BALTIMORE -- When Orioles scout Ryan Powell got the chance to participate in one of the team's intrasquad games during Spring Training, it was so his mother, Wendy, could see the former independent league catcher play baseball again. Yet Ryan wanted to help not only Wendy, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in June 2015, but also other families dealing with similar challenges.
So Ryan teamed up with the company Victus, which crafted 15 special bats for him to use. After the March 29 game in Sarasota, Fla., one bat went to Wendy, while the others -- all autographed by players -- are being auctioned off to benefit different cancer-related charities.