Mom never far from Showalter's thoughts
MLB continues efforts for breast cancer research
NEW YORK -- It takes a lot to get Buck Showalter to wear pink shoes, but the Orioles manager said prior to Sunday's Mother's Day game that he would don the pink cleats for an inning because of what they stand for.
"It's for a great cause," Showalter said of Major League Baseball's effort, now in its 10th year, to wear pink as a way to raise awareness and support for the fight against breast cancer.
Players and on-field personnel wore the symbolic pink ribbon on their uniforms, and many also opted for pink wrist bands during the Orioles' 6-2 loss to the Yankees. Commemorative base jewels and lineup cards on Sunday were also pink, and many of the items, including the pink Louisville Slugger bats, will be auctioned off later to raise funds for breast cancer research.
"It's always good to be recognized [in helping spotlight breast cancer awareness]," Showalter said. "I know my mother is preparing for the game right now. She's probably at church, she'll head home and get ready. You got to be on her porch 15 minutes before game time or you don't get in. She'll smell popcorn and sit there and watch the game. And I think about it before I make a [fool] of myself on the field. It does cross my mind because she can read lips."