Indians Closer Brad Hand Selected as a Nominee for the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award

Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand has been selected to represent the team for this year's Roberto Clemente Award, baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers.

The Roberto 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.

The Tribe closer and his wife Morgan in 2019 developed the Helping Hand’s program, bringing kids from the Northeast Ohio Boys & Girls Programs to Progressive Field for a surprise visit during batting practice. I

n 2020, Helping Hands has gone virtual, surprising those in recovery at Ohio Guidestone’s Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation program with gift cards and a meet & greet. Additionally in 2020, Hand hosted a drive-in, Indians game watch party at Ohio Guidestone for rehab residents, providing them Tribe gear for their sober outing.

This summer, Brad and Morgan donated $3,500 worth of baseball equipment to local youth teams and met virtually with youth from a local rec center.

The Hand family continues to engage with youth from Ohio Guidestone, making a $1,500 donation of school supplies to Stepstone Academy in advance of the 2020-21 school year and meeting virtually with three Stepstone Academy families during the season.

In the past year, Brad and Morgan have involved their kids in community work as well, having them do the gift shopping for an adopted family over the holidays through Cleveland’s Salvation Army. Their daughter Lila made bracelets during the COVID-19 pandemic and sent them to Cleveland area nursing home.

“It’s a great award, and I’m honored to be our nominee this year for the Cleveland Indians,” said Hand.

“The award itself means you’re being a good teammate, a good person, trying to give back in the community in whatever way you can be. Obviously, with two young kids, I just want to show them how to be giving and it’s something we want to instill in them to help out in the community.”

The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the “Commissioner’s Award.” The recognition was renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 in honor of 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.

The winner of the award will be announced on September 27th.

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