ST. PETERSBURG -- As a child, Francisco Lindor spent his days learning the same topics as any other Puerto Rican elementary school student. In his classrooms, Lindor absorbed lessons about the island’s indigenous peoples and the Taíno who eventually displaced them. He learned about the Spaniards’ arrival and of Puerto Rico’s modern history.
And he learned about Roberto Clemente.
Always a baseball-obsessed child, Lindor took a particular interest in that portion of the curriculum, taking in information about the late Hall of Famer’s career and humanitarian efforts. He resolved to be like Clemente in as many ways as possible.
It is with that as his backdrop that Lindor on Monday accepted the Roberto Clemente Award, Major League Baseball’s highest off-field honor, which recognizes the philanthropic efforts of one player each year. Lindor, a four-time nominee, is the fifth Puerto Rican player to win it, joining Edgar Martínez, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltrán and Yadier Molina. He received his award in front of his wife, parents and other family members ahead of Game 3 of the World Series at Tropicana Field.
“This award represents me, but it also represents my family,” Lindor said in Spanish. “It represents my mother. It represents my sister and my siblings -- anybody that has anything to do with my success.”
For those reasons, charitable instincts are rooted deep within Lindor. Throughout his career, whenever the shortstop calls his parents, the conversation invariably turns to philanthropy. Frequently, Lindor’s parents ask how and to whom he is giving back. They ask what he is doing to help his community. Around the holidays, they redouble their questioning.
“Sometimes, us athletes can be seen like we’re so far away from the general public,” Lindor said. “But we’re not. We are in the communities. We are giving back. We are helping. Hopefully, this is going to give me a bigger platform to continue to help.”
Upon learning that he would receive the Clemente Award, Lindor called his dad not only to deliver the news, but to tell him it was a product of “you putting this little seed in my head, planting this seed of blessing others with the stuff we have.”
“So you don’t have to worry,” Lindor told his father, “because I am giving back.”
The ways in which Lindor has done so are manifold. To detail several of his initiatives:
- Since 2020, he has donated more than $1 million to help fund and develop Lindor Hall, a two-story middle school building at his alma mater, Montverde Academy in Florida, featuring state-of-the-art science and technology labs and athletic fields. The shortstop also established the Francisco Lindor Scholarship Fund to provide opportunities for students who otherwise would not have the financial means to attend.
- Following Hurricanes Maria (2017) and Fiona (2022), Lindor provided financial support for disaster relief, restored athletic facilities in his hometown of Caguas, hosted youth baseball clinics, and partnered with various organizations to support recovery and environmental conservation efforts.
- This year, he launched “Lindor’s Leaders,” a season-long development program for students in Bayside High School’s Sports Medicine Program. Centered on mental health, communication, teamwork and leadership, the initiative gave Lindor the opportunity to mentor students while equipping them with the confidence and skills to become leaders in their communities.
- Lindor also recently partnered with Seen, a nonprofit that helps families with children navigating physical disability, to give those children a day out at the ballpark. And he has partnered with New Balance to deliver backpacks and school supplies to hundreds of children each year.
“We call it the highest award because it recognizes a unique combination of excellence on the field and community service,” Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said, speaking directly to Lindor. “I think that it is so easy to congratulate you on the great career that he has on and off the field. It’s well deserved.”
Since 2022, MLB has honored Clemente Award winners with a No. 21 patch that they can wear on the backs of their caps for the rest of their careers, as well as a No. 21 decal for their helmets.
That same summer, at a Clemente Day ceremony, 14 past recipients of the award gathered at Citi Field. The reunion afforded Lindor an opportunity to mingle with Beltrán, Delgado and other past winners, as well as Clemente’s three children: Roberto Jr., Luis and Enrique.
Lindor, who was a year away from his first Clemente Award nomination, recalled seeing that fraternity and telling himself, “Hopefully, one day I’ll be in the same group as they are.”
Beginning this week, he will be.
“It’s a little bit surreal, you know?” Lindor said. “It’s bigger than baseball, in a way. Like, we are in the entertainment business, and we are there to bring smiles and joy to people, but also to carry it off the field to me is even cooler. So it’s something that I’ll forever continue to do.”