OAKLAND -- Cameron Maybin may no longer be a member of the Angels, but he will still be the club's nominee for the 2017 Roberto Clemente Award, a prestigious honor that recognizes character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field.
Maybin was claimed off waivers by the Astros last week, but he was actively involved in community efforts during his time in Anaheim, often visiting local elementary schools as part of the Angels Baseball Foundation's Adopt-A-School program. Maybin and his wife, Courtney, also founded the Maybin Mission in 2016 to enrich the lives of inner-city youth. They hosted a Jackie Robinson-inspired essay contest in April to encourage students to share stories of overcoming obstacles.
"In such a very short period of time, Cam made a tremendous impact within our community," Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead said in a statement. "At the outset of Spring Training, Cam stated he wanted to do whatever possible to assist our community relations department and organizational programs. He never wavered from that commitment and we remain grateful for his contributions."
The Angels will honor Maybin for his award nomination in a pregame ceremony on Sept. 14, before they take on the Astros at Angel Stadium.
The Roberto Clemente Award winner will be selected among the group of nominees via a blue-ribbon panel that includes individuals connected to the game, including Commissioner Rob Manfred, representatives from MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS) and MLB Advanced Media, as well as Vera Clemente, widow of Roberto.
Fans will also be able to vote for the overall winner from Oct. 2-6.