There are three old scouting reports of Albert Pujols on the Baseball Hall of Fame website. The first is from a Royals scout named Gary Johnson, filed in November 1998 after Pujols had gone undrafted out of high school in Missouri. This was the most positive of the reports. "Good bat spd. with very strong hands," Johnson wrote. "Can hit up the middle but tends to pull. Competes well & battles at the plate." Johnson gave him a future grade of 5 for his hitting and 6 for power and gave him a value of $80,000 and thought him worthy of a pick from Round 8 to Round 10 in the 1999 draft.

The second report is dated March 26, 1999, when Pujols was playing shortstop for Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City. This was from a White Sox scout named John Kazanas. He gave Pujols a 45 grade for future hitting and 75 for power. He predicted a rookie average of .220. "Outstanding power, raw to all fields," he wrote. "Needs a lot of work w/ set-up approach, shorten stroke, quiet body down during swing -- could be drafted higher because of pop. Feel he needs work." Kazanas apparently didn't like Pujols' crouch position in his stance and wrote that he had "loud feet" in the box, whatever that meant.

The third report came in May 1999, from Brewers scout Russ Bove. He gave future grades of 40 for hitting and 55 for power, predicting major league totals of a .240 average with 24 home runs. His value: $20,000. "Aggressive hitter with mistake HR power," Bove wrote. "Tends to be a hacker. Chases."

None of those three teams drafted Pujols, of course. The Royals, despite their scout's $80,000 tag on Pujols, passed on him 17 times before the Cardinals finally took him in the 13th round. Now, don't go giving the Cardinals too much praise here: They passed on Pujols 15 times before finally selecting him.

In fact, they initially offered Pujols a $10,000 signing bonus. He turned that down and played in the summer amateur Jayhawk League and hit .343. The Cardinals increased their offer to something close to $60,000, and Pujols signed.

His professional career began in 2000 and he had obviously impressed the Cardinals in spring training because he started in the Midwest League. He hit .314 with 19 home runs in the minors. In 2001, slated for Double-A, he instead hit his way onto the big league roster in spring training. He hit .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBIs as a 21-year-old rookie.

I guess he made the crouch work.

Pujols' first RBI in the majors came in his fourth game, a two-run home run in the fourth inning off Armando Reynoso of the Diamondbacks. His 2,000th RBI in the majors came on Thursday and it too, fittingly, came on a home run, off Ryan Carpenter of the Tigers in a 13-0 victory for the Angels:

2,000.@PujolsFive | #TheHaloWay pic.twitter.com/ejakVObGXV

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 9, 2019

Yes, we know Pujols isn't really helping the Angels much these days -- and hasn't for a few seasons now. He's hitting .208/.285/.408, and with the return of Shohei Ohtani as the full-time designated hitter, Pujols will be sharing first base with Justin Bour.

Still, we can step away from his current value to the team and appreciate this milestone -- and remember what an amazing career Pujols had to get to this point. Since RBIs became an official stat in 1920, Pujols is just the third player to reach 2,000:

Henry Aaron: 2,297
Alex Rodriguez: 2,086
Albert Pujols: 2,000
Barry Bonds: 1,996
Lou Gehrig: 1,994
Babe Ruth: 1,992

Ruth actually topped 2,000 in his career. Baseball-Reference.com, using data from Retrosheet, credits him with 2,214 RBIs. And if you care about 19th century baseball, Cap Anson topped 2,000 as well.

Pujols is tied with A-Rod for most 100-RBI seasons with 14. (Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx had 13.) He topped 100 the first 10 seasons of his career, but this fact is surprising: Pujols never led the majors in RBIs (and he led his league just once, with 118 for the Cardinals in 2010). Here he is year by year:

Pujols has company in this regard: Barry Bonds, Stan Musial (1,950 RBIs) and Eddie Murray (1,917 RBIs) also never led the majors in RBIs.

RBIs, of course, have become widely disparaged in the sabermetric era since they are somewhat context-dependent -- you need runners on base in front of you to collect a lot of them. Case in point to the anti-RBI argument was Pujols' own 2017 season, when he hit .241/.286/.386 with 23 home runs but still drove in 101 runs. While he did improve with runners in scoring position (.264/.323/.448), he drove in 100 runs because of his spot in the lineup and his RBI opportunities.

