Dodgers star Mookie Betts hosted his first ever Mookie Betts + Friends Bowling Tournament at Lucky Strike at LA Live. The proceeds from the event went to Betts’ charity, The 5050 Foundation. Betts noted how his wife, Brianna, helped bring the event to fruition.
“It’s amazing to be here and see all the work that she’s been doing,” Betts said.
The 5050 Foundation aims to help children reach their potential and follow their dreams.
“L.A. feels like home now, we’re getting acquainted. It feels like home,” Brianna said. “It feels good to give back to the community and the communities that we go out to.”
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The winner of the tournament won a prize book full of mystery gifts worth up to $5000, the gifts coming from select sponsors. The event also featured a silent auction where attendees named their price for several items signed by different pro athletes, including Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Mahomes, Barry Bonds, and LeBron James.
“I love [Betts], this is a Yankee fan saying that, I just love him and respect what he’s done,” said NBA legend Olden Polynice. “Anytime I’m invited to something like this, it’s very meaningful.”
Betts family members and teammates along with other sports stars attended the tournament.
J.D. Martinez, who was acquired by the Dodgers in December, attended the bowling tournament.
“Me and [Betts] go back to 2018 with the Red Sox and he was a big influence on me in coming out in L.A.,” Martinez said. “I came here to help support his cause.”
Retired MLB star Kenny Lofton wanted to support Betts and his foundation, but was unsure if his bowling skills would match wits with Betts.
“I used to play a lot but then my right knee tells me I don’t want to bowl that day,” Lofton said. “When I found he was doing an event, I told him I wanted to be a part of it in any way I can.”
While Betts is a two-time World Series champion, six-time All-Star, and a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, bowling is the first sport that he played.
“He learned to bowl when he was three and a half years old,” said Betts’ mother Diana Collins. “I kept him at the bowling alley and he had a play pin … he got to where he was climbing out of the play pen, going to find balls.”
The skills that make him so successful in baseball does not apply in bowling; Betts uses bowling as a means of escape from baseball and vice versa.
“They’re two completely different things,” Betts said. “Two different mindsets.”
