Charlie Robinson has grown up loving baseball. He has been playing the sport his entire life. Robinson got his first glove when he was only four years old, and currently plays catcher for the baseball team at Timpview High School.

Years ago a young boy named Jose Reyes grew up with the same passion for baseball. However, instead of a glove, Reyes had an old milk carton. Instead of a ball, Reyes had an orange.

Now, Reyes is the starting shortstop for the New York Mets.

Robinson learned about Reyes' story while watching a Mets game on TV with his family.

Later, while searching for an Eagle Scout project with which he could make a difference, Robinson took a page from Reyes' life story. He wanted to help other kids in the same situation.

Robinson is now working with the BYU baseball team to try and bring baseball equipment to needy children in the Dominican Republic, Reyes' home country.

"One day we were watching a game," Robinson said, "and we heard them talking about Jose Reyes and how he learned to play baseball with a carton of milk and an orange. I thought, 'hey, that would be a great Eagle Scout project to get them some real equipment down there.'"

Robinson quickly got to work, and contacted the World Little League Organization. He is now looking for donations of old baseball mitts and bats to send to the Dominican Republic.

His hope is to collect 10,000 pieces of equipment by August. With such a lofty goal, Robinson is working to enlist the help of the community, including the BYU baseball team.

Robinson and others have been going to the BYU home baseball games early and handing out flyers to encourage people to donate old bats and mitts.

Anyone wishing to help donate can bring donations to any of the games in the BYU versus San Diego State series. The two teams will square off Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m.

As an added bonus, those who bring donations to any of those games will also receive free admission.

Robinson is also working with the Orem Owls and the Salt Lake Bees to do similar promotions.

When the project ends in August, Robinson is hoping to deliver the donations personally to the Dominican Republic.

Robinson and his family are planning an event soon after the conclusion of the Little League World Series in August.

Baseball is an increasingly popular sport in the Dominican Republic, as well as other Latin and South American countries. However, thousands of the children in those countries are too poor to afford proper equipment.

"We heard stories of them [the children] using bottle caps and broomsticks," Robinson said. "That might be why they're such good hitters."

When asked if he could even imagine learning to play the sport without a glove, the scout answered with an emphatic "nope."

The donations will go to children of all ages. There is a need for equipment for those participating in baseball from tee ball to high school.

"It's for a really good cause," Robinson said. "If you're not going to use it [baseball equipment], you might as well give it to people who need it and want to use it."

patrick_perkins@byu.net