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Rick Porcello changes number for Torii Hunter, charity

When new Detroit Tiger Torii Hunter got to Detroit, he offered Rick Porcello a cash reward to wear his No. 48 jersey. Porcello gave him the jersey number, but instead requested that the money be donated to charity.

By Aaron Torres
Ed Zurga

When Torii Hunter arrived in Detroit as the newest member of the Tigers this week, the veteran outfielder requested the No. 48, currently worn by the Tigers' Rick Porcello. Hunter even went so far as to offer the right-handed pitcher a nice cash reward as a thank you, but instead, Porcello made a different request. Rather than taking the cash himself, he asked Hunter to donate the money to Hurricane Sandy relief.

Hunter discussed the unique situation on Friday. His quotes were provided via MLive.com:

"I offered him a nice dollar amount. And he said, ‘No.’ I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with him?' '' Hunter said. "He said he’s from New Jersey, and Hurricane Sandy came and destroyed some parts of New Jersey, and he knows some people that were affected by it.

"He said, ‘The money that you offered me, could you donate it to this organization for Hurricane Sandy?’"

As Hunter's quotes indicated, Porcello is a New Jersey native, a state which was directly impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

Porcello will now wear the number 21, the same number he wore as a high school pitcher at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J.