Miller receives A's Clemente Award nomination

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

Growing up a loyal Pirates fan in Pittsburgh, Mason Miller became well-versed in the history of the club, identifying and admiring the great players who came before his time.

Of course, you can’t tell the story of the Pirates without Roberto Clemente, a player whose legacy goes far beyond the Hall of Fame numbers. That’s what makes Miller’s latest honor so special.

• VOTE NOW: 2024 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One

Miller is the A’s 2024 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to the Major Leaguer who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

For most players around MLB, the prestigious honor ranks above all other accolades in the game, including the MVP and Cy Young Awards.

“Being from Pittsburgh, this definitely carries more weight, at least for me,” Miller said. “[Clemente] was a special player, and the things he dedicated his life to away from the field, I think that’s a testament to the man he was. That’s something that we can only try to aspire to be. I think our responsibility as players is to influence people outside of the walls of this field.

“It’s great to have some recognition for that, although that’s never why you do things. But it’s cool to be recognized. I’m definitely honored.”

Miller -- who was diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes at 20 years old -- has taken time in Oakland and each road city during batting practice to meet with children living with Type 1 diabetes. The conversations range from baseball to insulin pumps to Miller’s best snacks to control blood sugar before taking the mound.

“My situation was definitely unique in terms of a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis coming this late in my life -- at 20 years old,” Miller said. “You see a lot of kids diagnosed before the age of 10. I remember being diagnosed and immediately looking up athletes that had Type 1 diabetes since I was an athlete, and [I] had loose dreams of pursuing baseball as far as it would let me go. I just know that, in the position I’m in now, I can be somebody that kids, athletes or others dealing with Type 1 diabetes can look to as a sort of inspiration.”

Back home, Miller works with Camp Sweet Escape, which is the flagship event of the South Carolina Youth Diabetes Association. The mission of Camp Sweet Escape is to improve the lives of the youth in the southeast who are living and dealing with the challenges of type 1 diabetes.

In the Bay Area, Miller works with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital’s Diabetes Child Life team to visit with the patients. He is also involved with the hospital’s Diabetes Clinic, where Miller provides unique insight into living with Type 1 diabetes as a professional athlete.

“I feel like it doesn’t withhold me from doing anything that I would want to do or could do,” Miller said. “But just that initial shock of it, you kind of just question everything. I just want to be somebody that young players can model themselves after or kids can aspire to be and see that it’s not a condition that’s going to hold them back from chasing their dreams.”

As quickly as Miller’s profile has risen as a star in baseball -- the 26-year-old flamethrowing rookie closer dazzled in the All-Star Game by setting the record for fastest pitch and earned the win -- he aims to do the same off the field by directing his stardom toward humanitarian efforts. Miller and his wife, Jordan, plan to visit local animal shelters to help support the fight against animal cruelty.

In the next few years, Miller also hopes to start a youth baseball clinic back in Pittsburgh, which would be a full-circle moment after his days as a kid who attended a clinic organized by the Pirates for kids on the South Side of Pittsburgh.

“Growing up going to as many games as I went to, and [now] being in my position and going out and seeing kids at the game, you sometimes don’t realize how much just an interaction -- sometimes even more than just signing a ball for a kid -- means to them,” Miller said. “I can still remember the first ball I got from Zach Duke. Andrew McCutchen threw me a ball. Getting autographs and stuff, whether or not that item itself remains an important thing to you as a kid, it’s a moment you always remember and can look back on. I try to take advantage of that any time I can. … Whatever it is, that might be something that sticks out in their life and helps shape the direction that their life is headed.”