Jimmy Rollins named Phillies' nominee for the 2014 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet

Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of MLB, today announced that Jimmy Rollins was named the Phillies' 2014 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Rollins 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.

Each Club nominates one player to be considered for the Roberto Clemente Award in an effort to pay tribute to Clemente's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. Tomorrow marks the 13^th 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 and to honor Clemente's legacy. The 15-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 

Jimmy Rollins is the current Phillies all-time hits leader, an All-Star shortstop and one of the most impactful athletes in the history of Philadelphia. For over 15 years, his fundraising efforts, which have raised more than $1 million to directly impact children in the Philadelphia community, make him a decisive nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. 

Rollins holds the longest running Phillies charitable ticket program, J-Roll's Aces, and reading program, JRoll's Readers, each of which is dedicated to directly working with and enhancing the lives of Philadelphia's students in the inner city.   Over the course of his tenure with the Phillies, he has hosted major fundraisers to contribute to The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation (JRA), Prevent Child Abuse, Pennsylvania, The Food Trust, SHARE Food Program and St. Christopher's Foundation for Children.

A team leader when it comes to his community work, Jimmy is both supported and emulated by his fellow teammates; many of which have modeled their own charitable initiatives after witnessing his events and charitable efforts over the years.

"Jimmy Rollins is an extraordinary individual whose impact goes much further than the baseball field," said Phillies Senior Vice President & General Manager, Ruben Amaro Jr. "He is a role model and an asset in the Phillies clubhouse and on the field as well as in the Philadelphia community. He and his wife Johari are committed to many causes, but are particularly passionate about helping children through The Jimmy Rollins Family Foundation. Jimmy deserves to join the distinguished list of past award recipients."

"It is truly an honor to be named the 2014 Phillies' Roberto Clemente Award nominee," said Rollins. "Being associated with the man named for this award and what he stood for is really outstanding. I hope to continue the tradition of ballplayers giving back, especially to the kids in my community, for many years to come."

Rollins will be recognized prior to the 7:05 p.m. Phillies vs. Braves game on Saturday, September 27 on-field at Citizens Bank Park. In addition to being honored as the club's nominee, he will receive the Phillies Major League Community Service Award, the third time he has been recognized with the highest community honor in the Phillies organization.

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

+ Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

** Originally known as the Commissioner's Award (prior to 1973)

Beginning tomorrow, fans are encouraged to participate in the process of selecting the national Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet recipient by visiting ChevyBaseball.com, which is powered by MLB Advanced Media, to vote for one of the 30 Club nominees. Voting ends on Sunday, October 6^th and participating fans will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2014 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. The winner of the fan vote will receive one vote among those cast by the selection panel of dignitaries, which includes Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig; MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred; MLB Goodwill Ambassador and wife of Roberto Clemente, Vera Clemente; and representatives from Chevrolet, MLB Network, MLB.com, ESPN, FOX Sports and TBS, among others. 

Clubs playing at home on September 17^th 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.