Texas Rangers All-Star Marcus Semien Nominee for Roberto Clemente Award

Texas Rangers All-Star infielder Marcus Semien is the team’s nominee for one of the game’s most prestigious awards.

Sep 8, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers second base Marcus Semien (2) rounds the bases after hitting a lead off home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Globe Life Field. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien is the team’s nominee for the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award, the team announced on Monday.

The Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

Semien and the Rangers are in Phoenix to start a two-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. The Rangers will hold a pre-game ceremony to recognize Semien on Sept. 17 before their game with Toronto.

Sunday is Roberto Clemente Day and the Clemente Award logo will appear on the bases and official dugout lineup cards and a customized tribute video to Clemente and the 30 Roberto Clemente Award nominees will be shown in all MLB ballparks.

Semien joined Texas before the 2022 season and has worked with both the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and the Texas Rangers Baseball Youth Academy on community endeavors. Those include the annual Texas Rangers Youth Academy distribution, which donates over 200 Thanksgiving dinners to local families in West Dallas.

It also includes Marcus and his wife, Tarah, creating the Semien Family Food Distribution, partnering with the non-profit Food for the Soul to provide over 1,500 boxes of fresh produce and shelf-stable goods to Youth Academy athletes in the summer.

Additionally, he has helped the Academy secure $5,000 grants each year for equipment and serves as served as a Nike RBI Ambassador.

In conjunction with the Players Alliance, Semien participates in the Equip the Future events to mentor baseball and softball players. He has partnered with his father, Damien, a former college athlete, to participate in monthly town hall meetings and educational opportunities on the Ethos Village digital platform on topics like financial literacy and mental wellness.

And, earlier this year, he was selected as the Rangers’ recipient of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association’s 2024 Heart and Hustle Award, which recognizes active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit, and traditions of the game.

He was previously named the 2023 Marvin Miller Man of the Year award winner by the MLBPA.

The award is named for Clemente as a tribute to the former Pittsburgh Pirates Hall-of-Famer after his passing while delivering relief supplies for earthquake victims in Nicaragua on Dec. 31, 1972. He finished his career with 3,000 hits.