Scherzer nominated for Clemente Award
WASHINGTON -- Max Scherzer left a lasting impact in Washington, on the field and in the community.
Scherzer, who was traded to the Dodgers on July 30, was named the Nationals' nominee for the 2021 Roberto Clemente Award. The recognition of character, community involvement and philanthropy is considered Major League Baseball’s most prestigious honor.
Scherzer and his wife, Erica, were at the forefront of a wide range of community efforts. He became the largest individual donor (cash basis) to Washington Nationals Philanthropies since signing with the team in 2015.
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“The work that my wife has done and the amount of time she spends making sure all those things can happen, I wouldn’t be able to be a nominee without her,” Scherzer said. “Together, we’ve done some really good things.”
Over his six-plus seasons with the Nationals, Scherzer’s outreach included the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, its Fantasy Football Showdown fundraiser and rapid relief initiatives. He will be the namesake of the Nationals fourth Legacy Field, a multiuse education and recreation complex in the Ward 8 neighborhood of Washington Highlands. The Scherzers also donated an additional $100,000 to start a fundraising challenge.
“Him and his wife, Erica, have done so much for the D.C. community -- well deserved,” manager Dave Martinez said. “I’m proud of him, because this is part of what I try to explain to the guys -- you’ve got to be a person first, and you’ve got to understand how people perceive you and what you need to do to help the people that actually need help.”
The Scherzers also were involved with the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) over the years, even after he was traded. As a way to show thanks to Nationals fans for their support, they sponsored the adoption fees for every animal (including cats, dogs, turtles, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and mice) at the HRA for a week in August.
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“It’s been great to see the fans get behind it,” Scherzer said. “We’ve had different situations and when those hurricanes are coming through, people never think about the dogs. The work that we did in the community of adopting shelters in D.C. to help out animals and to be able to come in when natural disasters come through, I know we’re in D.C., but you can think about our community as a country as well and doing great things for all animals no matter where they’re from. I think every baseball fan can connect to that, and [it’s] something I’ve been really happy to be a part of.”
Voting for the 2021 Roberto Clemente Award is open through Oct. 3 at mlb.com/clemente21. The fan vote winner will count as one vote toward the blue-ribbon panel votes, which will include Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., Clemente’s children, and representatives from MLB.com and MLB-affiliated networks.