Yastrzemski has been nominated by his teammates for this year’s award thanks in large part to his advocacy for mental health awareness and resources.
Good morning, baseball fans!
Each season, a player from each MLB team is nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to the team.
Each team chooses one of their players who lives the values honored by the award, and a panel of baseball dignitaries votes on which player from all 30 teams will be that year’s winner. Fans get to vote as well, and their collective vote counts as one additional vote on the panel.
The San Francisco Giants have had only one winner of the award, and it was the very first one. It was in 1971, when Willie Mays received it (while it was still known as the Commissioner’s Award, prior to Clemente’s death two years later.)
This year the Giants will be well represented, however, as Mike Yastrzemski has been nominated as the team’s finalist.
Yastrzemski has been a vocal advocate for mental health awareness and resources, particularly in veterans. While his initial participation in the “Mustache May” trend was for fun and to try to shake things up during a slump, he has taken it further and used it as a formal awareness campaign. Per his finalist page bio:
Mustache May not only raises money, but also drives conversations about important issues, helping to reduce the stigma and encourage proactive approaches to challenges like mental health.
The winner of the Roberto Clemente Award is announced during the World Series. So here’s hoping we see at least one Giant during the fall classic this year. Good luck, Yaz!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT from Oracle Park.