Jimmy Rollins Wins 2014 Roberto Clemente Award
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was announced on Friday that Phillies' shortstop Jimmy Rollins has been named a co-winner of the 2014 Roberto Clemente Award along with Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox.
Konerko and Rollins are the first co-winners of the award.
"Paul Konerko and Jimmy Rollins are two of baseball's great ambassadors and have long distinguished themselves as leaders both on the field and in their communities," said Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. "Their commitment to making a difference in the lives of children is a wonderful reflection of the legacy the legendary Roberto Clemente has left on our game and in society. Major League Baseball is proud to honor Jimmy and Paul, two veteran standouts who have represented the National Pastime with excellence, with our game's most prestigious recognition."
The award stands to honor players that positively represent baseball on and off the field. Rollins and Konerko were chosen from a list of nominees representing all 30 MLB clubs.
Willie Mays first won the prestigious award in 1971 and the list of winners includes 14 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rollins is the third Phillie to win the award after Greg Luzinski (1978) and Garry Maddox (1986).
Rollins' involvement in the community has focused on the lives of children. He has lead a long-running charitable ticket program called J-Roll's Aces and a reading program called JRoll's Readers, each of which aim to enhance the lives of Philadelphia's inner city students. Rollins also created The Rollins Family Foundation, which is dedicated to making healthy food available to at-risk children and families in the area.
Rollins has also worked closely with efforts to help with several diseases including juvenile diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and ALS.
Check Out These Sports Stories:
