MLB, MLBPA Donate $1M for Venezuela Earthquake Relief
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- MLB and the MLBPA announced a joint $1 million donation to the American Red Cross on Tuesday to aid recovery from last week's earthquakes in Venezuela.
- Twin earthquakes exceeding magnitude 7 struck northern Venezuela last Wednesday, devastating communities in Caracas, La Guaira and surrounding areas, with a death toll of 1,719 reported by Monday and thousands still missing.
- Venezuela won the 2025 World Baseball Classic in March and had 60 Venezuelan-born players across MLB Opening Day rosters days later, underscoring the country's deep baseball influence.
- MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said "our hearts go out to the victims" and hoped the donation would provide critical resources to first responders, while MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer pledged full support for the recovery.
- Team-level efforts added to the response: the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres each pledged $100,000, the Boston Red Sox hosted a donation drive, and the Kansas City Royals directed 50/50 raffle proceeds to the Red Cross.
- Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas revealed before Friday's game at Petco Park that his wife and children were staying two blocks from where buildings collapsed; both teams wore "VZ" caps in solidarity.
- Red Sox first baseman William Contreras, a native Venezuelan, broke down in tears in the dugout after hitting a home run Monday night, telling reporters "it's not easy just to show up and play with everything that is going on in my home country."
Why it matters: The $1 million joint donation is personal for MLB: Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic in March and supplied 60 players to Opening Day rosters, meaning nearly every club has a direct connection to the disaster. With 1,719 dead and thousands missing, individual teams are layering their own six-figure donations and fundraising on top of the league-wide pledge, signaling a coordinated rather than token response.
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