Still, Pujols has been a great RBI man in his career. Check his career splits:

Overall: .301/.381/.552
RISP: .313/.434/.569
Men on: .309/.405/.553
Late & close: .300/.416/.523
High leverage: .316/.414/.567

As those last two numbers indicate, Pujols was pretty good in the clutch. Brad Lidge would certainly agree:

Remember as well that peak Pujols would draw a lot of intentional walks -- not as many as peak Bonds, but he is second all time in intentional walks (which were first counted in 1955).

Pujols' career high in RBIs came in 2006 with 137. He hit .397/.535/.802 with runners in scoring position that year. He finished second in the MVP voting to Ryan Howard ... who drove in 12 more runs, apparently enough to sway the MVP voters.

Pujols still managed to win three MVP Awards while finishing second in the voting four times. As the 2,000-RBI milestone reminds us, this was one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game.

European record-holder will return to race the 42nd edition of the event in October

Britain’s Mo Farah is to defend his Bank of America Chicago Marathon title on October 13.

The 10-time global track gold medallist broke the European record with his winning time of 2:05:11 last autumn and recently placed fifth at the Virgin Money London Marathon with a time of 2:05:39.

That performance in the UK capital qualified him for the IAAF World Championships in Doha but he declined selection for the GB marathon team which increased speculation that he might target the 10,000m in Doha or another autumn marathon such as Berlin, New York City or Chicago.

The Doha world 10,000m final takes place just seven days before the Chicago race, on October 6, and Farah has since confirmed that his focus for 2019 is solely on the roads.

“Winning the Chicago Marathon last year was very special for me,” said Farah. “It was my first time to win a World Marathon Major and my time was a European and British record.

“I am looking forward to returning in 2019 to defend my title on the streets of Chicago.

“It is a fast course with good organisation. I expect they will recruit a strong field to make it a great race.”

Also announced for the men’s race is Farah’s former training partner Galen Rupp, the 2017 winner in Chicago.

“I am thrilled to announce that I will be running the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon,” said USA’s Rupp. “I could not be more excited to return to a city and marathon that is so special to me.

“After undergoing surgery following last year’s race, I have been pouring all of my energy into my recovery and returning strong in 2019. I look forward to being at my best again and giving it all I have in October.”

Jordan Hasay headlines the women’s race, while defending champions Daniel Romanchuk and Manuela Schär are returning to target back-to-back victories in the elite wheelchair races.

“We are thrilled to have so many champions in this year’s field,” said executive race director Carey Pinkowski.

“Every elite field we put together tells a broader story about the sport – about the pressure to defend a title, the day in and day out commitment and grit of the world’s best athletes, and the pain and beauty of a comeback.

“Mo is an Olympic champion and he put on quite a show here last year, and we are excited that Galen has chosen the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as his comeback race.

“The American record is in play with Jordan, and Daniel and Manuela are unstoppable. I’m confident we are going to see great races up front on October 13.”

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The season for both the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League and the POWRi Engler Machine & Tool Outlaw Micro League rolls on this weekend with the Midwest Season Opener at Belle-Clair Speedway and Macon Speedway.

The Illinois doubleheader begins on May 10 at the fifth-mile, Belleville, Ill., bullring of Belle-Clair Speedway. On May 11, the POWRi midgets and micros move on to Macon Speedway.

After an April visit to Belle-Clair was rained out, this Friday’s show assumes the role as the 28th annual Knepper Memorial. Celebrating the life of legendary St. Louis racer, Arnie Knepper, the Knepper Memorial has been a staple in midget racing since 1992.

The best of the best have etched their name into the record books with Knepper Memorial wins, such as Bryan Clauson (2013, 2014), Rico Abreu (2012), Brad Loyet (2010), Tanner Thorson (2016), Spencer Bayston (2015, 2017), and Arnie’s cousin Steve Knepper, who owns six Knepper Memorial victories.

Tucker Klaasmeyer of Paola, Kansas enters the Knepper Memorial as the defending event winner. The reigning POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League champion won his first-career race at Belle-Clair Speedway last April, catapulting him to his first title by season’s end.

