FAIR GAME:Helping local kids play ball

One of the fun things about being the publisher of a community newspaper is getting involved and participating in events around town.

Nothing is greater than seeing different facets of the community pull together, most often to raise money to support programs that couldn’t otherwise exist. Imagine where many people might be without our help. Our outreach touches the less fortunate, our youth, seniors and in many cases people fighting to find cures for medical nightmares they’re facing in their own lives.

One group in particular that I’m involved with is the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation. It used to be called the Orange County Sports Celebrities, but then they began allowing people like me in.

Go figure.

Our mission is simple. We help kids who need it.

During the year we recognize youth deserving of college scholarships based on their sports ability, academics and citizenship. We also provide scholarships to youth who once had a promising future in sports and due to an injury had their dream ended, and hence, their chance of earning a ride. We also find groups of kids who just plain need help.

We’ve purchased uniforms for teams; all kinds of balls, bats and catcher’s gear; we’ve bought boxing rings and gloves; and we’ve underwritten Little Leagues that otherwise wouldn’t have made it.

Another fun part has been taking busloads of kids to perhaps their first professional sports event or hosting them on the college campus of UC Irvine to open their eyes to what the future may hold.

To raise money to make these programs go, annually, we undertake an event that honors someone associated with the professional sports world. We call it the sportsman of the year dinner.

Past honorees have included Jerry West, Bill Walsh, Dick Enberg, Gene Autry, John McKay and Tommy Lasorda, to name a few. More recently the names have included a virtual who’s who from USC, such as Carson Palmer, Pete Carroll and Matt Leinart.

This year, for the 35th time I might add, we again honor one of the great names, Tim Salmon. That’s right, the Kingfisher himself.

Salmon has played for three teams in his entire career, all with the Angels. Come again, you might be saying.

The California Angels, the team he was drafted by in the third round of the 1989 draft and later earned rookie of the year honors for in 1993; the Anaheim Angels; and now, of course, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

You can’t blame Salmon for the name changes. He just showed up every day and played, not caring as long as his uniform read “Angels.” His career figures were pretty impressive — 14 years, 299 home runs, 1,016 RBIs, and a lifetime average of .282.

More than that, it was the way he played the game. One team, no show boating and always with class.

It will be Salmon’s community retirement party. Following this season he’s decided to hang up the spikes one last time.

Salmon will be joined by a number of past and current members of the Angels and other sports names recognizable from around the Southland. It will be a roast.

The event is Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Anaheim Marriott. A wonderful auction kicks off the event at 6 p.m., and dinner follows at 7. I can assure you, with the Angels’ help, it won’t be your typical auction.

For tables or tickets call the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation at (714) 250-8437 or e-mail me at tom.johnson @latimes.com, and I’ll get you hooked up.