Every year, Major League Baseball awards one player with the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions off the field.
All 30 teams choose one player on their roster as a nominee for the award, and to no one’s surprise, the Yankees once again elected Brett Gardner. Gardner was also nominated for his charity work in 2016.
Gardner is a charter member of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, which educates children about performance enhancing drugs. Gardner also has heavy involvement with the Ronald McDonald Foundation in both South Carolina and New York.
This season, Gardner decided to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer by auctioning two of his used cleats on the official Yankees website. He also visited Sloan Kettering Hospital and spent time with pediatric cancer patients.
