Waino becomes sixth Cardinals player to win Roberto Clemente Award

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has been leading worldwide efforts to help alleviate hunger and thirst and address other basic human needs for years. His efforts finally have been recognized with perhaps Major League Baseball’s most prestigious individual player award.

Wainwright was named Monday as the 2020 recipient of the Robert Clemente Award, which recognizes the player who best represents baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field. He had previously been nominated for the award in 2015-17 and 2019.

“This is the crown jewel of any award I have ever received,” Wainwright said. “But to me, it’s more than just an award. What Mr. Clemente stood for, and the way he lived his life on and off the field, goes beyond what any award could fully embody. Even being mentioned in the same sentence with him is an incredible honor.

“I feel very blessed and honored to receive the Clemente Award, and I will continue to try and live up to his standards as long as I live.”

Wainwright conducts his philanthropic efforts through Big League Impact, the foundation he established in 2013. Among the work performed BLI’s support:

• Constructed Haiti’s Ferrier Village Secondary School, which opened for the 2019-20 school year, and partnered with Water Mission to build a clean water system for the community.

• Funded the construction of a clean water system servicing more than 15,000 people in Honduras.

• Purchased an 11-acre plot in Ethiopia that now is the site of a clinic and a dairy and crop farm.

• Partnered with Crisis Aid International to feed hungry children in Africa and provided aid to victims of sex trafficking.

• Provides weekly meals for 3,000 of the neediest families, including 200 families a year in South St. Louis.

• Partnered with the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation to launch the MLB- and team-backed “Home Plate Project” to feed the hungry, an effort that has provided nearly 8 million meals (half of that during the COVID-19 pandemic) across the United States and Canada.

• Worked with more than 150 MLB players to make their charitable aspirations a reality, raising about $5.8 million for 94 charities.

“Congratulations to Adam for this well-deserved recognition of his long and meritorious philanthropic efforts in St. Louis, across the United States and around the world,” said baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said. “The personal and dedicated attention he has given to addressing issues that affect those in greatest need is a wonderful demonstration of Roberto’s humanitarian legacy. He is most deserving to be counted among the recipients of this prestigious honor.”

Previous Cardinals winners of the award were Lou Brock (1975), Ozzie Smith (1995), Albert Pujols (2008), Carlos Beltrán (2013) and Yadier Molina (2018). No other team has had as many honorees.

The award, originally named the Commissioner’s Award, was first presented in 1971 but was renamed in honor of Clemente in 1973, 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.

“Adam truly exemplifies our father’s beliefs and values, leveraging the baseball platform to give voice to the voiceless,” said Clemente’s sons, Luis, Roberto Jr. and Enrique, in a joint statement.

“On behalf of the entire Cardinals organization, I would like to congratulate Adam on his deserving selection as the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award honoree,” said Bill DeWitt Jr., the Cardinals’ chairman and CEO. “In addition to his many accomplishments on the field, Adam has been a tireless contributor in the community and around the globe, giving back to those in need. There can be no better tribute to Roberto’s lasting legacy than the difference-making humanitarian efforts demonstrated by Adam and past Clemente Award winners.”

Wainwright was selected from a list of 30 club nominees by a distinguished panel that included Manfred, former players (including former Clemente Award winners), journalists from MLB-affiliated network partners and Clemente’s sons, along with a fan vote on mlb.com.

The 39-year-old right-hander is a free agent who has spent his entire big league career with the Cardinals.