Mike Trout donates $27,000 to help hurricane victims, asks other players to help

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is encouraging his colleagues to step up. Trout donated $27,000 toward helping those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and is urging other baseball players to contribute to the cause.

Trout released a statement on Twitter, announcing his donation to the American Red Cross.

As Trout explains in his letter, the $27,000 figure is a play on his jersey number.

He encourages his “teammates, fellow MLB players” and the public to help out. Trout ends the note with “even $5 of $10 helps.” If you would like to donate to the American Red Cross, you can do so here.

Trout is not the only player to pledge money toward helping Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter – who grew up in Texas – has pledged $10,000 for each home run he hits the rest of the season. His teammate Adam Wainwright has agreed to match that donation. The Houston Astros have donated $4 million.

Trout’s call to action is similar to that of Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt. Watt has raised over $1.5 million for hurricane victims thus far, and continues to raise his goal each day.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik