Once again, in times of adversity, the Yankees come up big.

As with the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Hurricane Katrina and the hurricane in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua in 2007, the Yankees have stepped up to the plate first and loudest with a $500,000 donation to support rescue and relief efforts in Haiti.

Major League Baseball has followed suit with a $1,000,000 donation of its own through UNICEF and has encouraged fans to do the same.

I’m sure it won’t be too hard to find some wiseguy comments floating around the Web wondering if that half-mil might have been otherwise used as a down payment on a left fielder, but I’m proud to be a Yankees and baseball fan when they come through in times of need like this.