MLB’s Johnny Damon boosts Boys & Girls Club with foundation check
Retired Major League Baseball player Johnny Damon knows the value of the Boys & Girls Clubs and wishes he and his friends had access to more programs like this when they were growing up in southwest Orlando.
Damon was in Winter Garden recently to present a check from the Johnny Damon Foundation for $50,000, which pushes the capital campaign closer to its $1.5 million construction goal.
Johnny Damon presents a check to Shannon Yohe of the West Orange Boys & Girls Club. Behind them is Randy June of Junebug Foundation. In front are clubbers Richard Mesner, left, Aniyah Rutland, Antonio Rodriguez and Maira Mendoza.
Damon, a father of eight, met with elementary school students in the Boys & Girls Club, raced them across the basketball court and fielded questions from the young children.
Are you on YouTube? Yes. Have you ever played with Babe Ruth? Only on video games. Did Jackie Robinson play with you? No, I was a lot younger than Jackie. How much do baseball players make? There are some who make $33 million.
What's your favorite part about playing baseball? Teamwork and the camaraderie I had with my teammates. That I had to rely on my pitcher to make good pitches. ... How to play as a team. ... Without teamwork, you are absolutely lost.
The roughly 40 students gathered in the gym to hear Damon talk about his visit.
“This is an awesome place you guys come to every day,” he said. “This is such a great organization that my foundation came today to drop off a check ... so kids coming behind you can enjoy, too.”
Damon, 43, started playing Little League baseball when he was 6. His skills improved the more he played with the older, talented players, he said. He continued playing baseball at Dr. Phillips High School and was planning to play at the University of Florida, but the Kansas City Royals called and turned him pro at age 18.
He was in the Major Leagues for 18 years and won two World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He retired four years ago.
Damon started the Johnny Damon Foundation in 2007.