MLB announces Baltimore Orioles nomination for Roberto Clemente Award

Baltimore Orioles veteran James McCann deserves all the honor.

McCann has been selected as the team's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, MLB announced Monday. Before Baltimore played its game on Monday, McCann spoke with reporters, including MLB.com, about the award.

“What Roberto Clemente stands for, who he was as a player and what he was to his community, it's hard to put into words when you look at him in this light,” McCann said. “To be nominated for this is a very special honor. I'm proud of it.”

The Roberto Clemente Award is presented annually to a major league player who best represents the sport of baseball through his or her exceptional character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field.

If McCann wins the award, he would be the fifth Baltimore player to receive it, following Brooks Robinson (1972), Ken Singleton (1982), Cal Ripken Jr. (1992) and Eric Davis (1997).

McCann has been nominated for the award for the second time.

McCann and his wife Jessica are working with a Nashville charity to donate shoes and other essentials to foster families.

He is instrumental in the Orioles' acquisition of Harlem Park Elementary and Middle School, which was announced earlier this year. He welcomes students and staff for batting practice at Friday home games and has visited a physical education class in Harlem Park to teach baseball lessons to students.

The McCann family also purchased backpacks, clothing and shoes for Harlem Park students for the new school year.

His other charitable activities include supporting Baltimore's Dream On 3 initiative, where he supports local NICUs by visiting hospitals, bringing gifts and encouraging families in need based on their experiences with the premature birth of their twin sons. He also supports the Orioles' Military Suites Program and the charitable work of his teammates, including Cedric Mullins.

Last year's winner was New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. The winner is usually announced each October during the World Series.

Other recent winners of the award include Justin Turner (2022), Nelson Cruz (2021), Adam Wainwright (2020), Carlos Carrasco (2019) and Yadier Molina (2018).

Sunday is Roberto Clemente Day, which honors Clemente's legacy as a humanitarian and officially recognizes each club's nominees. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will appear on the bases and official dugout lineup cards, and a customized tribute video to Clemente and the 30 Roberto Clemente Award nominees will be shown at all MLB ballparks.

Clemente, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, died on December 31, 1972, while distributing relief supplies for earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The Puerto Rican native was a 15-time All-Star, two-time World Series winner, 12-time Gold Glove winner, four-time National League batting champion and 1966 NL MVP.