Pro Baseball Player Uses Poker to Help Children

Geoff Jenkins, an outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, along with 42 of his buddies from professional sports, raised an estimated $60,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs through the inaugural Geoff Jenkins Celebrity Poker Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona Monday.

Among the baseball players in attendance were Doug Davis, Paul Konerko, Grady Sizemore, Justin Morneau, Jacque Jones, Ryan Garko, Aaron Boone, Chris Young, Chris Capuano, J.J. Hardy, and Bill Hall.  Jenkins’ Arizona neighbors (he lives in Arizona even though he plays in Philadelphia) Jermaine Dye and Eric Chavez also played, and were the primary targets of the host. 

"[Beating] either one of them would be great for bragging rights," Jenkins said before the even. "Taking out Jermaine would be the best."

NFL stars Javon Walker and Larry Fitzgerald also ponied up the $1,000 buy-in.  Walker didn’t even know how to play.  Bill Hall had to give him a crash course.

Sponsors also paid $5,000 to setup each table.  No athletes received any prize money, as all of the proceeds went to charity.  The only prizes given away were those donated.

"As athletes we have a chance to do some good," Jenkins said Monday night. "Why not do it with something everyone enjoys doing anyway? It was easy rounding up guys to participate in this."