Article: Berrios And Friends To Take Field For Charity

[Seth Stohs]

2015 was a big year for JO Berrios. He was the Twins Daily (and the Twins) Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season. However, like so many members of the Twins organization, Berrios also does a lot off the field to contribute to his community. He has organized a pretty neat event in his hometown of Bayamon, in Puerto Rico, for December.Last month on social media, Berrios sent out a challenge to fellow young Puerto Ricans Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez. The two young future stars accepted the challenge. On December 12^th and 13^th, there will be clinics for teenagers between 14 and 16 years old. On December 19^th and 20^th, there will be a series of games.

 

According to Berrios, "The idea came out during a training session with my staff, brainstorming about what can we do to help keep teenagers away from the streets."

 

Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor recently finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting (behind fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Correa). He has a tremendous combination of great defense and offense.

 

Javier Baez debuted with the Cubs in 2014 and came up late in the 2015 season again. When Addison Russell was hurt in the playoffs, Baez was thrown into the spotlight and into the lineup.

 

Berrios said the trio has been close for a long time. “We played Little League since (we were) 5 to 6 years old. We are friends. We are family.”

 

Berrios feels that it is important to use his celebrity to help others is important. He takes his role as a role model seriously, as seriously as his offseason workouts. He wanted to do something to help others.

 

“Not only being role models, but we want to be able to help those in need.”

Berrios set up a Go Fund Me account today and hopes to generate $30,000 for Fundacion Lake Makina. Asked what his foundation would use any raised money for, he said there were three things at this time.

 

“The money will be distributed as follows: 1.) Hogar Foriadores de Esperanza, 2.) The Spina Bifida Association, and 3.) the Luis Rodriguez Olmo family. Luis was a famous catcher. He is now diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and his family has made public their financial situation in order to take care of him. We want to help them. And any special case we understand needs help, we will do our best.”

 

The Hogar Foriadores de Esperanza is “a homeless kids home” in Bayamon.

Spina Bifida I the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States. It happens when a baby is in the womb and the spinal column does not close all the way. Every day, about eight babies born in the United States have Spina Bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine. It is a defect that is very personal to Javier Baez. In April, his 21-year-old sister Noely, passed away from Spina Bifida.

 

Twins fans are very excited to see Berrios reach the big leagues. Most fans wanted to see him late in the 2015 season, but they will have to wait until 2016. Berrios said, “2016 will be my year.”

 

But it is impressive that a 21-year-old with so much in front of him is willing to take a step back in an effort to help those less fortunate.

 

“I’m praying to God to be able to help more kids through the years. That is one of my fuels to keep pushing the game. In the future, (I want to) do something in Minnesota too, with my teammates,” Berrios continued, “In addition to pursuing a World Series championship.”

 

Again, if you are interested and able to contribute, you can go to the Go Fund Me account here.

 

 

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[Monkeypaws]

Mature beyond his years Berrios is.

[Halsey Hall]

That's cool, and great for those guys doing it.  I can see this snowballing. 

 

[Broker]

He's the kind of son that makes his parents proud.

[Ncgo4]

Wow! Nice to see. A real classy young man. Wonder if the twins could send him a big check with the proviso that he takes Sano into his home and into his off season fitness program.

[h2oface]

Great to see Berrios in the news. I can't wait for the shirtless off season workout pictures to start rolling in.............

Edited November 30, 2015 by h2oface

[Madre Dos]

When he was here in 2012 - he was very disciplined.  1st one asleep at night and usually up eating Fruit Loops when I left for work in the morning.  Really nice kid with a beautiful wife and gorgeous baby girl. 

He is a very hard worker, I already have his major league placard printed for the wall upstairs when he makes it to Minnesota.

[Halsey Hall]

Madre Dos, it's got to be a lot of work for you to take these players in, but also a lot of fun.  And a thrill when one does make the big leagues.  Have you always been a baseball fan, and how did you get started taking in the players.  That had to be a big decision. 

[Madre Dos]

 

Madre Dos, it's got to be a lot of work for you to take these players in, but also a lot of fun.  And a thrill when one does make the big leagues.  Have you always been a baseball fan, and how did you get started taking in the players.  That had to be a big decision. 

We have 8 on the 40 man roster for the Twins and Pinto was recently sent to the Padres.  I started "watching" baseball with my Dad when I was 3 weeks old.  He would prop me in the corner of the couch with pillows and we would watch baseball Saturday afternoons on TV. 

 

I use to cook for the team a couple of times a season.  I lived in Miami for 13 years, so I am able to whip out Latin cuisine (except Kennys says that I am a "rookie" when I make rice.)

 

We were short host families in 2008 and my insurance agent volunteered as housing coordinator for the Elizabethton Twins.  I got a phone call "I know you have 4 bedrooms and no kids...I need your help!"  We keep Latins because we are a 5 minute walk from the park and they obviously don't have cars.

 

Over the last 8 years we have had around 50 boys either live here or clean out the refrigerator on a regular basis.  They make a whopping $4.11/hour in the Appalachian League - so the refrigerator is open to all who are hungry.

 

Currently, we are remodeling the upstairs bedrooms for the boys.  It's only 203 days until "Baseball Time" in Elizabethton!

[Halsey Hall]

Thanks, that's got to be really satisfying.  Hope to see you in Ft Myers this spring if I can make it again. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Great to see Berrios in the news. I can't wait for the shirtless off season workout pictures to start rolling in.............

 

Are you on twitter, facebook, instagram or periscope? Those pictures are all over the place.

[Madre Dos]

 

Thanks, that's got to be really satisfying.  Hope to see you in Ft Myers this spring if I can make it again. 

March 12-19  I'll be the one with the Elizabethton Twins T-shirt on

[h2oface]

 

Are you on twitter, facebook, instagram or periscope? Those pictures are all over the place.

 Definitely not.. ever, yes, no and no. And no.... not really waiting to see them.

 

https://youtu.be/-fNvi6xG-5Y