Community meets, greets Johnny Damon

Baseball fans from the West Orange County community got together at New York Beer Project Saturday, Aug. 5, for an exclusive meet-and-greet event with former MLB player Johnny Damon. 

“Giving back to our neighbors is very important,” he said. “I’ve been doing that forever and will continue to do it.” 

Damon graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in 1992 and was drafted that same year in the first round of the MLB Draft — as pick No. 35 — by the Kansas City Royals. In 1995, he made his MLB debut and played with the Royals until 2000. Over the years, Damon played with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians and as a free agent. 

The meet-and-greet, as well as the Local Legends Card Show, came together as a result of the desire from Legends on Deck host Brian Koss and Winter Garden Squeeze Manager Adam Bates to unite people through sports. 

Photo by Andrea Mujica

“It also brings the idea to young people that (even though) they are local small-town folks from Winter Garden, they can make it to the top of their game, just like Johnny did,” said Scott Brown, founder of the Mordecai Brown Legacy Foundation. “So, giving this opportunity for moms, dads and kids to be a part of something like this right in their local community is not only generating that knowledge but everything that we are doing with local sponsorships and local organizations is given right back into the West Orange community. 

“This is the heart of what this is; it’s all about Winter Garden, it’s all about West Orange and it’s all about the people here,” Brown said. “Baseball has been a part of our history since the late 1800s, so why not use that as a vehicle to pull our community even closer together.”

With the help of the West Orange High School and the Horizon High School baseball teams, local baseball fans were welcomed into a room where they could have cards and baseballs signed by Damon. They also could participate in an old-fashioned card show, where they had the chance to trade, exchange, sell or buy baseball cards. 

All proceeds from the event will be redirected back to the community through the Mordecai Brown Legacy Foundation. These will come in the form of donations and future events that will promote the sport of baseball within the community. 

According to its website, the Mordecai Brown Legacy Foundation “seeks to inspire players, individuals and communities to see past their limitations and achieve lasting success” through the sport of baseball and any related athletic, educational and service activities. 

Sponsors for the event included Craig Martin State Farm, HomeRun Pest Control and Paris Baguette Winter Garden. The presenting sponsor was A-Game, the Ultimate in Hydration.