A's Community Fund hard at work for charity

Relievers Ryan Cook and Sean Doolittle are among the members of the Oakland A's pitching in to the team's charity works. The A's Community Fund raises money and awareness for community-based initiatives, most recently with Cook and Doolittle meeting a group of fourth and fifth graders from the Achieve Academy in Oakland. The event was at the Oakland Zoo.

Both men enjoyed meeting the kids. "It's really, really rewarding to be able to use what we do to help," said Doolittle.

Cook pointed out that "We're in a position with what we do, being professional athletes, where we have the ability to draw attention to people in need, or deserving causes."

The A's Holiday Caravan has included stops with Cook and Doolittle in Walnut Creek collecting for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and doing outreach in the media with Comcast SportsNet and 95.7 FM The Game.

Cook was a key part of Oakland's bullpen in 2012, with a 2.09 ERA in 71 games. Doolittle converted from first base to pitcher in the minors and made it to to the big leagues in no time at all.