Heroes game brings out the stars - 2008-06-29
By Brad McDonnell
The Denton Record-Chronicle
FRISCO – It's not often you see Mike Modano and Brenden Morrow competing against each other, much less playing baseball.
The Dallas Stars duo joined other celebrities and sports icons Saturday at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco for the seventh annual Reebok Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game, benefiting the Mike Modano Foundation and the Heroes Foundation.
The event appeared to be a success as fans poured into the stadium, most of which were looking to get sports memorabilia signed by their favorite stars.
Two teams – the Red Socks and the Black Socks – comprised of sports stars, actors and other celebrities played a nine-inning, fast-pitch baseball game, preceded by a home run derby.
Former Boston Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame managed the Red Socks, while former MVP Fred Lynn managed the Black Socks.
"I am defending my title, and I didn’t come here to lose," joked Boggs, who was the winning manager last year. "Win, lose or draw, it's all for fun.
"Any time a former athlete or even the great hockey players who are putting this on – the Mike Modano's and the Brendon Morrow's – any time you can give back to the kids, that's what life is all about. When you have the opportunity to do that, it's very special. You have the opportunity to go home at night and put your head on a pillow with a big smile."
Mark Cuban was among the big-name players. The Mavericks owner said he was more than happy to play in the game and help the charities.
"I have one rule when I give money to charity – you're not allowed to say anything, because to me that kind of defeats the purpose," Cuban said. "You want to do it for the right reasons, as opposed to PR publicity."
The Heroes Foundation benefits inner-city Dallas children. Its mission is to reach as many children as possible and to teach them the finer points of team sports.
"We've sold more tickets than we've ever sold," said Charlie McKinney, founder of the event. "The access for the fans to these players is really good. It keeps getting better, we have only a few playing slots and there's a lot of people who want to play."
The game had its share of bloopers and action, not to mention the number of runs scored. The Black Socks scored six runs in the first inning alone after pounding out six straight hits.
"That’s what keeps everyone coming back, it's for the kids and it’s a lot of fun," Morrow said.