Heading to Macon on Saturday, Sutter, Calif., young gun Logan Seavey serves as the defending race winner. On a hot streak at that, the 2017 POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League champion is the current points leader as well.

Seavey tops the standings by way of a three-win stretch in the opening five races of 2019.

SAN JOSE -- Sharks captain Joe Pavelski returned to the lineup for Game 7 of San Jose's second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night, his first action since suffering a gruesome head injury on April 23 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Pavelski made a quick impact, scoring at the 5:57 mark in the first period to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead. He also assisted on Tomas Hertl's goal at the 11:35 mark in the first.

The 34-year-old center had 38 goals and 26 assists in 75 regular-season games for San Jose. In 128 career playoff games, he has 46 goals and 49 assists, including two goals and two assists in his seven games this postseason.

Pavelski was injured in Game 7 against the Golden Knights. After a cross-check from Vegas forward Cody Eakin, Pavelski collided with Knights forward Paul Stastny and fell head-first to the ice. Pavelski was motionless for a moment, bleeding profusely through the top of his helmet, having suffered a "pressure cut." His teammates helped him skate off to the trainers' room, with teammate Joe Thornton pressing a towel against his head.

Pavelski said he suffered concussion-like symptoms that night and into the next day.

The Sharks were cautious with Pavelski in his return from injury. He started skating on his own around Game 4, and then traveled with the team to Denver for Game 6, practicing with them for the first time since the previous round.

"As gruesome as it was, I think he's a tough guy," said coach Pete DeBoer. "The nature of the injury, no one's going to rush that, particularly him. But those kinds of injuries are so unpredictable. You can have an injury like that and miss months, or have one and be back in a week. The symptoms weren't as bad as the result looked."

The Sharks have used Pavelski for motivation during their playoff run. In Game 7 against Vegas, they scored four goals on the controversial five-minute major penalty to Eakin to erase a 3-0 deficit, and then won the game in overtime. Pavelski has been around their locker room during the series against Colorado, and made an unexpected appearance to a thundering ovation during Game 5 at the Shark Tank.

"We're trying to win as many games as we can so we can see him back out on the ice again," Thornton said earlier this round.

The San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche will face off one more time this season, with Game 7 set for 9 p.m. ET Wednesday in San Jose. We debate the key factors that will determine the outcome and make our picks.

Who or what will be the X factor for Game 7 of Sharks vs. Avalanche, and who ya got?

Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: I like the Sharks in Game 7. They were the better team in Game 6, and the job they've done defensively on the Nathan MacKinnon line should continue for another game. They've been in this position (too) many times, and getting this one at home is huge. My ultimate X factor is Joe Pavelski, who is a game-time decision. He hasn't played since his horrific head injury in Game 7 against the Vegas Golden Knights, but he has skated with the Sharks, accompanied them to Denver and has spoken with reporters on multiple occasions. So he's close. If he plays ... well, the emotional dynamic of Game 7 changes immensely. Heck, Pavelski just showing up to wave to the crowd in Game 5 produced the loudest ovation of the night.

But if Pavelski can't go, I'll go with Tomas Hertl of the Sharks. He has seven goals and four assists in seven home games in this postseason. He had a goal and an assist in Game 7 against the Golden Knights. Hertl had his best campaign as a pro this season, and that momentum has continued in the playoffs.

Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: Seeing how frisky these playoffs have been so far, I'm picking the Avalanche for the upset -- in another overtime game. The Avs' top line is my X factor. MacKinnon is the No. 1 superstar remaining in these playoffs; MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen rival Boston's David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand line as the best left playing this spring. Even with Landeskog's overtime goal in Game 6, the Avs' top line hasn't been its usual self the past two games. It was most obvious in Game 5, when MacKinnon and Rantanen combined for just three shots on goal. MacKinnon is playing monster minutes (including a team-high 26:32 in Game 6), which is forcing the Sharks to use their top defensemen plenty (Brent Burns was over 30 minutes in Game 6; Marc-Edouard Vlasic was at 26:10). Eventually, I think he's going to wear on them and capitalize on his scoring chances.

