ST. PETERSBURG -- Rob Refsnyder has seen the word "overachieve" as an embodiment of the drive for success that has allowed him to reach the Major Leagues with the Yankees. As a result of his charitable outreach in the Tampa Bay area, it now means much more.
Using that phrase, Refsnyder partnered with Athletes Brand to design a T-shirt that benefits A Kid's Place, an organization that works to provide stability and care for children removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.
"We wanted to pick a phrase that could mean a lot," Refsnyder said. "It's something meant more for people we think a lot of, whether it's teachers, volunteers, cancer survivors, firefighters, police officers, armed forces -- people who we feel like go above and beyond expectations of themselves."
Via fan voting, Refsnyder was selected as a division winner for the 2016 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, with his name appearing on 2016 Players Choice Award ballots for league-wide voting on Tuesday to determine this season's award winner.
The Mets' Curtis Granderson, the Astros' Lance McCullers Jr., the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo, the White Sox David Robertson and the Dodgers' Justin Turner are the other division winners.
"It's a great honor. I was just reading up on David's 'High Socks for Hope' and Granderson's 'Grand Kids,'" Refsnyder said. "It's really, really cool stuff. Hopefully I can talk to those guys and get some advice. It just makes you feel good and keeps everything in perspective.
"My wife and I are super passionate about giving back. It's definitely going to be a part of however long I'm in baseball for, using this platform to bring awareness and raise some money."
All 30 clubs had one representative, nominated by their teammates. Each will receive a $2,500 grant from the Players Trust to be donated to the charity of his choice.
Refsnyder said that he got involved with A Kid's Place after researching charities near the Yankees' Spring Training home in Tampa, Fla. He found the volunteers to be passionate about their work, aiming to give each child a safe, loving and nurturing experience.
"We wanted to pick a charity in Tampa we could go visit and see how the donations would be used," Refsnyder said. "Every year, it seems like more and more children go through their campus, unfortunately. It's kind of sad, but they're doing some really good things. We're excited to work with them in the future."