BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado traded in his spikes for strikes on Sunday night.
A few hours after Baltimore's 7-3 loss to Boston at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the All-Star third baseman was all smiles as he hosted his fourth annual BaseBOWL celebrity bowling tournament at Mustang Alley's to benefit the Baltimore City Foundation and Baltimore Parks & Recreation's Play Baseball summer program for children.
The event also featured a silent auction and a dinner.
"Any time you can help kids out just by a single word or a single donation, it goes a long way, and they will remember it forever," Machado said. "We are just trying to do our best to give back to the community, something I didn't have growing up."
Machado was joined by several Orioles coaches and teammates, a long list that included Ubaldo Jimenez, Chris Davis, Chris Tillman, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones.
"All my teammates have supported me and have been behind me," Machado said. "It's nice to see them have fun and enjoy themselves out there. I couldn't ask for anything more."
"Manny's not out there trumpeting it or boasting about his charity. He does it because it's the right thing to do," manager Buck Showalter said. "I watch him interact with the kids and the fans. There are a lot of people pulling on him, but he seems to always make time."
Since its inaugural year, in 2014, Machado's BaseBOWL has raised more than $250,000 to support Baltimore Parks & Recreation's eight-week "Play Baseball" campaign. In all, the program has helped more than 3,100 youth players, ages 9-12, by supplying equipment, uniforms, transportation and field repair.
"It's important to be here, because Manny is doing this for a good cause," Jimenez said. "As a friend and as a teammate, we are all here to support him. This is the city where we play, and it's important to contribute to the community."
Showalter is pleased that such events as BaseBOWL give others a chance to see the Machado he knows, and said Machado is much more than just an elite baseball player with a highly competitive streak.
"He loves to laugh and doesn't take himself so seriously," Showalter said. "He has some style to his game, but there is a lot more substance than there is style. He's a very grounded person."