Chris Peters, NHL draft and prospects writer: Watching the way Colorado zipped around the ice in Game 6 and the way the Avs weathered each response from the Sharks impressed me. Yet I can't escape the fact that San Jose is more experienced and deeper and knows how to close a series, so I have to lean San Jose here. The X factor for me in this one is Logan Couture. Of all players in this Game 7, he has been the most productive with six points in five career Game 7 situations. He's one of the few guys who can make things at least difficult for MacKinnon, and his ability to raise his level of play throughout his career in the postseason is notable. With the potential return of Pavelski, I think there's an emotional edge swinging San Jose's way on top of home ice and the opportunity to maximize matchups.

Before I heap too much praise on the Sharks, however, I just want to note that this postseason run the Avs put together feels like a touchstone moment in this organization's redevelopment. The addition of Cale Makar and the potential to deepen the prospect pool in the upcoming draft to support the incredible core of MacKinnon & Co. is going to set this team up for a long time to have some success in a difficult division. Whether the Avs win or lose this Game 7, they have awoken a fan base that has been starving for a team like this for quite some time. And they're not just going to be perennial Cup contenders; they're going to be fun to watch, too.

Dimitri Filipovic, hockey analytics writer: It pains me to say this because I've thoroughly enjoyed watching Colorado's infectious playing style this postseason and I'm not quite ready for my time with them to end, but I'll take the Sharks. The thing that ultimately swings this deciding game in their favor is the home-ice advantage they earned throughout regular season. A big part of the reason this series has been so fun has been the chess match going on between the two coaches, as Jared Bednar tries to free up MacKinnon to run wild offensively while Pete DeBoer does everything in his power to slow him down by blanketing him with his best defensive weapons.

With the benefit of last change in the games played at home, DeBoer has done a masterful job of immediately sending the combination of Couture and Vlasic out on the ice the second he has seen MacKinnon hop over the boards. In those games played at San Jose, Couture and Vlasic have respectively been out there for 58.3 percent and 75.7 percent of MacKinnon's total 5-on-5 minutes. In the games played in Colorado, those totals have dipped to 42.9 percent and 59.9 percent, respectively. No one is going to be able to fully stop MacKinnon, but those two at least give the Sharks a fighting chance of at least making Colorado's best player work for every chance he gets. Given how tight this series has been, that extra little bit of leverage could very well be the difference between advancing to the Western Conference finals and going home early.

Sachin Chandan, ESPN The Magazine researcher: The X factor for the Sharks is goalie Martin Jones. The Sharks regularly give up a lot of shots so far in the playoffs, and Jones has faced 49 high-danger shots in the second round, most of any goalie. The average shot against Jones has come from 30.4 feet out, the closest distance in the second round as well. To make it worse, the Sharks have been short-handed 20 times in the second round, worst in the league. As Emily wrote above, Colorado's top line can put up shots in a hurry, and if Jones falters early, the Sharks may not be able to climb back without another four-goal Game 7 power play. Jones has turned it around after a tough regular season, so if he can pull another strong effort, like in Game 6 vs. Vegas or Game 5 of this series, then I see San Jose advancing to face St. Louis.

Injured striker Harry Kane hopes to return to Tottenham Hotspur's lineup in time for their Champions League final match with Liverpool on June 1 in Madrid.

Kane sprinted onto the pitch to celebrate with his teammates at the final whistle of their dramatic 3-2 semifinal win at Ajax Amsterdam, and could possibly return for what would be the biggest game in the club's history.

- Ogden: Spurs' comeback fitting to season of close calls

- Ajax captain de Ligt calls loss 'a nightmare'

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- Tottenham vs. Liverpool: When is the UCL final?

Kane has been sidelined with an ankle injury since last month's quarterfinal first leg against Manchester City.

"Rehab is going well. I start straight line running this week which is why I was okay to run on at the end," Kane said after the match.

England skipper Kane says he would take nothing for granted, however, even if he was fit.

"We beat Manchester City and Ajax so I have to start training even harder to prove myself to the gaffer [Maurico Pochettino]," he said.

"We've just got to take all this in and then look forward to the final."

