Dirk’s Celebrity Heroes Baseball game is one of the best events in the Metroplex every year. The game’s purpose is to raise money for the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation and Heroes Foundation to help improve the education, health and well being of children. This season Dirk rounded up some of his friends from the NFL, NBA, and around the sports world to face off for the 17th annual Heroes event.
Cowboys stars Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Travis Frederick took the field with former Cowboys Herschel Walker, DeMarcus Ware and Ware’s teammate Von Miller. The Dallas Mavericks attendance was almost at 100 percent with appearances from Dirk, Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., Devin Harris, Yogi Ferrell, Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, Kyle Collinsworth, Johnathan Motley, Jalen Jones, Salah Mejri, coach Rick Carlisle, and owner Mark Cuban.
Others that participated included the Cowboys Chidobe Awuzie, Jeff Heath, Byron Jones, Anthony Brown, Kavon Frazier, and Sean Lee.
They were all split up into two teams (Blue Sox and White Sox) and played a 7 inning game of actual baseball with designated pitchers for each team.
Official rosters. Who you got?
— Mavs Moneyball (@mavsmoneyball) June 8, 2018
⚪️ White Sox
Blue Sox pic.twitter.com/mwQcK9K1RS
Despite the stars and athletes in attendance, one of the best moments of the night was the first pitch which was thrown out by two students that survived the Santa Fe school shooting in May. Rome Shubert pitched to Trenton Beazley which was fitting because the two play those respective positions for their school.
Survivors of the Santa Fe High School shooting throwing out the first pitch. #DirkHeroes18 pic.twitter.com/mb8mA7jAmw
— Mavs Moneyball (@mavsmoneyball) June 9, 2018
After the first pitch DFW’s own and American Idol star Britney Holmes sang the National while parachuters (eventually) landed in the outfield with an American Flag.
Then the game began with a Dak Prescott single that should have been an easy pop up over the head of Von Miller. Then Zeke Elliot responded with a play of his own when he caught a diving line drive by DeMarcus Ware.
Heath (White Sox) scored the first run of the game after he and former Yankees minor leager Mitch Abeita hit back to back triples in the bottom of the first inning.
During the Top of the Third inning Prescott (Blue Sox) went to bat with the bases loaded and hit a 3-run double to put the Blue Sox up 4-3.
The White Sox returned with a rally of their own scoring four runs in the 5th inning that began with a Dirk triple (Byron Jones pinch runner) that scored Mark Cuban. Then Abeita smashed a 3-run home run over the left field wall.
The White Sox were up 7-4 when the Blue Sox went on a star-studded tear. Harrison Barnes decided to coach instead of play in the game and if he had anything to do with the batting order then he may want to make a slight career adjustment. Dak Prescott, Devin Harris, DeMarcus Ware, and Herschel Walker were a potent 1-4 in the Blue Sox batting order.
This Inning #DirkHeroes18
— Mavs Moneyball (@mavsmoneyball) June 9, 2018
Ben Patton, single
Dak Prescott, single
Devin Harris, single
DeMarcus Ware, single (2 RBI)
Herschel Walker, double (RBI)
Ryan Hill, double (2 RBI)
After that run the Blue Sox held a 10-7 advantage and never looked back. The White Sox went scoreless for the next two innings and DeMarcus Ware hit a 3-run double in the top of the final inning. Ware would go on to win the MVP of the game and finished with 2 hits and 5 RBIs.
Dirk Heroes Baseball Box Score
Blue Sox 2018 Stats
Player | AB | Hits | Runs | RBI | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | AB | Hits | Runs | RBI | Notes |
Dak Prescott | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 singles, 2 doubles |
Devin Harris | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 singles |
DeMarcus Ware | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | single, double, Game MVP |
Herschel Walker | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | double |
Dennis Smith Jr. | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | single |
Ryan Hill | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | single, double |
Geoff Stults | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 singles |
Kyle Collinsworth | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | single |
Tim Key | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | single |
Danny Bollinger | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | single |
Dale Burleson | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | single |
Jalen Jones | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | double |
Dorian Finney-Smith | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | single |
Ben Patton | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | single |
White Sox Stats
Player | AB | Hits | Runs | RBI | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | AB | Hits | Runs | RBI | Notes |
Dirk Nowitzki | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | triple (Byron Jones pinch runner) |
Chidobe Awuzie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Mitch Abeita | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | triple, home run |
Johnathan Motley | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | single |
Ezekiel Elliott | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 singles |
Ben Tucker | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | single, double |
Travis Frederick | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | single |
Anthony Brown | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Dwight Powell | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | single |
Von Miller | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 singles |
David Kelton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Matt Dunn | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Byron Jones | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | triple |
Wes Matthews | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Yogi Ferrell | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | single |
Maxi Kleber | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | triple |
Kevon Frazier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Mark Cuban | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | single |
Unofficial Inexact Stats