A cause near and dear to Dodger center fielder Matt Kemp’s heart is autism, as his 16-year-old brother, Carlton, has the disorder.

 

Kemp, along with his agent and former Major League pitcher Dave Stewart, co-hosted the second annual “Ante Up for Autism” event in Phoenix on March 6.

 

The casino-styled event raised funds for TACA (Talk About Curing Autism).

 

“This is a special event for me and my family and some of my friends,” said Kemp. “We picked TACA because my brother is autistic and that’s something I want to make better.”

 

Hanging out at the poker and blackjack tables were Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, Angel center fielder Torii Hunter and Dodgers Russell Martin, James Loney, Clayton Kershaw, Casey Blake and others.

 

“He has outstanding character,” said Blake. “He’s just got it all together and he cares about the game of baseball and he cares about his teammates and obviously he cares about autism.”