Clayton Kershaw, Albert Pujols Team Up In Charity Wiffle Ball

While the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are crosstown rivals on the field, their rivalry doesn’t extend past the field.

Two of the biggest stars, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and Angels first baseman Albert Pujols, proved this when they held a charity event together. The duo each captained a team of fans who donated to their respective charities in a game played in the Angel Stadium grass on Wednesday.

Participants either donated to Kershaw’s Challenge or the Pujols Family Foundation and were able to play in a game with the superstars. Kershaw’s Challenge is dedicated to helping children in America, as well as foreign countries, while the Pujols Family Foundation is aimed to help those with Down syndrome, as well as the impoverished in the Dominican Republic.

Pujols talked about his charitable work and what it means to him via David Adler of MLB.com:

It’s great to hit homers and win World Series, but at the end of the day, it’s about making a difference off the field,” Pujols said. “That’s how we want to be remembered.”

Kershaw and Pujols formed a battery at one point in the game, and the two were able to have a good time just a few hours after facing each other on the field.

The reigning NL MVP was excited about the chance to give back and to work with the former MVP:

Just an awesome opportunity,” Kershaw said. “It’s really cool to see everyone come out and want to participate in this. Just being able to partner with Albert, and our foundations. What his foundation is doing, it’s really cool for our foundation to be a part of as well.”

While the game is a competitive one, it’s refreshing to see the team’s top players give back to the community.