LOS ANGELES – While historic rains ravaged Texas, washing away homes, schools, and even small dreams, a distant MLB star quietly took action — not with words, but with his heart.
Hyeseong Kim, a South Korean-born player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, surprised the baseball community and the nation by personally donating $3 million to help flood victims in South Texas.
“I couldn’t stand to see a kid clinging to a roof waiting for help… I may not have been there, but my heart was there,” Kim told reporters after yesterday’s game.
Kim’s connection to the flood-stricken area was no coincidence. In 2024, at a meet-and-greet in Houston, an 8-year-old boy named Jacob gave him a handmade wool bracelet with a small letter attached: “K” for Kim.
“He said, ‘I made this for you to have good luck and always hit the ball.’ I kept that bracelet all season,” Kim said. “Last week, I saw pictures of Jacob and his family losing their home in the flood. There’s nothing more heartbreaking.”
Kim’s $3 million donation will go directly to four frontline relief organizations in Texas, including temporary housing, food, medical care and home reconstruction for those who lost everything.
Coach Dave Roberts said emotionally:
“Hyeseong is the type of guy you never see bragging about. But when he does something, it’s always something that really means something.”
Soon after the news was announced, social media went viral with an image of Kim wearing the old bracelet at the press conference – worn, but shining brightest on the sleeve of his Dodgers blue jersey.
The fan-initiated hashtag #PlayForTexas quickly went viral, with thousands of people thanking Kim in English, Korean and Spanish – reflecting the scale and sentiment of the community.
Jacob, who is currently living in a shelter in Austin, sent a short video to Kim:
“Uncle Kim, I still watch you play every day. Now, I don’t have a hoop anymore… but I think my heart is still in your hand.”
In a world where fame and victory are often celebrated, Hyeseong Kim’s actions remind us that there are achievements that are not on the scoreboard — but engraved in the human heart. He was not just a player — he was a beacon in the storm.