Trout uses reach to make impact off the field

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

Angels superstar Mike Trout’s season is officially over because of a left hamate bone fracture, but he still makes an impact off the field with his involvement in several charitable organizations and was recently honored as the club’s nominee for the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award.

Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, was recognized in a special ceremony before the Angels’ game against the Tigers on Sept. 15. The Roberto Clemente Award is considered baseball’s most prestigious individual honor and recognizes the Major League player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

“He does a lot for a lot of causes in this area,” manager Phil Nevin said. “I can't list them all out but I just know that he certainly is ambitious with a lot of the things he does in the community and with things that are close to him and his family. And it's neat to see these things happen to the great ones in our game.”

Among the many organizations that Trout works with is the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and this year he helped fulfill 7-year-old Eli Velasquez’s dream before a game at Angel Stadium. Trout gave Velasquez a personalized jersey, hit with him in the batting cages and played catch with him on the field. It was documented by ESPN as part of their My Wish series.

Another cause that is close to Trout's heart is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Trout's wife Jessica's brother, Aaron Cox, was lost to suicide in 2018. The couple worked with Tiny Turnup, an apparel company, to create the Your Game Isn’t Over Yet; campaign. The design has a baseball and glove in the shape of a semicolon, which is the symbol for suicide prevention.

Trout, who was also the club’s nominee in 2020 and ’21, became an MLB Mental Wellness Ambassador this season, as he wanted to increase his efforts to raise awareness for mental health and well-being.

“I lost somebody really close to me and went through it with my brother-in-law Aaron,” Trout said. “It was obviously a tough situation. But I just felt it was a great opportunity for me to use my platform. A lot of people look up to me. So to be able to say that and talk to them and give them some help, and let people know they’re not alone, it means a lot to me.”

Trout is working with Major League Baseball’s MLB Together platform and said people don’t realize how much mental health can affect players. A’s reliever Trevor May and Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows are among the players to miss time because of anxiety this season. Trout's former teammates Andrew Heaney and Andrelton Simmons have spoken about their mental health in the past.

“I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to just be the head guy,” Trout said. “There are a lot of guys across the league who struggle with all this and it's a big part of our game. So for me to be able to represent this means a lot to me.”

For his Roberto Clemente Award nomination, Trout chose JR98 to be the recipient of the MLB Charities’ donation. JR98 was founded by Toni, Anthony and Carlos Ramirez, the family of Tampa Bay Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez, who died by suicide in 2022. The organization focuses on mental health and suicide prevention through education and community service.

Trout is also active with other organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and Inland Empire and Red Cross. He does charity work both in Southern California and in his native New Jersey, especially near his hometown of Millville. Last year, he found out a local family in New Jersey had lost their home to a fire and he surprised them with gifts on Christmas Eve.

The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be announced during the World Series. It's voted on as part of a panel that also includes fans, who are encouraged to vote at MLBTogether.com/clemente21. Fans can vote until Oct. 1.