Some great new news. The official release hasn't come out yet, but Joel was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award. He is beleived to be the first rookie nominated. Last year, MLB began fan voting as another factor in the vote, so hopefully we can start a grass roots voting campaign here when it starts up.
Since 1972, Major League Baseball annually has presented an award (originally known as The Commissioner's Award) which recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team.
In 1973, following the tragic death of Roberto Clemente, the award was re-named to honor the man whose spirit and goodwill always will be remembered. The award recognizes those individuals who truly understand the value of helping others. A panel of baseball dignitaries, including Vera Clemente and Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, annually selects a winner from a list of 30 nominees, one from each Major League Baseball club. This year, the MLB.com fan ballot winner will be tallied as one vote among those cast by the special selection panel. Past winners include Al Leiter, Tony Gwynn, Sammy Sosa, Willie Mays, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kirby Puckett.