Tottenham looked down and out at the break as they trailed 2-0, 3-0 on aggregate, but were transformed in the second half with Brazilian Lucas Moura, Kane's stand-in, scoring a hat trick to send the Londoners through on away goals.

A halftime visit to the Tottenham Hotspur dressing room by Kane helped inspire his side to the remarkable win.

Defender Kieran Trippier said Kane had not minced his words at halftime with Spurs trailing to an inspired Dutch side and heading for a fourth successive defeat in all competitions.

Whatever Kane said, it clearly worked a treat.

"It was a disappointing first half and we let them play. I went into the dressing room at half time and we knew it wasn't good enough," Kane said.

"We said we had 45 minutes to give everything. I'm a fan first and foremost and I know how much it means to the club.

"The lads dug deep and showed passion and that is all you can ask for. We had to wait to get the third in the last minute and we found a way. I'm just speechless. I'm a fan, I want to win and I know how much it means to everyone at the club.

"I'm looking at the game and thinking about what I'd be doing out there. You can't switch out of that mode but the lads showed passion, spirit and heart."

Duke struck early in the 2020 class Wednesday, landing a commitment from five-star point guard Jeremy Roach.

Roach announced his decision on Twitter.

My decision... pic.twitter.com/SPjkPnVqP9

— iam_jr20 (@Jeremyroach10) May 8, 2019

Roach, a 6-foot-2 product of Paul VI High School (Virginia), is ranked No. 14 in the ESPN 100 for 2020. He tore his ACL in a preseason scrimmage in November and missed his junior season. Playing for Team Takeover on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, Roach averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 assists per game.

He also has won two gold medals with USA Basketball, at the 2017 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship and 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup. Last summer, he averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 assists as the starting point guard on the U17 World Cup team.

Roach is Duke's first commitment in the 2020 class and the first five-star junior to make a college decision.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski has landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country three years in a row and five times in the past six years.

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs said they have identified and now banned the fan who was observed on camera making what appeared to be a hand gesture associated with racism during Tuesday night's broadcast of a home game against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field.

Wearing a gray Cubs sweatshirt and blue pants, the fan made an upside-down "OK" sign near Doug Glanville's head while he was giving a report for NBC Sports Chicago from the stands. The gesture is associated with the juvenile "circle game," where someone tries to trick a friend or sibling into looking at it, then punches them in the shoulder. But the symbol has also become a white supremacy sign.

Glanville, who is black, played nine seasons in the majors, including three with the Cubs. He also is an analyst for ESPN.

In a statement Wednesday, the Cubs said they reviewed the footage and decided that the fan's actions violated the team's guest code of conduct. The team said it is not disclosing the name of the fan.

"It doesn't matter either way,'' Cubs spokesman Julian Green said. "This was bad judgment on the part of the individual. Whether sophomoric behavior or some other stunt, to use that in connection with a respected journalist, who happens to be African American, and doing his job to deliver enjoyment to our fans is ignorant. It has no place [at] Wrigley Field.''

Glanville praised the Cubs' handling of the situation on Wednesday, saying it has "displayed sensitivity as to how the implications of this would affect me as a person of color."

Team president Theo Epstein was adamant about his disgust in seeing the gesture.

"It gave me shivers to watch that," he said Wednesday afternoon. "It's important to send a strong message that this is a place of inclusion. We value diversity. We value inclusion."

In a statement, Major League Baseball noted it has a policy that bans derogatory language and actions at its ballparks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has long felt a connection to the Dominican Republic.

"It's obviously a significant place for baseball," said the three-time Cy Young winner, noting that several of his teammates have hailed from the country. When Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, learned of the rampant child trafficking in the Dominican Republic, they looked for ways to help.

During the offseason, the Kershaws -- along with former major leaguer Adam LaRoche and his wife, Jennifer -- traveled to Santo Domingo to meet with officials from the International Justice Mission (IJM), a faith-based organization that fights slavery and sex trafficking, particularly child exploitation. The group had an audience with Dominican Republic president Danilo Medina, visited the city's red-light district with investigators and spent an afternoon playing baseball with survivors of sex trafficking.

"They looked and acted like any other kids," Kershaw said. "But what they had been through was anything but normal."

