08/21/2006 12:13 AM ET

Brian's Baseball Bash a huge hit

By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles had a tough day on Sunday. They couldn't do much with Toronto ace Roy Halladay and saw their season-best four-game winning streak come to an abrupt end at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

But they had more fun a few hours later helping Brian Roberts do something for people he loves and understands -- children with health problems.

Roberts was operated on at the age of five after doctors needed to repair a hole in his heart while his father coached North Carolina's baseball team. What he went through during that time let him completely understand and empathize with the feeling of dread children experience when in the hospital. That's why Roberts became a regular visitor to the University of Maryland Hospital for Children and eventually grew determined to do something different to help the kids.

"I wanted to do something a little more tangible," Roberts said.

That's where the idea for Brian's Baseball Bash came from. The whole event came together in the last three to four months as Roberts and friends and fans took over the ESPN Zone, just a few minutes from Oriole Park, Sunday night to raise money for the University of Maryland Hospital for Children.

"This was something that I've been looking forward to for a long, long time," Roberts said to the crowd during the event. "It's beyond my wildest dreams. It's been a wonderful event."

The ESPN Zone was packed for this event. There were children, parents, present Oriole teammates, former Oriole teammates, team broadcasters. The bottom line is that a whole lot of people associated with Roberts came out to show him support. They also delighted a huge number of children who were having a night to remember.

One of those kids was Joseph Caprario, a 6-year old Orioles fan who loves Roberts. Joseph wore a Roberts jersey, an Orioles hat and was waiting to see how his father fared in his bids at the auction of a wide variety of five-star sports items from all around the country.

"I came for Brian Roberts," Joseph said. "He's my favorite baseball player."

Said his father, Dave Caprario: "I'm an Orioles fan. I'm a sports fan, but I think this is great, and I think it's a great fund-raiser."

The Orioles were sprinkled all throughout the various locations of the building. Pitcher Bruce Chen was playing video games while a few children watched with wide eyes just a few feet away. Melvin Mora was trying to help some of his six children do the same thing with other kids standing within touching distance not believing they were so close to him.

Manager Sam Perlozzo sat at the bar near the front door with former Orioles Mike Bordick and Jeff Reboulet right behind him. Jay Gibbons, Nick Markakis and Corey Patterson wandered throughout the building, talking to everyone, posing for pictures and delighting the children.

"Brian's put a lot of time and effort into this," Patterson said. "I wanted to come out and be very supportive. It means a lot and everyone is having fun. It's definitely a great turn-out."

In the spirit of the fund-raiser, the event also sponsored an auction that featured a wide range of sports items. There were autographed jerseys from Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Curt Schilling, Tim Duncan, Cal Ripken and a huge number of sports-related things that brought in a lot of money.

"Obviously, Brian Roberts can relate to these young kids, having gone through what he went through when he was a youngster," said Oriole broadcaster and former Major League catcher Buck Martinez. "He understands what it is to suffer as a younger. He understands what it is to suffer as a younger. He understands what it means for a kid to see a Major League Baseball player. It's pretty special ... and I commend him for putting together this event."

Roberts stayed busy throughout the three-hour event. He spent a long time signing autographs upstairs and talking to children. It's easy to see how much he enjoys kids, and this event helped him in his quest to help those children whose feelings he can understand.

"I don't think of myself as anything out of the ordinary," Roberts said. "But we really can make a difference."

And his teammates certainly understand Roberts' feelings -- and are glad to help.

"What he does with the community, we support him," Mora said

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.