Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez joins effort to combat human trafficking

Reporting from SAN DIEGO — Several players around baseball are participating in “Throwdown,” a fundraiser for Not For Sale, a non-profit, anti-human-trafficking organization.

The participants include three Dodgers: Adrian Gonzalez, Clayton Kershaw and A.J. Ellis.

“It’s a cause that a lot of people don’t know about,” Gonzalez said.

The cause was introduced in baseball circles by San Francisco Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt. Various baseball Bible-study groups were visited by Not For Sale officials in spring training.

Some players agreed to pledge one day’s salary to the organization.

Gonzalez said his donation will be based on how many hits he collects this season. He will donate twice as much, he said, for hits against the Giants.

As the father of two girls, Gonzalez said he was particularly sensitive to the issue.

“It’s a pretty bad situation for the people that are victimized by it,” he said. “A lot of them are teenage girls. It’s something that shouldn’t be allowed and shouldn’t be part of society.”