There are a lot of awards given out to professional athletes that don’t mean much. The Roberto Clemente Award is not one of them.
Each year, all 30 MLB teams nominate one of their players for the award with a winner being named after a combination of fan votes and a distinguished panel.
The award goes to the player who best represents the league through positive contributions on and off the field.
This year, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and White Sox pitcher David Robertson have been nominated.
Both players are very hands-on with their own charities. The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation raises money for cancer research and supports children and their families fighting cancer. Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 18.
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Similarly, Robertson has a cause of his own that is close to the ball player’s heart. The Alabama native raises money through his High Socks for Hope Foundation for those affected by tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters after his home town of Tuscaloosa was hit with a tornado in 2011.
Paul Konerko won the award last season as the White Sox representative. The last Cubs player to be honored was Sammy Sosa in 1998.
Fan voting for the award opens up Wednesday.
