Greene's charitable efforts began long ago

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI -- Reds pitcher Hunter Greene didn't wait for fame or fortune to come his way before making his commitment to help others. Greene, who is completing his second Major League season, got started early.

"I think I was 8 or 9 when I did my first book drive," Greene said. "It was just a special feeling being able to give back and see some of the expressions I saw on the kids' faces and the feeling of giving back.

"I promised myself and my family at a young age that I would continue to do that, knowing I was going to continue to climb in baseball and knowing I was going to gain more resources and connections with people that were able to help my charitable endeavors."

Greene, 24, is the Reds nominee for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award, which is Major League Baseball's annual recognition of a player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

The program allows each MLB club to nominate one player to be considered for the league-wide award in tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character.

The league winner of the Clemente Award will be honored at the 2023 World Series.

"To be recognized means a lot, especially to be mentioned in the same sentence as Roberto Clemente and the impact he left on this game -- not just in the Latin community but for everybody that's here playing this beautiful game," Greene said.

Greene has been involved with numerous community and charitable efforts. One that has significant meaning is the Hunter Greene Endowment Scholarship Fund at Notre Dame High School, his alma mater in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

According to the school's website, the fund was founded to "help close the financial gap for African-American students with limited financial resources to allow them to have an equal opportunity to be successful while at Notre Dame High School and beyond."

"Being able to take care of kids' tuition at Notre Dame, where I went to high school, and give them a great opportunity to make connections at a pretty prestigious and college preparatory high school. All of that is important," Greene said.

After he was the second overall pick by Cincinnati in the 2017 MLB Draft, Greene expanded his reach. In ‘18, he started a free baseball camp at the MLB Academy in Compton, Calif., and started a Cincinnati version at the P&G MLB Reds Youth Academy in ‘20. Each camp includes mandatory educational components away from the field about history and leadership.

In Cincinnati, the kids visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center adjacent to Great American Ball Park.

Greene has also donated baseball equipment to players in need, including a Nike cleat distribution to more than 100 student-athletes from Reds RBI and Junior RBI programs in 2022.

On Jackie Robinson Day this season, Greene surprised a group of baseball and softball players at Taft High School in Cincinnati's West End. He spoke to players about Robinson's legacy and impact on his own life before fielding questions and signing autographs for the students.

"It feels good but I'm not doing it for that," Greene said of his efforts. "I'm doing it because it's needed. It's what people deserve. A lot of people work so hard and aren't fortunate enough to be either given an opportunity or have the resources others have. Sometimes, it's just a card that's dealt. Being able to close that financial gap any way that I can means a lot."