SF Giants hold annual Play Ball luncheon to benefit Junior Giants

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Opening Day is right around the corner and the San Francisco Giants held their annual Play Ball luncheon at the Fairmont to benefit the Junior Giants Monday.[br /][br /]Brandon Belt, Hunter Pence, and Mark Melancon were on hand to sign autographs, and so was the newest Giant, Andrew McCutchen.[br /][Ads /][br /][br /][br /][b]RELATED: [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/sports/ty-blach-to-start-opener-with-madison-bumgarner-out/3260122/" TARGET="" REL=""]Ty Blach to start opener with Madison Bumgarner out[/url][/b][br /][br /]The players remembered it's important to give back.[br /][br /]"Professional baseball players were my idols," said Belt. "People I greatly looked up to so we just try to be those role models and be somebody they could look up to as well."[br /][br /]The Giants' newest employee was also in attendance -- former manager [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/sports/dusty-baker-back-with-giants-as-special-adviser-to-ceo/3264947/[br /]" TARGET="" REL=""]Dusty Baker[/url]. He was brought back in an advisory role to team president Larry Baer.[br /][Ads /][br /]Baker was the Giants manager through much of the 90s and the opening of AT&T Par, earning three Manager of the Year awards and leading the Giants to the 2002 World Series.[br /][br /][b]RELATED: [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/sports/dusty-baker-back-with-giants-as-special-adviser-to-ceo/3264947/" TARGET="" REL=""]Dusty Baker back with Giants as special adviser to CEO[/url][/b][br /][br /]The Giants and A's play game two of the Bay Bridge pre-season series Monday night at AT&T Park.[br /][br /]The regular MLB season starts on Thursday.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/tag/San-Francisco-Giants" TARGET="" REL=""]Click here[/url] for more stories, photos, and video on the San Francisco Giants.[/b]