Dillon Tate named Orioles 2022 Roberto Clemente Award Nominee 

Dillon Tate was riding his bike through a park in West Baltimore in 2020 when he came across a group of children playing baseball. They were about seven years old, and he could tell they were just starting to learn about the game. But it caught his attention.

“I just introduced myself to the coach,” said Tate. “And I basically just started building that network of people that I could go to and start recruiting groups of kids to get my foundation started.”

Two years later, Tate was standing down the first base line at Oriole Park talking to a group of 25 Baltimore youth who were invited to the ballpark through Tate’s now official foundation, Baseball Academia, when he found out he was the Orioles’ 2022 Roberto Clemente Award Nominee.

“I was introducing them to Manager Brandon Hyde for the people who didn’t know,” said Tate. “Right after that they flipped the signs up and it said, ‘Roberto Clemente Award Nominee.’”

“It’s an honor just to be recognized and compared to someone like him, a model citizen, a model ball player, and it’s something that I’ll never forget. It’s a huge honor.”

The most prominent individual player award bestowed by Major League Baseball, the Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to a player who demonstrates the values National Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente displayed in his extraordinary character, sportsmanship, commitment to the community, and positive contributions, both on and off the field, all of which Tate certainly does.

For those who know Tate, what he is quietly doing to give back to the Baltimore community is not a surprise. Growing up, his mom instilled the importance of paying it forward, constantly reminding him that “you have to give blessings in order to receive them.”

Giving those blessings has been Tate’s focus since 2020. His communication with the first group he met in West Baltimore did not stop after that initial interaction. Tate, who was hurt at that time, continued to go back every Thursday to work with the kids, not just making sure they were learning about baseball, but also making sure they had someone in their lives to look up to.

Tate is now using his foundation to expand on what he started in 2020. The goal of Baseball Academia is to positively influence kids through the game of baseball, as well as make sure they have a mentor and a positive role model in their lives. So far, Tate’s Baseball Academia has reached more than 150 kids, but sometimes Tate still feels like he isn’t doing enough.

“One of the things that my parents have told me is that even though it does not seem like you are doing a lot, it can be received in a different way than you think,” said Tate. “Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough, but I think the messages that I’m able to give at the time, I think they’re well received, and I just need to figure out how I can take it up another notch.”

Right now, his main message to the kids is about setting goals and having a strong work ethic. He knows first-hand what happens when you set clear goals for yourself and have the work ethic to achieve them.

This year, Tate has emerged as one of the Orioles top relievers. He is 4-3 with three saves, pitching to a 2.71 ERA (19 ER/63.0 IP) over 57 appearances through September 7. His 63.0 innings pitched are just 4.2 innings shy of his career-high innings pitched, and his 54 strikeouts mark a career-high.

Tate also knows he didn’t get here alone. It took endless support from a variety of family members including his aunt, uncle, and grandparents, as well as mentors at the Urban Youth Academy. Because of them, Tate knows the importance of having people to look up to. It is also because of them, a group of educators who were always giving back, that Tate knows the importance of paying it forward.

“I think this was something they expected of me,” said Tate. “Maybe not so much as with a foundation, but just the idea of giving my time to a group of people and letting them receive it however they receive it, however it manages to go through them, just be there to give my time to someone else.”

If Tate has learned anything since riding his bike though that West Baltimore park in 2020, it is that there is still more work to be done, something this nomination will help him accomplish. As part of his Roberto Clemente Award nomination, Major League Baseball will make a $7,500 donation to the charity of Tate’s choice, with the Orioles Charitable Foundation matching the contribution.

One thing is for sure, this is just the beginning of Tate’s work to impact the youth. And while he continues to help lead the Orioles in the midst of a pennant race, his mind will also be on how he can continue to help lead the youth in Baltimore.

“I’m trying to figure out other ways that I can better service these groups of kids,” said Tate. “I think getting them to these games is a good start, but I’m trying to figure out how I can continue to advance my foundation.”