I took my son to play in Constanza, up in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. Forty kids showed up. Between them, they had one bat, one glove, and maybe one helmet. Some had no shoes.

Back home, every kid on my son's team swings a five-hundred-dollar bat. There are two or three thousand dollars' worth of bats in our dugout on any given weekend.

What shocked me most wasn't the bats. It was the baseballs. A ball costs two dollars. For these kids, it's four hours away in the capital, because nobody sells them in these small towns. Think about a kid who doesn't always have food figuring out how he's going to get a baseball that is four hours away.

So, I started asking the other parents in our league. Every one of them said yes. Old bats, gloves, cleats, helmets. In February, I'm flying down, picking up the boxes myself, and God willing, handing a bat to every kid on that field.

This cause is very much about placing useful equipment in the hands of these kids who show up every day to that baseball field with nothing but a love for the game. To anyone who sees the importance in making this happen and does not have equipment to donate but would still like to help, this is for you.

We've been blessed. We want to give back. And I want my kids to see it.