Crane, Alexander join relief efforts

The owners of the Astros and Rockets are contributing to relief efforts in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey.

Jim Crane and the Astros ownership group and the Astros Foundation will donate $4 million, the team announced Monday. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander will make a similar $4 million donation.

“Our hearts are heavy seeing the devastation that so many of our friends, family and neighbors are experiencing,” the Rockets said in a statement. “Leslie Alexander has contributed $4 million to Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund in an effort to help Clutch City come back stronger than ever. Please stay safe, Houston.”

Said Crane in a statement: “We are committed to doing our part to provide aid and assistance to the thousands of Houstonarea residents that are desperately in need right now. We encourage others in our region and beyond to help out in any way that they can.”

Additionally, the Astros will raise money for Harvey’s victims by committing the rest of the season’s proceeds from their Share2Care 50/50 raffle to the American Red Cross.

The Astros also said that Crane Worldwide also has arranged for the transportation of collected items from the Astros’ spring training home, the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., to Houston. Non-perishable food items, bottled water, blankets, baby food and formula, diapers, toilet paper, animal crates, and dried pet food make up their list of preferred items to support hurricane victims. Donations will be accepted at the park through Sept. 6, according to the Astros.

Minute Maid doing all right

Flooding on the service level aside, Minute Maid Park remains “in good condition” in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey, Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan said.

“We have had some flooding on the service level, which is the area down by the grounds crew, where the ramps come in,” Ryan said. “We’ve had a team of 30 people that have been there since Friday living in the stadium. They have performed water extraction and blockage with sand bags every time we had major downpours and water was getting in the building.

“These guys have been doing great work over there. They’ve been working their tails off over there to make sure that the stadium is ready to go.”

Cardinals duo to help Texas

St. Louis first baseman Matt Carpenter, who was born in Galveston and went to Elkins High School, tweeted that for every home run he hits over the season’s final five weeks, he will donate $10,000 to flood relief efforts in Texas.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who has hit two homers in each of the last two seasons, matched Carpenter’s pledge and will donate $10,000 for every home run Carpenter hits.

Additionally, MLB and the players’ association announced they will jointly donate $1 million to various relief outlets, including the American Red Cross, for the damage in Texas created by Harvey.