LAWRENCE, Mass. – A Massachusetts youth baseball league targeted in an equipment theft is getting help from donors across the country, including former Boston Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn.
Thieves made off with $1,500 in baseball gear from the South Lawrence East Little League this week, and the league said it couldn't afford to replace it.
But people from Louisiana to Los Angeles had made $11,000 in donations as of Friday night.
League president George Herman said a man from Louisiana donated $300. A New Hampshire man who played in the league 40 years ago pledged $1,500.
Vaughn declined to tell The Eagle-Tribune of Lawrence how much he gave. He told the paper he couldn't stand for the thieves "messing with kids."
Police say the thief broke into the little league's storage pod and took more than 100 baseballs meant to last the entire season, as well as several bats, helmets, equipment bags, water bottles, five pairs of cleats and a set of catcher's equipment.
Things could have been worse, because most of the league's equipment was distributed to coaches only hours before the break-in was discovered Thursday morning.
The league serves about 300 mostly low-income children.
Police say there are no suspects.
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