Trout donates $27K for hurricane relief efforts

ANAHEIM -- Angels superstar Mike Trout has donated $27,000 to the Red Cross for support of ongoing relief efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey, which has devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana over the past several days.
"Obviously we play the Astros and we go to that city a few times a year," Trout said Tuesday. "I see the city, how beautiful it is. Just seeing pictures and seeing how devastated [it is], the floods are just overtaking everything. It's the least I can do. Obviously I can't go down there and help them, but any little thing will help."
Trout was out of the Angels' lineup for a second straight game on Tuesday due to neck stiffness, but he said he's improving and is hoping to return to action on Wednesday. On a post from his Twitter account, Trout -- who wears No. 27 for the Angels -- urged teammates and other MLB players to join him in providing support to victims in the storm's wake.
"The people affected by Hurricane Harvey need to know we are with them," wrote Trout, a New Jersey native. " ... Let's show what coming together is all about!"

Trout also mentioned in the post his love of weather; he famously called in to the Weather Channel last year during a snowstorm that hit his hometown of Millville, N.J., and he provided real-time updates. In 2015, Trout and the Weather Channel even engaged in discussions to have the baseball star moonlight as a correspondent in the offseason.
"You can't mess with Mother Nature," Trout said. "You've got to take it seriously. Hurricanes, they're crazy and dangerous things."
Trout is one of many in the MLB community to pledge support. Astros owner Jim Crane, the franchise's ownership group and the Astros Foundation have pledged $4 million for relief efforts, and Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are jointly donating $1 million to help hurricane victims throughout Texas.