The Kershaws flew coach from Miami to Santo Domingo, and fellow passengers didn't recognize the 6-foot-4 hurler.

"Ellen and I have always talked about what our giving mission is or what we feel most called to do, and kids are right at the forefront of that," Kershaw said.

As they toured the Dominican Republic's National Palace, the Kershaws admitted they were "nervous" about meeting President Medina.

Kershaw, a Texas native, wasn't shy about showing off his Lone Star State pride, however. Two years ago, he reached out to IJM's office in Dallas, where the Kershaws live in the winter. Last year, IJM became an official beneficiary of Kershaw's Challenge, the pitcher's foundation, which focuses on helping children.

Kershaw's meeting with the president was featured on TV news programs and in newspapers in the DR. After Kershaw shared his concerns about child sex trafficking in the country, Medina assured him that his office would support IJM's efforts.

"I'm excited to meet the people on the front lines who have dedicated their lives to fighting the trafficking and slavery in the DR," Kershaw said after his meeting. "You can write checks, which is awesome. Every nonprofit needs the support. But to put boots on the ground and go see it can change your heart."

That night, Kershaw and his group went undercover in Boca Chica, an area known as a hotbed for prostitution in Santo Domingo. Investigators explained how they work with local authorities to find and free victims -- and to arrest the perpetrators. "If I didn't have that knowledge going in, I would have wondered, 'Why can't we just get these girls out of here?'" Kershaw said. "You have to uproot the [traffickers]. That's how you effect change."

"Talking about sex trafficking is not comfortable," Kershaw said. "That's part of the reason to get the word out about it: Because exposing it will bring people out of the darkness. The more people who know about it, the less likely that it will continue to be such a widespread problem."

The bus pulled up on a side street adjacent to Boca China, a three-block stretch of restaurants and bars closed off to vehicles. "Two girls came up to us almost immediately," Kershaw said. "One of them spoke pretty decent English. [We] learned she wasn't from the Dominican Republic. She had come here ... and there were possible signs of trafficking. Once she sat down and realized that we weren't interested in what she was after, you kind of just saw a sadness come back over her, like she didn't do her job. It was heartbreaking to see what the girls have to go through on a day-in, day-out basis. They've been beat down for so long that they need help to get out."

Child sex trafficking, which IJM describes as "a form of modern slavery in which someone coerces or deceives another person into commercial sex exploitation for profit," remains a significant problem in the DR. According to IJM, nearly five million of the estimated 40 million enslaved children worldwide are believed to be the prey of sex traffickers. Tens of thousands of those victims are Dominican girls.

The next day, Kershaw headed to Manny Mota's Campo de Sueños (Field of Dreams) stadium to get in a workout and bullpen session and to celebrate a "day of joy" with survivors.

Kershaw spent an afternoon playing catch with survivors and sharing stories. "To hear what they've been through is heart­breaking," he said.

In 2017, IJM helped Dominican authorities convict a man who exploited six boys. Four of those boys took the field, along with other survivors, to play catch with Kershaw and LaRoche. "It was amazing to watch them come to life," Kershaw said. "To hear the horror they have lived through and to see their resilient spirit put everything in perspective."

Kershaw provided pitching tips in halting Spanish, but his message got through. "Baseball is a universal language here," he said. "It was awesome to see them just being kids and having fun."

Rain didn't deter the survivors, who ranged in age from 9 to 14, from a pickup game at Campo de Sueños. LaRoche hit fly balls to outfielders, and Kershaw shagged fouls and shouted encouragement.

On their last day in the country, the LaRoches and Kershaws visited Lily House, a home for victims of sexual exploitation and their children where survivors receive therapy and vocational training. "This whole trip, I've just been thinking about our kids back home and how they get to have a safe place to call home at night," Ellen Kershaw said. "It's pretty heart-wrenching to be over here and to just want to do that for everybody else."

"Cómo se dice 'hope' en Español?'" Kershaw asked the survivors. "Esperanza," they replied in unison.

LaRoche began working with IJM, which is based in Washington, when he played for the Nationals. "Today we got to hear the story of a survivor," Kershaw said. "To hear the one story helps you keep going. If it's one kid, then that's a big difference."