There's nothing here about free agents, prospects, stats or awards. It is about baseball, if only as a lifeline for damaged children. It's also personal.
Kudos to Joe Torre, whose new Safe At Home Foundation is promoting education to help break the cycle of domestic violence. There is a fundraising dinner in New York this evening, hosted by Billy Crystal, with Norah Jones performing and Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Bernie Williams and Yogi Berra among the guests. Even if you can't afford the silent auction for items like a Bruce Springsteen guitar and a date for lunch and golf with Torre and Rudy Giuliani, you might want to make a donation at www.joetorre.net via PayPal.
This couldn't have been easy for Torre to do; there is a lot of secrecy involved in affected families. Remarkably candid about his experience, Joe admits, "I was an unhappy person who didn't like himself and didn't know why." Robin Finn of the New York Times says the macho leader Torre "has recast himself as a helpless victim... of domestic violence that curdled his Brooklyn childhood and scarred his personality far into manhood."
I know the feeling. Like Joe's dad, mine was violent. I've battled with depression for 40 years as a result of living with his temper. There's something else Joe and I have in common -- baseball helped us break the cycle. My best coaches were surrogate fathers, and I've tried to pass it on by coaching young people. Being a fan and writing about the game have also been theraputic. I'm deeply touched by Torre's generosity and courage, and I hope it moves others.
Batter's Box is proud to support this very worthy cause in any way we can. Safe At Home is "dedicated to ensuring that every child and every family have a safe environment in which to develop and grow." The Foundation will focus its efforts on New York before launching a national program. When the time comes to include Canada, I'll be the first to volunteer.
(This thread is closed to comments, but you are invited to discuss it in confidence by e-mail.)
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20031112064543999