“ A guy who lost everything trying to help people, that should be a message not only for baseball players but for the whole country, everywhere. “He should be like Jackie Robinson,” Cruz said of the Hall of Famer who broke baseball’s color line in 1947 and now has his No. He also hopes that Major League Baseball retires Roberto Clemente’s No. The Clemente Award winner will be announced during the World Series, but Cruz believes that The Great One’s memory should be commemorated beyond a single award. “He lost his life trying to help people, so…it’s a privilege to be recognized. “What did on the field and off the field was incredible,” he said. If Cruz were to win the award he would become just the fourth Dominican to do so, following in the footsteps of Sammy Sosa (1998), Albert Pujols (2008) and David Ortiz (2011).Ĭruz, like so many other Latin ballplayers, is particularly proud to be nominated for an award named after the Puerto Rican superstar and philanthropist. Operativo médico en conjunto con el Ministerio de Defensa.Ī post shared by Nelson Cruz on at 6:09pm PST Honoring Clemente’s Legacyįor back-to-back years Nelson Cruz has been selected as the Mariners’ recipient of the Heart and Hustle Award, with team officials often citing his philanthropic work as reason for the recognition, but 2018 marks the first year he has been nominated for the prestigious Clemente Award. Health clinic in Las Matas de Santa Cruz by Boomstick23 Foundation in conjunction with Ministry of Defense. When he joined the Mariners he reached out to the Seattle Fire Department to provide further equipment to the fire department in Las Matas de Santa Cruz, and their combined efforts produced a “U-Haul-sized truck” of gear. At the time, Cruz played with the Texas Rangers, so he worked with the Arlington Fire Department to buy a fully-operational fire truck and two ambulances for his hometown. A childhood friend’s house had “burned down completely, because we have a fire truck in my hometown,” so he sprang into action. “One of my first donations was an ambulance and a fire truck – two ambulances and a fire truck,” noted Cruz. Jointly with the MLB Players’ Association, he donated wheelchairs to the Dominican Republic in 2015.Ĭruz has supported MLB’s PLAY BALL initiative since 2016 and the Mariners’ nonprofit, Mariners Care, including participating in school outreach programs and local Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities events. He supported AID for AIDS International’s initiative, “ Un Batazo Contra El VIH” (A Hit Against HIV). In 2015, Cruz became a spokesperson for AID for AIDS International, which is committed to empowering communities at risk of HIV and AIDs. “I’ve been able to bring equipment and gear for most of the programs in the Dominican. “I’ve always been donating stuff to kids, trying to help them out, help them go to school,” he said. He also frequently hosts fundraising events to raise money for a wide variety of philanthropic initiatives, from the Amyloidosis Support Groups to the development of a new Education and Training Center in his hometown of Las Matas de Santa Cruz.Ĭruz started the Boomstick23 Foundation in 2016, but giving back to his communities is something the slugger has always been passionate about. This year he provided 10 new scholarships to students from Chief Sealth International High School in Seattle. Through his foundation, Cruz awards “Boomstick Scholarships” to high-achieving students. The foundation, whose mission stresses a commitment “to generating social impact by empowering children and young people in situations of social vulnerability developing skills and abilities through education and sports to improve the environment and their quality of life,” has been one way in which he’s left his mark. “I’ve been helping in the Dominican without my foundation for a long time,” said Cruz, referring to his Boomstick23 Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. That’s where Cruz’s fireman’s gear comes in. 519 slugging percentage but, despite his prodigious power, his actions off the field truly set him apart.Īfter all, only one player from each team can be nominated for the annual Roberto Clemente Award. The 38-year-old Dominican is a six-time All-Star with three seasons with at least 40 home runs and one with 39 homers. Cruz is exceptional on the field, to be sure. OK, so maybe it’s not like any other major leaguer, nor any major league superstar. Cleats and shoes are stacked below, and a fireman’s jacket and hat feature prominently on a front hook. Uniforms and shirts hang tightly together. Nelson Cruz’s locker is just like that of any other major leaguer.
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