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News
PRESS: Holiday Event @ MLB Fan Cave
Share(Mark Newman / MLB.com)
On Monday night, Sabathia was excited to be at the MLB Fan Cave and a lot of kids were excited to be around him. It was a charity event for his PitCCh In Foundation. “He’s like a 13-year-old, just taller,” said 13-year-old Daquan Saxon of the Bronx.
Indeed, Sabathia grew up with the help of a Boys & Girls Clubs as a kid in the tough neighborhoods of Vallejo, Calif., and he continues to recall what it meant for Dave Stewart — then a dominant right-hander with Oakland — to speak to boys and girls like him at the time. This was the second year in a row that Sabathia and his wife, Amber, along with two of their four children, appeared bearing gifts for children of the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club — this time for the Columbus House.Last year, the Sabathias gave out two pairs of shoes to each kid. This time, each youth was given an iPod. And the best part about this event was that the Sabathias themselves got a gift in return. The Columbus House members rehearsed long and hard and delivered a dazzling dance routine.
“We’re so glad that you guys are here to share this with us, and as a gift from me and CC, you guys are all going to go home today with iPods,” Amber said. “We wanted to give you guys something, we wanted to give you something that will last all year. You can use it to play games, take pictures, educational, stuff you can really use. … I know you guys have a special performance for us, and that’s the best gift you can give us, so we thank you for that.”
Sabathia really is exceptional at interacting with children at these types of events. He just blends in, gets down low and will talk to a 9-year-old as if he were talking to Joe Girardi in the dugout. There was no need for elaborate Santa garb, either — assuming anyone could have stitched it together. He just wanted to enjoy sharing this experience with his family.
“Oh, this is great, to be able to come out and be at the Fan Cave. I had the kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs come out and it’s going to be a fun night,” he said. “It means a lot to us to be able to hang out with the kids and have them be a part of our charity. They love to do it, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Tamara Williams, 13, was among those who enjoyed the iPod case decorating station behind the Cave Monster bank of TVs. “I never met a famous person before, and he has a really nice family,” she said. “I’m going to put some books on my iPod and use it for class-related stuff. I thought it was cool, because he gave something to us and we gave something back.”
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