Royals Catcher Wins Philanthropy Award Honoring Pirates Legend
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez was named the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award winner, which honors the Pittsburgh Pirates legend and recognizes a player's philanthropic efforts and impact on the community.
Perez is the 55th player to win the Clemente Award, which dates back to 1971 when MLB Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays was the first player to earn the prestigious accolade. Willie Stargell (1974) and Andrew McCutchen (2015) are the two Pirates players to win the award. Pittsburgh reliever David Bednar was the team's nominee this season and the last three years.
Clemente dazzled on the diamond in his 18-year career, as the Hall-Of-Fame outfielder finished his career with 3,000 hits and was a 15-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove award winner and a four-time batting champion. The Pirates legend won two World Series, won a World Series MVP and also was named MVP in 1966.
Beyond his play on the field, he was known for his philanthropic efforts. After an earthquake hit Nicaragua on Dec. 23, 1972, Clemente sent supplies to aid the ravaged country. After his first shipment was lost in the carnage, he decided to go to make sure the aid reached its destination.
The plane Clemente was on crashed and took the lives of everyone on it on Dec. 31 when it crashed in the ocean. Clemente was just 38 years old.
Perez earned the award for his impact on the communities in Kansas City, Venezuela and Colombia. In Colombia, Perez has helped the Carlos Fortuna Foundation, who was a pitcher in the Royals' minor league system before he died of liver cancer in 2013 at just 22 years old. That organization is coordinated by Monica Ramirez, who was the Royals ESL instructor in 2007 and helped teach Perez English.
He has also made a $1 million donation to the Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City and has distributed food and supplies to thousands in his hometown of Valencia, Venezuela.
On the field, Perez has been one of the best catchers of this generation. He's a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger and won a World Series MVP in 2015. This season, he hit 27 home runs and had 104 RBIs for a Royals team that went from winning 56 games in 2023 to making the playoffs and advancing to the American League Division Series after sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card round.
