Wisdom 'humbled' to be Cubs' Roberto Clemente Award nominee

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

CHICAGO -- During the Cubs’ recent trip to Los Angeles, Patrick Wisdom let teammates know that he was headed to a local food bank. Dansby Swanson and Shawn Armstrong were in the group that joined Wisdom, packing potatoes and apples to distribute around the county.

“It’s cool to be in different cities and showcasing that the Cubs are in town, and we do this,” Wisdom said. “You’ll get a lot of peculiar looks when you’re like, ‘We’re with the Cubs,’ and people are like, ‘What are you doing here?’”

Wisdom’s passion for charitable work both in Chicago and in various road cities led to him being named the Cubs’ 2024 Roberto Clemente Award nominee. The annual honor recognizes the MLB player who “best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

When Wisdom learned he was nominated for the Cubs, he was taken by surprise.

“I just do it to spread positivity and goodness in the world -- and it’s fun,” Wisdom said. “When I heard, I was like, ‘Wait, me? That’s amazing.’ Obviously, I’m honored and humbled and grateful. It’s cool to see people recognize what you do, even though you don’t do it to be recognized.”

The inspiration behind Wisdom’s charitable contributions can be traced back to 2017, when he played for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in the Cardinals’ system.

Braxton Fuqua, a fan who was 6 years old at the time, was battling a rare form of brain cancer and undergoing treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Wisdom hosted the young boy for a day at the ballpark, showing him the clubhouse and spending time with him during batting practice.

“I could just see the joy on his face,” Wisdom said. “Having brain cancer and all the treatment that goes along [with it] is really tough. So to have him out there and see him smiling and be around the guys, and just having some sense of normalcy and freedom out here on the field, it was inspiring.”

In the years since they met, Wisdom has wanted to honor Fuqua, who passed away in 2019. He has taken on the role of regional ambassador for St. Jude while with the Cubs, helping to raise funds to assist families impacted by pediatric cancer with the costs of treatment, travel, housing and food.

On the road, Wisdom has used former Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright’s organization, Big League Impact, and its “Mission 3:18” initiative to find opportunities to give back. Wisdom has also teamed with Cubs Charities on multiple fronts in his time with the ballclub.

"I’m super happy for him, super proud of him,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He absolutely deserved this recognition. And it’s a big one, I always think. The Roberto Clemente Award is something -- for every team and every player -- it does carry a lot of weight.