Forget the World Series! Charity’s more important to Jim Palmer, Gary Carter
Tags: autism, Gary Carter, Jim Palmer, Nick & Johnnie's, Palm Beach, Renaissance Learning Center
| Thursday 5 November 2009 12:55 pm
Palmer at Wednesday's party, with wife Susan and Spencer (Meghan McCarthy/The Palm Beach Post)
It was surprising to run into baseball Hall-of-Fame pitcher Jim Palmer out in Palm Beach, just minutes before the first pitch of last night’s Game 6 of the World Series.
Jim, shouldn’t you be in your Jockeys and on your couch watching the Yankees duke it out with the Phillies?
“Well, I’ll be home, but what we’re doing here is more important,” he said. He wouldn’t call a winner of the series (the Bronx Bombers whooped the Phillies to win their 27th title). “All I’ll say is that (Philly’s starting pitcher) Pedro Martinez is tough. Doesn’t matter that he’s 38!”
Palmer, the former Baltimore Orioles standout, lent some of his star appeal to draw a crowd to Nick & Johnnie’s for a fund-raiser for the Renaissance Learning Center. The West Palm Beach charter school caters to autistic children, and it so happens that Palmer’s new wife, store owner Susan, is the mom of a 12-year-old student at the school, Spencer.
In the end, the group raised well over $25,000, thanks in part to the autographed baseballs that Palmer, an Orioles TV analyst, collects during the season.
“I brought 12 of the balls and they did well,” he said.
One signed by Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia went for $500.
Gary Carter, the retired New York Mets star catcher and Palmer’s fellow hall-of-famer, Florida Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad and golfer Ernie Els also showed up.
Jose, Gary Carter was there - the Shiny Sheet has a picture of Gary and his wife — http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/content/society/2009/11/04/display1105.html
I have a 12 year old that plays travel baseball. He looks up to all of these great ball players. He has been playing travel ball for about 5 years. Finally they are going to Cooperstown in June of this year. Unfortunatley he is trying to find a sponsor or several sponsors to help him make this trip. He has played all these years looking forward to this trip. I am a single mother, and things have been really hard. I am ready to lose my house… I am so upset because I do not think we will have the money for him to go to Cooperstown. If anyone knows how to get a sponsor or some assistance with this, please contact me. Our team has a tax ID so if a sponsor needs a write off. Please contact me at 561-718-0536 if you are able to help or know someone who may. I am doing all I can to get him there.
Thank you so much!