(Cincinnati, Oh.)--The Cincinnati Reds Scooter Gennett was named the Reds 2017 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.
The Roberto Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a player from each Major League Baseball Club who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Each Club nominates one current player to be considered for the Roberto Clemente Award in tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character. The Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Wednesday, September 6th marks the sixteenth annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established in 1973, by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy.
Gennett is one of the 30 Club nominees for the annual award. In his first season as a Red, Gennett made history on the field with four home runs in one game. However, his performance off the field has equaled his accomplishments inside the lines. Gennett participates in monthly visits to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and meets with guests from Make-A-Wish each homestand. He also participated in Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids with Miracle League athletes, Reds Day at the Cincinnati Zoo, and Season Ticket Member events. Later this month, he will be spearheading a pediatric cancer awareness initiative with Love Your Melon.
A pregame ceremony recognizing Gennett will be held Wednesday, September 6. He then will have the honor of presenting the Open Arms Home for Children will a donation of $7,500.
Beginning the day after the Regular Season ends, fans can vote online for the Roberto Clemente Award winner from among the group of nominees. The site will feature bios of each of the nominees and will allow fans to easily vote by clicking on the respective nominee’s name. The winner of the fan voting, which will run from Monday, October 2nd through Friday, October 6th, will count as one vote among those cast by the blue ribbon panel.
The Blue Ribbon panel includes Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., representatives from MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS) and MLB Advanced Media, as well as Vera Clemente, the late Roberto’s wife.
Prevous Roberto Clemente Award winners include Willie Mays, 1971, Eric Davis, 1997, Derek Jeter, 2009, Pete Rose, 1976, Barry Larkin, 1993, Clayton Kershaw, 2012, and Curtis Granderson, 2016.