DENVER -- Whether shredding guitar at children's hospitals or raising money for military families, Giants pitcher Jake Peavy has been ingrained in each MLB community in which he's pitched.
Peavy was named the Giants' nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award on Tuesday, which annually honors the player who best represents the game through character, philanthropy and contributions, on and off the field.
Peavy has the rare distinction of having been nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award with three different clubs: The Padres, White Sox and now the Giants. MLB could not confirm whether that is unprecedented in the award's history. Willie Mays remains the Giants' only winner, having been selected in the award's inaugural year in 1971.
"It's certainly humbling to be a nominee for an award that is named after somebody that stands for what Roberto did," Peavy said. "We all know what kind of player he was, but when you hear people talk about Roberto Clemente, you hear about the kind of person he was and how much he cared for other people and how much his involvement and the use of his platform to help change his community into a better place."
Voting is underway, and fans are encouraged to participate in the new process of selecting the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award by posting any nominee's voting hashtags to MLB's official social media accounts, @MLB on Twitter and Facebook.com/MLB. Peavy's hashtag is #VotePeavy.
Initially established as the Commissioner's Award, the distinction was renamed in 1973 in honor of the Hall of Famer Clemente, who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve in 1972 en route to assist earthquake victims in Nicarauga.
Wednesday marks the 15th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which celebrates the 15-time All-Star's legacy and honors each club's nominee. Because the Giants will be on the road on Wednesday, they will honor Peavy during their next homestand.
The former National League Cy Young Award winner who was acquired by the Giants via trade in 2014, Peavy established the Jake Peavy Foundation in 2012 as a means to strengthen the local communities in which he's pitched. In addition to San Francisco, his foundation has made an impactful imprint in Chicago, Boston, San Diego and his hometown of Mobile, Ala.
Peavy has worked closest with disadvantaged youth, military families returning from duty and cancer patients.
In June, Peavy was named the Giants' nominee for the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, which honors a current Major Leaguer, a U.S. Navy chief petty officer and a baseball Hall of Famer who possess the values, integrity and dedication to serving Americans displayed by Feller, the Hall of Fame pitcher who died in 2010.
Earlier this summer, Peavy teamed up with Coy Bowles of Zac Brown Band to play for patients at a children's hospital in Atlanta. He also sang and offered positive encouragement for a small group at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in June as part of Musicians On Call, a nonprofit that brings live music to hospital patients and their families.
When the Giants played in his former confines, Peavy hosted wounded military members in San Diego and children from the Boston Boys & Girls Club for batting practice.
Fans can participate in the new process of selecting the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award through the end of the season. The winner is generally announced and honored during the World Series.