Derek Jeter Wins 2009 Roberto Clemente Award

Written by: Jerry Milani on 30th October 2009

Derek Jeter Wins 2009 Roberto Clemente Award | read this item

Ask Hall of Famers like Willie Mays, Cal Ripken and Dave Winfield and future inductees like John Smoltz and Albert Pujols about the award they are most proud of, and they’ll probably say the Roberto Clemente Award.

Add another player ticketed for Cooperstown to that distinguished list, as the Yankees’ Derek Jeter was selected the 2009 winner of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy.

Jeter was honored on the field prior to last night’s World Series Game Two at Yankee Stadium, where he was met by Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer, and their son Luis. Following a video that highlighted the Award and this year’s nominees, Jeter emerged from the dugout to a thunderous ovation.

Bestowed annually, the Roberto Clemente Award recognizes the Major League Baseball player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field. Major League Baseball has presented this Award each year since 1971. In 1973, the Award was named in honor of Clemente, who died on December 31, 1972, during a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

“Major League Baseball is proud to honor Derek Jeter for the lasting impact the Turn 2 Foundation has made on youth in communities across the country,” said Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. “In a year of career milestones for Derek, receiving the Roberto Clemente Award will inspire future generations of ballplayers and fans to give back to those in need.”

Jeter was selected from a list of 30 nominees, one from each Major League Club, by a panel of dignitaries that included Commissioner Selig and Vera Clemente. Additionally, fans were able to log on to mlb.com and cast a vote for one of the 30 nominees. The winner of the fan vote was tallied as one vote among those cast by the selection panel.

RobertoClementeAwardLogo Jeter joins a distinguished list of national Roberto Clemente Award recipients, which includes 13 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which can be seen here.

“This is a very special day for everyone involved with the Turn 2 Foundation,” said Jeter. “Thank you to everyone at Major League Baseball, Chevy, and especially the Clemente family for this recognition. The Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization have supported my work in the community my entire career, and I am very grateful for their encouragement. It is truly an honor to be mentioned alongside Roberto Clemente and the others who have won this Award over the years.”

In 1996, Jeter turned a lifelong dream into reality as he established the Turn 2 Foundation to give back to the various communities that are a part of his life, including Western Michigan, Tampa (FL) and New York City. Since its launch, the Turn 2 Foundation has awarded more than $10 million in grants to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “TURN 2″ healthy lifestyles. Through these ventures, the Foundation strives to create outlets that promote academic excellence, leadership development and positive behavior. Turn 2 is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Jeter family with Derek in a hands-on role as Founder. In addition to contributing his own funds, Jeter hosts the annual “Derek Jeter Celebrity Golf Classic” and the “Turn 2 Foundation Dinner” to raise funds needed to successfully continue programs including “Jeter’s Leaders”, “Turn 2 Us Healthy Lifestyles”, “Turn 2 After School”, “Turn 2 Baseball Clinics”, “Proud To Be Me”, “Turn 2 Smart Moves”, “Holiday Express”, and the “Turn 2 Endowed Scholarships”. Recently, the Turn 2 Foundation donated $500,000 to launch the “Derek Jeter Academy at Phoenix House” in Tampa, an outpatient counseling center for troubled teens combining individual and family substance abuse treatment.

“My heartfelt congratulations to Derek Jeter who truly embodies the purpose and spirit of the Roberto Clemente Award,” said Vera Clemente. “I also wish to thank all of this year’s Award nominees, Major League Baseball, Chevy and other members of our global baseball family for their tireless efforts. They exemplify the importance of community service and the profound impact that baseball continues to have in making the world a better place.”

Throughout his 15-year career, Jeter continues to be one of baseball’s most celebrated players on the field. Named the Yankee captain in 2003, Jeter is a four-time World Series Champion, a 10-time A.L. All-Star and the 1996 A.L. Rookie of the Year. Jeter was also named both the 2000 All-Star Game MVP and the 2000 World Series MVP – the only time this has happened in baseball history. In 2009, the 35-year-old shortstop collected 212 hits, marking the third-highest single-season total of his career, reaching the 200-hit plateau for the seventh time in his career – one shy of Lou Gehrig‘s Yankee Club record. The seven 200-hit seasons are a Major League record for shortstops. On September 11, 2009, Jeter, who now has 2,747 career hits, surpassed Lou Gehrig (2,721) as the Yankees’ all-time franchise leader in hits. The sixth overall selection in the 1992 First-Year Player Draft ranks first on Major League Baseball’s all-time list with 167 career postseason hits, 95 postseason runs and 133 postseason games played.

Topics: Albert Pujols, Baseball Commissioner Bud, Baseball Field, Baseball Player, Career Milestones, Commissioner Bud Selig, Dave Winfield, Derek Jeter, Earthquake Victims, Hall Of Famers, John Smoltz, Major League Baseball, National Baseball Hall, Roberto Clemente, Roberto Clemente Award, Thunderous Ovation, Turn 2 Foundation, Vera Clemente, Willie Mays, World Series Game, Yankee Stadium