DENVER - Major League Baseball today announced that Ian Desmond was named the Colorado Rockies' 2021 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball's most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers.

The Roberto Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

As part of the annual program, each MLB Club nominates one player to be considered for the league-wide Award in tribute to Clemente's achievements and character.

Desmond's leadership, integrity, character and devotion to his community has led him to be the Rockies' Roberto Clemente Award nominee for five consecutive years. He has pursued philanthropic endeavors throughout his Major League career, but he has chosen to opt out of the past two Major League seasons to focus on his family and his community in Sarasota, Fla.

Desmond's focus during 2021 has been Newtown Connection, a kids program he co-founded and is running through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Desoto Counties. With twice-a-week youth clinics throughout the summer, Newtown Connection is designed to bring communities together to create a culture of inclusivity and acceptance through sports, health and education.

"Ian's devotion to his family and his community truly embodies the principles of Roberto Clemente. Ian has chosen to sit out of the past two seasons to focus on the youth of Sarasota. Ian's actions speak louder words, and his actions are bringing about real change in his community every single day," said Colorado Rockies Vice President of Community & Retail Operations Jim Kellogg.

Wednesday, September 15th marks the 20th annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente's legacy as a humanitarian and to formally acknowledge Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will appear on the bases and official dugout lineup cards and a special tribute video will be played in ballparks.

The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be selected via a blue ribbon panel, including Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., representatives from MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS), MLB.com, as well as Roberto's children, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente, Jr. Beginning today, fans can vote for the Roberto Clemente Award via mlb.com/clemente21. The site will feature bios of each of the nominees and will allow fans to vote until the end of the season on Sunday, October 3rd. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote among those cast by the blue ribbon panel.

The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the "Commissioner's Award." The recognition was renamed to the "Roberto Clemente Award" in 1973 in honor of the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

The distinguished list of past Roberto Clemente Award winners includes 19 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame: View Past Winners »