“We can’t stand by and watch our hometown burn…” – Max Muncy said, his eyes welling up as the crowd held its breath.
Last night, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown – a place of dazzling lights and clinking glasses – no one mentioned home runs, no one talked about the playoffs. Instead, there were tears. There was humanity. There was hope.
With a determined silence, Max Muncy – the Dodgers star – and his wife Kellie made the whole city choke up, standing among hundreds of guests and announcing an unexpected event: “Uncork for a Cause” – an auction and wine tasting to raise funds for the victims of the wildfires that have lost everything in Southern California.
Instead of celebrating a new MLB victory, Muncy chose to talk about children who no longer have a school, mothers who lost their homes overnight, fathers wading through the ashes to find charred family photos.
“I couldn’t concentrate on hitting when I learned that a few hours ago, a 6-year-old had to hide in a car with a cat to avoid the smoke,” Muncy choked.
At the auction, bats that had been marked with home runs, jerseys that had been soaked with victory sweat – were all sold. But no one regretted it. Because all the money raised will go to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and the YMCA of the Foothills – organizations that directly support food, shelter, and psychological therapy for those affected by the wildfires.
The highlight of the night was the special “Max Muncy Limited Reserve” wine – each bottle was hand-signed by him and his wife, engraved with the line: “For those still standing in the smoke.”
The wine line sold out in 8 minutes. Each bottle was $1,000. No one bargained. Everyone wanted to contribute.
When asked why he chose the middle of a stressful season to hold the event, Muncy answered without hesitation:
“If I can use a win to make people happy, why can’t I use my name to save a family who has lost everything?”
Little known: It was Muncy’s wife, Kellie, who came up with the idea after they watched from their window as the flames consumed the San Gabriel Hills.
She wrote in her diary: “If our house burns down, I just wish someone would reach out and catch us…”
While the world was busy counting the number of times he stood on the cleanup stand, Max Muncy had just scored the biggest score of his life – a point for kindness.
No bat. No stadium.
Just a heart. And a reason not to look away.
“I’m a baseball player. But first and foremost, I’m a father, a husband… and a citizen of this burning city.”