ Tommy Pham, and the Los Angeles Angels’ Kenyan Middleton.
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