For those who want to criticize Mike Trout for his gift giving: Get a life.
Many people who follow Los Angeles Angels 2016 AL MVP Mike Trout know that he is a huge Philadelphia Eagles football fan. Earlier this year a video of Trout singing “Fly Eagles Fly” at an Eagles game went viral.
However, when Mike Trout decided to give a pair of Nike shoes to each player on the Eagles as a Christmas gift many people decided to call “Fowl”. Many in our wonderful national media are so quick to criticize someone decided to turn their sights on Trout for this gesture. Some of these people said Trout was wrong for this gesture saying these players don’t need a new pair of shoes, and that instead Trout should have given those shoes to needy children instead.
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I am all for charity and helping out those in need, especially kids, but on the same token if somebody whether it Mike Trout or Joe Blow wants to give Christmas gifts to a group of people even those who have enough money to buy 10 pairs of Nike shoes, then who are we to criticize.
Mike Trout does plenty for charity such as partnering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Orange County, donating his time and money to help children growing up without one or both parents. He also took part in the “Mike Trout Experience” back in 2013 as former Major League outfielder Chris Singleton decided to organize an auction to raise funds for at-risk youth in inner cities around the country. Fans could buy raffle tickets which they could win various prizes with the grand prize being a meet-and-greet with Trout and two field-level seats to an Angel tickets, an autographed Mike Trout jersey and $1,000 travel expenses.
“We were in Texas, and he (Chris Singleton) came to me and told me about his charity,” Trout said in an interview with Marcia Smith of the Orange County Register. “Giving back to the community is something in my career that I want to do.”
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Trout has been known to visit sick kids in the hospital, sign numerous autographs before most every game, and do a large number of meet-and-greets with many youth in the Southern California area. Last January Trout learned of the DeSimone family who had a fire destroy their home weeks before Christmas in the township of Buena Vista in New Jersey, which is nearby to where Trout grew up in Millville, New Jersey. Trout to the rescue. The community raised $1,250 in donations to help the DeSimone family. Then on Christmas Eve Trout shows up with presents for the children and other items to help the family.
“And then – bam- Mike Trout comes,” Barbara DeSimone said to MLB.Com ‘s Alden Gonzalez. “It was like a dream.” Her husband Tony added, “It’s like Santa Claus arrived.”
“You see how a lot of the stars are in this day and age – They don’t remember where they came from,” Tony DeSimone said. “But Mike, he’s a true ambassador for Major League Baseball. He remembers where he came from, he really helps the people in this area.”
These are just some of the many things Mike Trout does to give back to people. So forgive me for not jumping on the bandwagon to crucify Trout for giving shoes as Christmas gifts to the Philadelphia Eagles players. This is a case where if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything applies.
Jun 25, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) wears a Santa hat that will be given to all fans on the promotional night, “Halfway to Christmas” before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
For someone who has had the pleasure to interview Mike Trout and who has watched him many times interact with young fans before games at Angel Stadium, I’m impressed with the poise and maturity Trout shows on a daily basis. He is definitely one of the good guys that we should want our young people to look up to and have as a role model as Trout takes that role seriously.
You don’t see him criticizing management or the Angel coaching staff and believe he could do so at times. Trout is not actively working to get manager Mike Scioscia fired or demanding to be traded to a contender. That’s not how Trout rolls. He is a class act in every sense of the word.
In conclusion I think Trout should take this criticism as a complement. Because if this is the worst thing the national media can find to be critical of, he must be doing something right. In Trout’s case many things right. Keep on flying the right way Mike, we got your back.
