Detroit Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum is making his presence felt, both on and off the field.
Although he does not have a set role with the Detroit Tigers, Niko Goodrum has been able to make an impact upon the roster. He has appeared at first, second, third, left and right this season, with most of his appearances coming at first when Miguel Cabrera was injured. Despite his constant moving around the diamond, Goodrum has posted a solid .237/.322/.437 batting line, hitting five homers and stealing five bases in his 154 plate appearances.
However, Goodrum’s biggest impact may be felt off the field. With the citizens of Flint, Michigan, still without clean water, Goodrum has decided to help. In order to do so, he has purchased 1440 cases of bottled water, which he will distribute in the city on Monday.
Bravo, #Tigers Niko Goodrum.
— Tony Paul (@TonyPaul1984) June 9, 2018
He has purchased 1,440 cases of bottled water and will deliver them to Flint on Monday.
He doesn't make much more than the major-league minimum.
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This marks a major expenditure on Goodrum’s part. If the average price for a case of water is around six dollars, then he is spending just over $8500 to make sure that the citizens of Flint have clean water to drink. And yet, for all of that water, it is really just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the water crisis that the city has faced since April 2014.
In Flint, these donations of bottled water have become a life saver. During the water crisis, at least 15 people passed away from Legionnaire’s Disease due to contaminated water. Up to 12,000 children were exposed to water with extremely high lead content. Even though the pipes in 6200 homes have been replaced, another 12,000 homes still need to have their water lines changed out. Add in the numerous lawsuits and criminal cases being brought against Michigan politicians.
For Goodrum, this is a great opportunity. At just 26 years old, and with his career still ahead of him, he is emerging as a leader in the community. As he continues to develop, and potentially turn into the Tigers version of Ben Zobrist or Marwin Gonzalez, moments like this will help make him a fan favorite amongst Tigers faithful.
Detroit Tigers utility man Niko Goodrum is giving back to the community, and helping make sure the citizens of Flint have clean water. Considering how much he makes at the league minimum, this is quite the expenditure.