The Rays on Thursday "pitched in to help build a new playground" at Team Success, a Title 1 Charter School in Bradenton, Fla. Joining the Rays for the annual event were volunteers from the Police Athletic League of Manatee County, and organizers of national non-profit KaBOOM. Rays President BRIAN AULD first worked with KaBOOM in '01, when he taught fourth grade at Palo Alto (Calif.) Charter (MLB.com, 11/6).
NAMES: Members of the '14 U.S. LLWS Champion Jackie Robinson West Little League team visited the White House on Thursday (SUN-TIMES.com, 11/6)....Michigan State Univ. alums PETER and JOAN SECCHIA have donated $3M to the school's athletic department to be "directed toward the endowment of the defensive coordinator position and to the men's basketball program." The gift comes two weeks after MSU athletics received a $10M gift, the "largest single donation ever received by the department, from BOB and JULIE SKANDALARIS to benefit the school's football, basketball and golf programs" (MLIVE.com, 11/6)....The Mets and the Citi ThankYou Home Runs for Communities Program hosted a luncheon Tuesday, where Citi "donated $138,000 to four tri-state area community partners" (MLB.com, 11/6).....For the second time this year, a federal judge “has rejected” Dodgers RF YASIEL PUIG’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit blaming him “for the imprisonment and alleged torture of a Cuban man” (LATIMES.com, 11/6)....Actor MARK WAHLBERG “broke a little Patriots news this week” on BILL SIMMONS’ “B.S. Report,” saying QB TOM BRADY “will make cameos" in two of his next movie projects: “TED 2” and the “ENTOURAGE” feature-length film (ESPNBOSTON.com, 11/6)....Heat President PAT RILEY “has listed two beachfront homes in Malibu” for lease at $18,500 a month and $16,500 a month (LATIMES.com, 11/6).
