Baltimore Orioles: ‘Tis the Season of Giving Back to Baltimore and Beyond

Despite back-to-back disappointing 100+ loss seasons, the Baltimore Orioles should be proud of their active role in giving back to the Baltimore community.

It’s that time again when families gather for the holidays and discuss at the dinner table how amazing the Ravens are this year. Once everyone has voiced praise for Lamar and his teammates, the conversation heads north on Russell Street where the Baltimore Orioles are a far less exciting team.

The bats are quiet at the moment, but the Baltimore Orioles have made a different kind of offseason splash. In the spirit of giving during the holidays, we will take a look at a few Orioles who contributed to the Baltimore community in recent months.

There is no point in beating a dead horse as we are aware of Chris Davis‘ struggles the past few seasons. What might be overlooked is his level of involvement with the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital since 2016.

Only days after the 2019 MLB season came to an exciting close, Davis made headlines when he and his family donated $3 million to UMCH. Joe Trezza broke the news on Twitter:

According to Carley Milligan in her Baltimore Business Journal article, the donation will help fund the construction of a new operating room at UMCH in order to serve more patients and complete more advanced procedures.

Adam Jones, who was one of Baltimore’s most active and vocal philanthropists, gave a shout out to his former teammate following the news:

Another Oriole making waves for charitable work is Trey Mancini. On December 1st, he hosted the annual Purple Tailgate before the Baltimore Ravens game against the 49ers.

The proceeds raised at the tailgate went to Mo Gaba, a 13-year-old Glen Burnie native entering his fourth stint of cancer treatment. When Mo’s inspiring story was heard, it catapulted him to celebrity status in Baltimore as players from both teams have honored him for years.

Mancini also made sure to tip his cap to Adam Jones for creating the Purple Tailgate tradition six years ago. Jones again showed support for a former teammate on Twitter then later teased fans with a possible appearance at the event:

Even though Jones did not show and the weather was poor, the event was a success for everyone involved. For more on Mo Gaba, you can follow his Facebook page here or you can donate directly to the Mo Strong Gofundme page here.

Of course, Mancini and Davis are not the only Orioles to join in the fun according to Joe Trezza’s recent article on MLB.com. Current and former players have given back to communities around the globe this holiday season and here are some of the highlights.

Evan Phillips and Chance Sisco teamed up with Orioles Hall of Famer Brian Roberts to attend the Child Protection Center Christmas Party in Sarasota, Florida. There, they spent time with the families and donated gifts to children.

Through his Givens Back Organization, Mychal Givens hosted a Christmas shopping event in Tampa, Florida for children.

And Anthony Santander spent time in Agua Blanca, Venezuela renovating the facilities in his hometown elementary school.

If you want to be a part of the holiday spirit of giving, check out the link here, which takes you to the Orioles Community page and get involved. Happy Holidays!