Skip Schumaker named Reds nominee for the 2014 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet
Beginning on Roberto Clemente Day, Fans Can Vote on ChevyBaseball.com for the National Recipient and Register for a Chance to Win a Trip to the 2014 World Series
Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of MLB, announced that Skip Schumaker was named the Cincinnati Reds 2014 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Schumaker 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 presented by Chevrolet in an effort to pay tribute to Clemente's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. Wednesday, September 17th marks the thirteenth 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.
On the field, Skip is known as a multi-dimensional and passionate leader; just this year alone he has played five positions. He extends his passion for baseball into the community by participating in community events and activities.
His presence in Reds Country began just weeks after joining the team when he attended Redsfest, the team's annual offseason fan fest. He is also a great influence on his teammates, leading monthly visits to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center during the season. Skip has also been actively involved in Make-A-Wish visits and knows every one of these experiences means a lifetime of memories for the individuals involved. He continually shows a strong commitment to the Cincinnati community and Reds fans.
On his own time Skip supports the Jessie Rees Foundation, whose mission is to fulfill Jessie's wish by ensuring every child fighting cancer has the support and resources they need to never ever give up.
When asked how he felt about being nominated for this award, Skip smiled and said, "I'm honored to use the platform I've been given to have an impact on kids and the community. I plan to make the most of this opportunity."
The distinguished list of past national Roberto Clemente Award recipients includes 14 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame:
1971 | Willie Mays+** | 1982 | Ken Singleton | 1993 | Barry Larkin+ | 2004 | Edgar Martinez |
1972 | Brooks Robinson+** | 1983 | Cecil Cooper | 1994 | Dave Winfield+ | 2005 | John Smoltz |
1973 | Al Kaline+ | 1984 | Ron Guidry | 1995 | Ozzie Smith+ | 2006 | Carlos Delgado |
1974 | Willie Stargell+ | 1985 | Don Baylor | 1996 | Kirby Puckett+ | 2007 | Craig Biggio |
1975 | Lou Brock+ | 1986 | Garry Maddox | 1997 | Eric Davis | 2008 | Albert Pujols |
1976 | Pete Rose | 1987 | Rick Sutcliffe | 1998 | Sammy Sosa | 2009 | Derek Jeter |
1977 | Rod Carew+ | 1988 | Dale Murphy | 1999 | Tony Gwynn+ | 2010 | Tim Wakefield |
1978 | Greg Luzinski | 1989 | Gary Carter+ | 2000 | Al Leiter | 2011 | David Ortiz |
1979 | Andre Thornton | 1990 | Dave Stewart | 2001 | Curt Schilling | 2012 | Clayton Kershaw |
1980 | Phil Niekro+ | 1991 | Harold Reynolds | 2002 | Jim Thome | 2013 | Carlos Beltran |
1981 | Steve Garvey | 1992 | Cal Ripken, Jr.+ | 2003 | Jamie Moyer |
+ Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
** Originally known as the Commissioner's Award (prior to 1973)
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 6th 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 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 17th 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.