Blue Jays: Bo Bichette continues to make impact off the field

Michael Fisher

Boston Red Sox v Toronto Blue Jays / Vaughn Ridley/GettyImages

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette continues to give back, turning his on-field success into a chance to help others less fortunate than himself.

As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports, Bichette is providing financial support, of an undisclosed amount, to the Police Athletic League (PAL) baseball program at St. Petersburg’s Jackson Recreation Center at Wildwood Park.

Lakewood HS product Bo Bichette became interested while growing up in helping those less fortunate, and the #BlueJays star has been doing so. His latest project will be announced this week - funding the PAL baseball program at St. Pete’s Wildwood Park. https://t.co/W0ZGS9WYSy
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) February 7, 2023

According to Topkin, through this project, formally known as PAL/Wildwood Baseball Powered by Bo Bichette, he is helping provide uniforms, equipment, registration fees, coaching and other costs for roughly 100 boys and girls from the ages of 5-14.

Bo himself played high school ball in the area for Lakewood High, which might help explain why he has such a deep connection to the community.

"Since I’ve been in high school it’s always been something I wanted to help with when I came back and had the opportunity to. So to just have this opportunity to allow kids to play baseball for free is just something that’s been on my mind."
Bo Bichette, via Marc Topkin

As the Jays' 2022 Roberto Clemente Award nominee, Bichette has made a point of giving back to his hometown St. Petersburg community throughout his career. This isn't the young star's first time helping PAL; he's been involved with after-school programs and clinics for years.

Topkin illustrates Bichette's dedication to the program, explaining how in the past, he has arranged for PAL and Lakewood kids to attend games at Dunedin and Tropicana Field, providing bus transportation, tickets, Jays gear and some face time on the field. He has done clinics and camps and sponsored a back-to-school shoe giveaway for kids at St. Pete rec centers.

While most of the Bo Bichette news this week will revolve around his upcoming, much-anticipated arbitration hearing, it's good to keep in mind that he is as dedicated to helping others off the field as he is to his craft on the field.

Michael Fisher

Michael Fisher is the editor at That Ball's Outta Here on the FanSided network, a position he has held since September 2023. He has written over 500 articles for That Ball’s Outta Here. He has been a baseball fan since 1990 and became a Philadelphia Phillies fan in the early 2000s. Michael has been writing for FanSided since 2022 when he started as a writer at Jays Journal. He also spent over a year writing about MLB at FanSided.com. Michael enjoys camping and playing tennis and badminton in his free time.