Hall of Famers, superstars align for Crane's charity golf tourney

PALM CITY, Fla. -- There were so many stars at the Floridian National Golf Club on Monday for the inaugural Jim Crane Celebrity Classic charity tournament that even some of them were a bit starstruck.

“It’s a little humbling,” Astros Hall of Fame first baseman Jeff Bagwell said. “There’s a lot of guys you see on TV and you haven’t met before, but once you meet everybody, they’re just normal people.”

Bagwell was one of a slew of Hall of Fame athletes from Major League Baseball and the National Football League who joined legends from the entertainment industry for the tournament, which was hosted by Crane at the golf club he purchased in 2010.

The Astros owner said he anticipated the event, which was hosted in conjunction by the Astros Foundation and rapper 50 Cent’s G-Unity Foundation, would raise more than $1 million for nonprofit and charitable organizations targeting youth sports and education, childhood cancer, military appreciation and efforts to reduce homelessness and domestic violence.

“We try to stay focused on those things and make big contributions, in the millions, at times when something needs to get done,” Crane said.

50 Cent, aka Curtis Jackson, said the Astros Foundation is one of the strongest charitable arms in Houston, where he’s lived since 2021. Jackson has been involved with several charities in Houston and started an entrepreneurship program with Houston Independent School District a few years ago.

“The idea is to partner with people so my time wasn’t being misused, that I would be with the right organizations,” Jackson said. “I’ve made donations to other nonprofit organizations since 2003, but not all of them are successful foundations in actually making a change.”

Numerous checks were presented at various events over the weekend and into Monday to benefit area organizations such as the Martin County North Little League and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Jack Nicklaus, who owns the record of 18 major golf tournament championships, was on hand to receive a $25,000 check from Crane for the Nicklaus Children’s Healthcare Foundation.

“Jim doesn’t have to do this, but he does,” Nicklaus said. “People benefit from it, a lot of people that can’t benefit any other way, and it’s really kind of neat.”

While much of the country is dealing with frigid temperatures, ice and snow, the warmth -- and the stars -- were out on Florida’s eastern coast.

“This is the warmest place in the country right now,” Crane said. “Everyone likes to give back. They all do that in their own way, and this is just one way to show up and help us raise some money. I’m very appreciative of those guys showing up and spending time here.”

Among the stars in attendance Monday were Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza and Andruw Jones, along with baseball legends Albert Pujols, Roger Clemens and Gary Sheffield, former Astros outfielder Michael Brantley, new Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker and current Astros outfielder Cam Smith. NFL stars Jim Kelly, Marshall Faulk, Ray Lewis, Eric Dickerson and Barry Sanders also participated.

“This is my first real [golf] event, and I look to my left and right and see everybody from TV, just people I’ve always looked up to,” said Smith, who broke into the big leagues last year at age 22. He had never played golf prior to Monday, save for putt putt and the driving range.

Then there was Tucker, who last week reached a four-year, $240 million contract agreement with the Dodgers. He spent his first seven years in the big leagues with the Astros and jumped at the chance to assist his former boss, Crane.

“Jim’s awesome,” Tucker said. “He really cares about the people he’s around and that he wants to give back to, especially in the city of Houston. He does what he can for all the people around him.”

Along with the aura created by the baseball and football legends and rappers, the man who stood the tallest was Nicklaus, who is perhaps the greatest golfer to ever live. At 86 years old, he no longer plays the game he dominated for two decades, but his presence was a reminder of the importance of giving back.

“It was great to see Jack Nicklaus,” Crane said. “That’s pretty special. He’s done a lot of great things in the community with his hospital. The guys are great to come out and play, and it attracts a lot of attention. We get a good gathering and raise a lot of money. It’s just good to see everybody pitch in and help.”