Justin Masterson named Cleveland Indians nominee for the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award Presented by Chevrolet

Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, today announced that Justin Masterson was named the Cleveland Indians 2013 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Tomorrow marks the 12th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente's legacy and to officially recognize local Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Masterson is one of the 30 Club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.

The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet pays tribute to Clemente's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. The 15-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Justin Masterson continues to provide support to the Cleveland community through numerous programs of Cleveland Indians Charities. On top of making visits to local schools where he teaches students the importance of a good education, he is our spokesperson for our glove drive and has spent numerous occasions reaching out to fans to let them know how impactful a glove donation is to the Cleveland Baseball Federation. In addition, he has participated as a speaker during our Faith Nights where he has shared testimonials with our fans and has spent time (with his wife) volunteering and making donations at Laura's Home, a battered women's shelter in Cleveland.

Justin also is active in the Dominican Republic Mission of Mercy Program: One Child Matters in the city of Moca, DR. He and his wife spend time in the offseason visiting Child Development Centers in the DR, raising and donating money to the cause and helping to ensure safe and healthy living environments for those children.

Justin will be recognized in a pre-game ceremony on Tuesday, September 24th on the field.

"Justin embodies one of the Cleveland Indians guiding commitments, to our community," said Rebecca Kodysh, the Indians Executive Director of Community Impact. "We're proud of the work he does in our community and others, and of his recognition by Major League Baseball."

"It's an honor to be nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award," Masterson said. "So many people have been nominated in the past have done such great things. To whom much is given, much is required, and I try to live by that."

The distinguished list of past national Roberto Clemente Award recipients includes 14 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame:

1971, Willie Mays+**
1972, Brooks Robinson+**
1973, Al Kaline+
1974, Willie Stargell+
1975, Lou Brock+
1976, Pete Rose
1977, Rod Carew+
1978, Greg Luzinski
1979, Andre Thornton
1980, Phil Niekro+
1981, Steve Garvey
1982, Ken Singleton    
1983, Cecil Cooper
1984, Ron Guidry
1985, Don Baylor
1986, Garry Maddox
1987, Rick Sutcliffe
1988, Dale Murphy
1989, Gary Carter+
1990, Dave Stewart
1991, Harold Reynolds
1992, Cal Ripken, Jr.+
1993, Barry Larkin+
1994, Dave Winfield+
1995, Ozzie Smith+
1996, Kirby Puckett+
1997, Eric Davis
1998, Sammy Sosa
1999, Tony Gwynn+
2000, Al Leiter
2001, Curt Schilling
2002, Jim Thome
2003, Jamie Moyer
2004, Edgar Martinez
2005, John Smoltz
2006, Carlos Delgado
2007, Craig Biggio
2008, Albert Pujols
2009, Derek Jeter
2010, Tim Wakefield
2011, David Ortiz
2012, Clayton Kershaw
    
+ Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
** Originally known as the Commissioner's Award (prior to 1973)

Beginning tomorrow on Roberto Clemente Day, fans are encouraged to participate in the process of selecting the national award recipient by visiting ChevyBaseball.com to vote for one of the 30 Club nominees. Voting ends Sunday, Oct. 6, and participating fans will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2013 World Series, where the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet will be announced. The winner of the fan vote will receive one vote among those cast by the selection panel.

Clubs playing at home Sept. 17 will recognize their local nominees as part of Roberto Clemente Day ceremonies, while visiting Clubs will honor their nominees before another September home game. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will appear on the bases and the official dugout lineup cards.