Last Ten Roberto Clemente Award Winners: 6-4
Since 1971, Major League Baseball has awarded the Roberto Clemente Award to those who show “extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” The original winner was Willie Mays and since then 52 players have received the award. In this series, we will look at the previous ten winners and explore how they earned this honor. This is Part Two Of Three.
#6 - Yadier Molina (2018) St. Louis Cardinals
Aaron Doster/Associated Press
Our first retired player on our list, Yadier Molina, was the long-time backstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. His career began as the backup to Mike Matheny in 2004, however, when Matheny left, Molina became the primary catcher for a stellar rotation in St. Louis for guys like Chris Carpenter and Jeff Suppan. Primarily known for his glove and defense, he shut down any run game that the opposing team would attempt that day. As such, he amassed 23 awards for those categories alone. Quietly, his bat because of a boon for the St. Louis Cardinals, specifically one at-bat in Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS versus the New York Mets. In the ninth, he hit a go-ahead 2-run shot to put the Cardinals ahead and send them to the World Series where they eventually won over the Detroit Tigers. He would win two championships with the St. Louis Cardinals, placing 4th and 3rd in MVP votes in 2012 and 2013 respectively, and played his entire career with the Birds on his back.
For everything that he has accomplished, I doubt there was no better award to receive than one named after a fellow Puerto Rican. Molina started FUNDACION 4 (Foundation 4) with his wife Wanda Torres in 2010. According to their website, “Its main mission is to create happier lives and futures for underprivileged children in Puerto Rico. And in the event of special circumstances, to help the people of Puerto Rico in times of need due to natural disasters.” The foundation has raised money for children’s hospitals, housing, community centers, scholarships, and provisions in disasters. When he wasn’t guiding his team to playoff victories, he was helping his fellow Puerto Ricans when they needed it the most. A link to their foundation is below.
#5 - Anthony Rizzo (2017) Chicago Cubs
Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Rizzo was the face of a rebuilding Chicago Cubs team that clawed back from the bottom to win it all in 2016. His famous smile will forever be enriched within the halls of Wrigley Field. Between 2014 and 2019, he hit .289 with 179 home runs and placed 4th in MVP votes in back-to-back years. However, a single dark cloud hovered over Rizzo in his early years, Hodgkins Lymphoma, a type of cancer that fights the lymphatic system. Thankfully he overcame this cloud and on the other side came a man devoted to helping those in similar situations.
In 2012, he founded the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, and according to their website, “The mission of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation is to raise money for cancer research and to provide support to children and their families battling the disease.” Rizzo has set up fundraisers through things such as cook-offs, walks, and comedy laugh-offs.
According to MLB.com, he donated $3.5 Million dollars to Lurie Children’s Hospital and another $650,000 to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Health System, all in the hopes to fund and create Hope 44, one on one care and support for parents and children with cancer. Even the cash money he got from receiving the award was donated to Puerto Rican Hurricane efforts. While his jersey is now with a Touch Of Grey (see below), his mark on the Children of Chicago and Parkland, Florida will forever be remembered. The link to donate will be below.
#4- Curtis Granderson (2016) New York Mets
Marc S. Levine/New York Mets
Curtis “The Grandyman” Granderson played the better part of 16 years in the Major Leagues. It started out with the Detroit Tigers and their magical run to the 2006 World Series. In 2007, he and Jimmy Rollins famously joined the 20-20-20-20 club, with 20 doubles, triples, steals, and home runs in a season.
After the 2009 season, Granderson was part of a three-team trade that sent him to the New York Yankees. While he never hit for average, his left-handed swing fit perfectly at Yankee Stadium, hitting 84 home runs in a two-year span. He became a journeyman at the end of his career, playing with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Miami Marlins. It was during his tenure in Queens that Granderson received the Roberto Clemente Award.
It started back in 2007 when Granderson founded the Grand Kids Foundation. According to their website, the foundation gives Children in need educational and athletics opportunities. These come from scholarships, fundraisers, and helping in any way he can to those who might not have a chance otherwise. He donated $5 Million Dollars to his alma mater, the University of Illinois in Chicago, to help fund a new baseball field. This in turn led to the creation of the Chicago Baseball and Education Academy. Granderson also created Grand Giving, further helping children in need with food needs. As of 2020, they have given out over 30.7 Million meals to those in need. While he never played with a Cubs jersey on his back, his countless donations to the city of Chicago as with the other cities he has played for will always stand as an example of helping out those who need a boost. A link to the Grand Kids Foundation is below.
