RALLY FOR RILEY: Post 49 holding silent auction Thursday

Now It's Our Turn

Obviously this is an unfortunate situation, but Riley is a fighter. He showed that on the baseball field and now it’s our turn to show up to help him and his family. Hopefully the community will join us in our fight against cancer and donate graciously to benefit Riley.”

Eric Brown - Head Coach

Custom Jerseys to Benefit Brown Family

Silent bids will start at $50 for special game-worn jerseys and increase by $10 increments. A "buy now" option is available for $150.

HAMLET — The brotherhood of baseball is coming together to support one local family recently impacted by cancer.

Hamlet Post 49 head coach Eric Brown announced the program will be holding a night of fundraising during Thursday’s regular-season finale to benefit one of its former players.

Riley Brown, who played for Post 49 during the 2024 and 2025 seasons and is a 2025 graduate of Richmond Senior High School, was diagnosed with t-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma earlier this spring.

In an effort to support Riley and his fight with cancer, Coach Brown said Hamlet will be holding a silent auction Thursday for specialized game-worn jerseys.

“Riley is a great young man and comes from a great family,” Coach Brown said. “He’s one of us and we are fighting this battle with him. He’s been teammates with a lot of the guys on this year’s team in high school and with Legion ball, and we all want to support him any way we can.

“Obviously this is an unfortunate situation, but Riley is a fighter,” he added. “He showed that on the baseball field and now it’s our turn to show up to help him and his family. Hopefully the community will join us in our fight against cancer and donate graciously to benefit Riley.”

The front of Hamlet's customized jerseys that will be auctioned off Thursday to support former player Riley Brown.

Photo courtesy of head coach Eric Brown.

During the game, a silent auction will be held for fans to bid on each jersey. The custom jerseys are Hamlet blue with lime green lettering, which is the color associated with all lymphomas.

Each jersey reads “Rally for Riley” on the back, a phrase that’s become common in Riley’s recent fight. 

Bids for jerseys will start at $50 and increase in increments of $10. There will also be a “buy now” option for each jersey for $150, which will remove the player-specific jersey from the auction.

Payments can be made with cash or check, with checks payable to Hamlet Post 49 Baseball. Coach Brown, who is of no relation to Riley and his family, said all the profits from the jersey sales will be donated to the Brown family.

Thursday’s game will have several other ways to support Riley and his parents Ryan and Jennifer Brown. Hamlet Post 49 will donate its half of the 50/50 raffle and a portion of the gate funds will also be donated to the Browns.

Another way to support the Browns is to purchase a “Riley Hope Float” at the concession stand, a dessert-styled drink that has been available all season. All other donations will also be accepted.

First pitch against Liberty Post 81 is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Park.