Major League Baseball just announced that Mariners pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith is the team’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for his contributions off the field. Here’s the official release from MLB, complete with commercial references to the award sponsor (It’s not only an award for humanitarian efforts, but also an opportunity for commercial endorsement):
Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, today announced that Ryan Rowland-Smith is the Seattle Mariners 2010 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Rowland-Smith is one of the 30 Club nominees who are finalists for the national award, which is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field. Tomorrow marks the ninth annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy and to officially recognize local Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet.
Since 2007, when Rowland-Smith made his Major League debut with the Mariners, he has been active in a number of community causes. Rowland-Smith is chair of the annual Cystic Fibrosis Mariners Care Golf Tournament. This year’s event raised over $170,000 for CF research.
Rowland-Smith has also been an active supporter of the Boys &Girls Clubs. Each of the past two off-seasons, he has hosted baseball camps that provide baseball instruction as well as life skills lessons through the character development programs at the Boys &Girls Clubs.
Other local charities and non-profit organizations Rowland-Smith has supported over the years include Ronald McDonald House Charities and Northwest Sarcoma Foundation. Rowland-Smith is also active in the Major League Baseball Players Trust, the charitable foundation of the Major League Baseball Players Association. This season, Rowland-Smith teamed with Volunteers of America and the Action Teams to encourage local high school students to volunteer in their communities and help recruit and train a new generation of volunteers. On June 3, Rowland-Smith joined student leaders at the North Seattle Food Bank to help distribute food to Northwest families and sort and bag items to be delivered to home-bound seniors.
“I’m very proud that every member of the Seattle Mariners is involved in community activities. We have received so much from this community and we are serious about our commitment to return that kindness and support to the people who have given us so much,” said Howard Lincoln, Seattle Mariners Chair &CEO.
The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet recognizes players who best represent the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions to their Clubs. The award is named for the 12-time All-Star and Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The award pays tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character by recognizing talented current players who truly understand the value of helping others.
The Mariners have produced three Clemente Award winners: Harold Reynolds in 1991, Jamie Moyer in 2003 and Edgar Martinez in 2004.
Fans are encouraged to participate in the process of selecting the national award recipient by visiting www.chevy.com/clemente, powered by MLB.com and created specifically for the Roberto Clemente Award platform, from September 7 to October 8 to vote for one of the 30 Club nominees. Participating fans will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2010 World Series, where the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet will be announced.
The winner of the fan poll will receive one vote among those cast by the selection panel, which includes Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer; Commissioner Selig; MLB Network analyst and former Roberto Clemente Award winner Harold Reynolds; MLB Network analyst, TBS broadcaster and former Roberto Clemente Award winner John Smoltz; Hall of Famer and ESPN broadcaster Joe Morgan; former All-Star catcher and FOX broadcaster Tim McCarver; and MLB.com senior correspondent Hal Bodley.
MLB celebrates Roberto Clemente Day as part of the broader “MLB Going Beyond” platform, which strives to integrate community service and the importance of giving back.
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