Players, clubs honour Parkland shooting victims
School teams invited as guests for spring openers
WEST PALM BEACH: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School baseball coach Todd Fitz-Gerald and his sons were guests of the Houston Astros for their spring opener against the Washington Nationals on Friday as Major League Baseball honoured victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, by having their teams wear caps with the school’s initials.
Fitz-Gerald said it was a “relief’’ to get back to the sport he loves and to stop thinking, at least for a moment, about the Valentine’s Day mass shooting that left 17 people dead and more than a dozen others wounded.
“You can’t put it into words,’’ he said, fighting back tears.
“I think it’s great what Major League Baseball is doing to show support for our community and our school.
“It’s been a rough week and just being out here... [gives me] a sense of freedom.’’
Teams had the option of wearing he caps, which are black with “SD”’ in block letters, during the games or only during warm-ups. Both the Astros and Nationals wore them during Friday’s game.
MLB ordered more than 2,500 of the caps from New Era, league spokesman Steven Arrocho said. Many teams will have players sign them, and they will be auctioned to benefit the victims and families affected by the shooting.
Both Fitz-Gerald and his son Hunter, a junior, were on campus during the shooting, in which 14 students and three teachers were slain.
The elder Fitz-Gerald wore a crisp white shirt that was adorned with the words “Douglas Strong” as he chatted with Astros manager AJ Hinch and several other players and coaches during morning workouts.
He and Hunter accompanied Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow on the field before the game to hoist the World Series trophy.
Down the road in Jupiter, Florida, the rest of the Stoneman Douglas baseball team as well as the school’s softball team were guests of the Marlins before their game against the St Louis Cardinals.
“It’s helping us feel better and it shows that we are one big family,” Douglas centre fielder Ryan Shinko said. “It’s not just us.”