CLEVELAND — Guardians star third baseman Jose Ramirez has been named the club’s nominee for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award, known as baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for players.
The Roberto Clemente Award recognizes a player 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 player each year.
Ramirez has made community contributions in both Cleveland and Bani, in the Dominican Republic, essentially his birth and baseball homes.
“We’re so proud of him for so many reasons,” said Guardians manager Terry Francona. “I mean, the way he carries himself, there’s a reason that not just his teammates, but guys on other teams, want to hear him and talk to him and listen. He’s just a really good kid.
“I’ve got to believe Roberto Clemente would be proud to have Josey’s name [in this].”
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Last year, Jose Ramirez Field was constructed in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, which is home to the largest Latino population in Ohio. That field is used by the community, Lincoln West High School and the Guardians RBI program teams.
In Bani, Ramirez has partnered with the Guardians to refurbish El Play de Villa Majega, the baseball field on which he played as a kid. One of the missions of the renovations to that field is to give kids a chance to play baseball with actual bases and rubber on the pitcher’s mound instead of pipes and tires acting as bases.
Ramirez is in his second year as a Guardians Youth Baseball and Softball ambassador, visiting youth players in both Cleveland and Bani to teach them about the game, answer questions and distribute new equipment.
He also recently hosted a Play Ball Clinic at Estadio De Baseball Luis Maria Herrera in Bani.
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Friday was the 22nd annual Roberto Clemente Day, established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy as a humanitarian.
Fans can now vote for the Roberto Clemente Award winner via mlbtogethercom/clemente21. The site will feature bios of each nominee. The winner of the fan vote counts as one part of the process, along with a panel.
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Three Cleveland players have won the award in the past — Andre Thornton (1979), Jim Thome (2002) and Carlos Carrasco (2019).
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.
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