By: Nelson de la Rosa Rodríguez
Major League Baseball announced in the last few hours the 30 players nominated for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award, among them there are 3 Dominicans, 2 Puerto Ricans, 2 Venezuelans and the Cuban outfielder of the Miami Marlins Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo.
The “Roberto Clemente” is considered the most prestigious individual award for Major League players, and each year recognizes the Major League player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community ties, philanthropy and contributions. on and off the field.
The Miami Marlins chose the player born in Melena del Sur, Mayabeque, for several reasons:
“Jorgito”, as he is known among those closest to him, is a man who knows what it is to come from below, he is aware of all the effort his parents had to make so that he could play baseball in Cuba. He knows what it is like to live with less than the minimum resources and today, when, thanks to God and his talent, his story is different, he tries to help as much as possible and that makes him even greater as a human being.
Since arriving at the Miami Marlins, the winner of 2 World Series rings (2016 and 2021), before the start of the 2022 season, he joined the Miami Marlins Foundation to achieve a Marlins Impact in the South Florida community, being a true leader on and off the field, especially supporting fundraising efforts and attending special neighborhood events.
At the end of last year, the 2021 World Series MVP attended the annual “Holiday Wishes” event, where he distributed gifts for the Christmas season and took photos with children from the Little Havana community.
Already in 2023, before the start of the season, he was among those registered for Caravan Week, an event organized by the Miami Marlins Foundation, and even attended the inauguration of the “Spring Tee Ball” initiative of the Youth Academy of the Miami Marlins presented by Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital.
Likewise, his presence is recognized in the festivities of the Howard Palmetto Baseball and Softball Association, which are unforgettable for the children of the “Marlins Tee Ball.” The initiative provides t-shirts and caps to more than 12,500 Little League players.
Added to that, this same year he was one of the three Marlins players who participated in the “Panel of Great Minds” at John A. Ferguson High School in Miami.
Partnered with the Miami Marlins Foundation, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Positive Coaching Alliance and Nike, this program has already impacted more than 9,000 middle and high school student-athletes and hopes to expand its programming over the years. following to ensure lasting cultural change in terms of mental and emotional well-being. To this end, “Jorgito,” selected this year for the All-Star Game, joined a panel and spoke about the importance of mental health in the game of baseball, a topic that was once labeled taboo in the sports industry. professional. In his speech, the 31-year-old player spoke about personal experiences about his own mental health and offered key knowledge and techniques that attendees can take advantage of.
The 2021 MLB Legendary Moment Award winner has also greatly supported Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami through donations for their efforts caring for sick children in the South Florida community.
It also organizes and finances the VIP experience at IoanDepot Park (the home of the Marlins), through which it receives several groups of families from the hospital for an experience at the Stadium and which culminates with an important celebration for the children, which can mean the end of treatment, graduation, surgery or major discharge throughout the year. During the experience, all children receive Miami Marlins equipment and then watch the game from a suite, where “Billy The Marlin” surprises them with a visit.
Additionally, Jorge has long made financial contributions and hospital visits on his own time during the offseason.
Although he does not appear in the records, Jorge Soler is also attentive to the needs of many of his countrymen, back in his native Melena del Sur, where it is not difficult to find bats, gloves, balls, jerseys and much more, courtesy of him.
The winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, presented by Capital One, will be announced at the 2023 World Series, after being chosen by a select panel. This panel includes representatives from the Commissioner’s Office, Capital One, MLB-affiliated television networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS), MLB.com and the Hall of Fame, in addition to Roberto’s sons, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente Jr.
Starting this Friday, fans can vote for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented by Capital One, via the official ballot, until October 1. At least mine already has it.
Among the thirty candidates appear the Dominicans Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto), José Ramírez (Cleveland) and Jeremy Peña (Houston), the Puerto Ricans Carlos Correa (Minnesota) and Francisco Lindor (Mets), as well as the Venezuelans Miguel Cabrera (Detroit ) and Salvador Pérez (Kansas City).
The first winner of the award was Willie Mays in 1971 and the last was Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers. Among the winners of previous years we find the Panamanian Rod Carew (1977), the Dominicans Sammy Sosa (1998), Albert Pujols (2008), David Ortiz (2011) and Nelson Cruz (2021), as well as the Puerto Ricans Edgar Martínez (2004) , Carlos Delgado (2006), Carlos Beltrán (2013) and Yadier Molina (2018).
2023-09-16 19:02:50
#Cuban #candidate #Roberto #Clemente #Award
