AROD'S GOOD DEED

I've spent a lot of time these past few weeks writing about Alex Rodriguez. His legal battle against the MLB has been stressful, even for us fans. But because I have spent all of this time writing about ARod, I feel it would be irresponsible for me not to share the following story with the readers of BYB.

Like all New Yorkers, the story of Avonte Oquendo has saddened me. Avonte is a 14 year old young man with autism that has gone missing. He was last seen on surveillance video leaving Center Boulevard School in Long Island City, wearing a grey striped shirt, black pants, and black shoes.  He is 5-foot-3, weights 125lbs, and cannot communicate verbally. On Sunday, ARod met with Avonte's family in hopes to help with the search for this young man. "I'm doing this because it comes to my heart. This is a very serious situation," ARod told the New York Post (HERE).

This probably won't change anyone's mind on ARod. Those who think the absolute worse of him, will probably continue doing so. I understand this is probably a publicity stunt. He visited in order to get some sympathy from fans. I see that. But it is still a good deed. It reminded me that ARod is human. He has emotions. He is a father, and as such can sympathize with what this family is going through. It is the same reason I can relate to Avonte's family, and hope he is found. I'm sure ARod would be absolutely distraught is something happened to his daughters. Some times, fans get so caught up on judging a mans character based on their performance in baseball, or what little information the media provides us with, that we forget they are people beyond the story printed on the page. I'm not going to pretend that ARod is a hero. But I will give props where they are due.

A Facebook page called Bring Avonte Home has been set up in an effort to help share information about the search for Avonte. Again, he is a 14 year old young man, who is non-verbal. He was last seen with a striped grey shirt, black pants, and black shoes. His family has said that he has excellent knowledge of the NYC Transit system. It is possible that he has traveled outside on the city into the surrounding areas. His family remains hopeful that he will be found safe and sound. Please, if you see him, contact the authorities immediately.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804



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