D-backs pay homage to Stoneman Douglas HS in spring opener
Feb 23, 2018, 10:38 AM | Updated: Feb 24, 2018, 8:41 am
Twitter Photo/@Dbacks
As part of an MLB-wide campaign, the Arizona Diamondbacks wore Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School baseball caps in their spring training opener.
“I think it’s a really special day for all of us,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “I know a lot of teams around major league baseball are doing this to show support for what happened there. It was a tragedy — a terrible tragedy. When you’re talking about the loss of lives, you can’t put a value on it. It’s just a sad story no matter how you look at it.
“We are supporting what’s going on there, we want them to know they are not alone.”
Stoneman Douglas has been at the epicenter of the news after a gunman opened fire in the school on Feb. 14., killing 17 people. In an effort to show support for the community in Parkland, Fla., all major-league clubs will wear the caps on Friday.
Steven Souza, who played for the Tampa Bay Rays up until his trade to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, said he was in Florida when the attack happened.
“It was an emotion thing to be apart of,” he said. “I took the time to read the biographies of every one of the kids. It’s sad that we still have to deal with these kinds of things in America, and I hate it. Nobody should have to go through this, no parent, no son or daughter should ever have to deal with these things.”
Following the game, players signed and auctioned the caps to raise money for the Broward Education Foundation. The money raised will go to the official Stoneman Douglas Victims’ Fund.
“I think it’s just a sign of unity,” Paul Goldschmidt said. “Let the victims and families, everyone effected know that we’re with them. I think that’s just the message is, we’re thinking about them, we’re praying for them, we’re all here together.”
98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Matt Layman contributed to this report.
