Rays, Chris Archer, WTSP News join forces to support youth baseball

About a week ago there was an announcement made about yet another initiative being taken by Chris Archer to give back to the local community.

This man has handed out turkeys, given sports equipment to local firefighters, speaks at local schools and prisons, and is constantly visiting the Children's Hospital. Now he's found another way to give back, and it deserves some attention.

Here's the write up from mlb.com:

Chris Archer is demonstrating one way Major Leaguers can help youth baseball.

This season, every strikeout recorded by Archer will benefit both Burg Baseball Inc. and RBI Baseball of Tampa. For each strikeout he logs, the right-hander will join the Rays and WTSP 10 News to donate $25 each to be split among the youth leagues.

"I've seen firsthand the positive influence that both of these organizations have on youth in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area," Archer said. "Since my time is often limited, I'm encouraged to do more monetarily to help these worthy leagues."

Burg Baseball Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides an organized baseball league for children from St. Petersburg living at or near the poverty level, at little or no cost to the families of players. Since 2007, Burg Baseball has left a positive mark on the lives of more than 1,600 St. Petersburg youth, ages 4 to 16, by teaching not only pitching, fielding and batting skills, but also sportsmanship, character and teamwork.

The Rays' Tampa RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program has served the Tampa Bay area for more than 10 years as an MLB outreach baseball and softball program. For more than 500 inner-city youth, Tampa RBI provides structured play, discipline and mentoring, while fostering a culture of teamwork and respect.

That's $75 per Archer strikeout, currently a combined $2,775.

If the Rays ace reaches his Steamer projection of 198 strikeouts, the total will reach nearly $15k. Archer previously partnered with WTSP to do some investigative reporting regarding youth baseball in the Tampa Bay region.

Archer, thanks for being generous with your time, your talent, and your money. You lead by example, and that's commendable.