There was an uncanny resemblance between Carlos Delgado and the
4-year-old wannabe big-leaguer beside him. The two had the same
almost-bald head, dark eyes and contagious grin. Those grins grew as the
Blue Jays first baseman gently took the boy's hand and led him onto the
SkyDome field.
Dequan, who was seriously ill, had been chosen to throw out the first
pitch on the Jays' Make-A-Wish day. The eager boy ran up the mound and
showed Delgado his pitching stance -- brows furrowed, right leg up.
Delgado laughed, aiming him toward home plate. They acted with the same
familiarity and ease of a father and son; they laughed like old friends.
"Carlos has a great way with kids," says Kim Sokoloski, manager of
communications and development for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of
Toronto. "He knows how to make them feel comfortable, how to make them
laugh."
For Delgado, it's second nature. Just ask him what's closest to his
heart, and you'll know why: "Kids," he'll say. "Anything to do with
them."
He'll do just about anything to make a kid smile. This past year
Delgado has refurbished two ballparks in impoverished areas of Toronto,
provided tickets for 30 underprivileged kids for 10 Jays games and
visited schools in the Toronto area to encourage students to stay in
school and work hard.
Delgado started his own foundation -- the Extrabases Foundation -- to
see that charitable organizations that focus on improving the lives of
children in Canada, the U.S. and Puerto Rico have the funds to keep
functioning. The foundation supports organizations such as Casa Juan
Bosco, which provides snacks, tutoring and activities to keep children
off the streets and out of trouble in Delgado's hometown of Aguadilla,
Puerto Rico. Delgado visits the program whenever he's invited.
"He does whatever he can to show the kids he is there for them," Elba
Perez, an employee of the program, says.
If Delgado sticks up for underprivileged kids, he's also not afraid
to take a stand for his country. In April 2001, singer Ricky Martin,
boxer Felix Trinidad and Delgado took out a full-page ad in both the New
York Times and the Washington Post asking the Navy to stop using the
island of Vieques, located off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, as a
bomb-testing site.
"As a Puerto Rican, I feel bad when I see a piece of my island being
used as target practice," Delgado says. "It's not acceptable."
Athletes with endorsements often avoid taking stances on political
issues for fear sponsors will dump them if they become controversial.
Not Delgado, who is paid to advertise products for adidas and other
companies.
"Above all, I am a human being," Delgado says. "Puerto Ricans are
like my family. If people are being hurt in your family, you are going
to take a different perspective on things. It's something I believe in."
Ultimately, it's Delgado's strong belief in his causes that gives him
the dedication and drive to do the things that set him apart from
others.
"Carlos is a star, and sometimes stars aren't as conducive to doing
the little things," says Glenn MacDonell, executive director of the
Ontario Special Olympics. MacDonell has worked with Delgado in
organizing the Sports Celebrities Festival, a fund-raising extravaganza
for the Special Olympics. Unlike many celebrities who simply attend the
events, Delgado served as honorary chairperson for the festival in 2000,
appearing in its promotional pamphlets.
"Carlos is a guy that will do the little extra," MacDonell says, "and
it makes him that much more a gentleman."
TSN'S GOOD GUY PICK:
Derek Jeter
GOOD GUYS BY SPORT:
MLB: Carlos Delgado | All
NFL: Jerome Bettis | All
NHL: John LeClair | All
NBA: Alonzo Mourning | All
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