Green a Clemente nominee
PHOENIX -- When the trade that sent him from the Dodgers to the Diamondbacks went through in January, Shawn Green had a pretty long to-do list.
Among his tasks were finding a place to live in the Valley and coordinating the moving of his wife Lindsay, who was expecting the couple's second child at the time, and their two-year-old daughter Presley. But there was also something else pressing for him.
Shawn and Lindsay sat down with Diamondbacks officials not long after the trade to discuss how he could best distribute $250,000 to charitable organizations in the area. The pair went over both where the money would go and how best to utilize their time making appearances and hospital visits.
"I've always felt like it was important to be involved in the community," Green said. "Over the years it has evolved as we've met different people and experienced things."
It's Green's commitment and involvement in the community that makes him the Diamondbacks' nominee for the 2005 Roberto Clemente Award.
Since 1971, Major League Baseball annually has presented an award (originally known as The Commissioner's Award) that 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 Hall of Famer Clemente, the award was renamed to honor the man whose spirit and goodwill always will be remembered.
A panel of baseball dignitaries, including Vera Clemente, Roberto's widow, and Commissioner Bud Selig, annually selects a winner from a list of 30 nominees, one from each club. Past winners include Al Leiter, Tony Gwynn, Sammy Sosa, Willie Mays, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett.
Green has long had a soft spot for kids, but over the last few years, he has focused even more of his time and money on infant care after Presley suffered a bad viral infection when she was a week old that required her to remain in the hospital for a couple of weeks.
"Just experiencing that and just kind of seeing that, you get a very brief glimpse of what life is like when you have a child that was under the weather," Green said. "We were fortunate that she was fine and recovered quickly. But that's why the last couple of years we've focused more on infant charities."
With that in mind, $200,000 of the $250,000 Green donated was designated for Phoenix Children's Hospital ($100,000) and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center ($100,000), where the money can have a significant impact on the children and families who rely on the medical services at the two first-class facilities.
The money that goes to Phoenix Children's Hospital will be used to help renovate its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while the money earmarked for St. Joseph's will go towards the Craniofacial Program, which is part of Children's Rehabilitative Services at the hospital.
The Greens also donated $50,000 to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, which was established in 1997, a year before the team began play. The money will be used to build "Shawn Green Field" as part of the "Diamonds Back Field Building Program," which provides first-class fields and safe places for kids to play baseball and softball.
Money is just one way that Green contributes to the community, but maybe the most valuable thing that he gives is his time. Whether it's appearing at Diamondbacks charity events or other fund raisers, there is something that Green does privately that has a very important impact.
"One thing I always try to do is to go to children's hospitals and visit the kids," he said. "Those are the ones that have always struck a chord with me. The kids that have leukemia, or who are in very difficult situations. The kids are always making the best of it."
Though he doesn't like to talk about it, Green grew particularly close with some of the kids he has visited. Two passed away from leukemia and he has not forgotten them.
"It's a pretty heavy experience when you go visit kids in the hospital," he said.
One of the children who touched Green was a 7-year-old in Los Angeles who was disappointed that there weren't more toys for the children at the hospital to play with. So he donated his life savings -- $15 -- toward buying more toys and Green and others pitched in to help and a fund was started.
"That's how all these kids are," Green said. "They see the big picture. It's pretty refreshing when you see that type of attitude. These kids are fighting for their lives and yet they're worried about other kids."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
Among his tasks were finding a place to live in the Valley and coordinating the moving of his wife Lindsay, who was expecting the couple's second child at the time, and their two-year-old daughter Presley. But there was also something else pressing for him.
Shawn and Lindsay sat down with Diamondbacks officials not long after the trade to discuss how he could best distribute $250,000 to charitable organizations in the area. The pair went over both where the money would go and how best to utilize their time making appearances and hospital visits.
"I've always felt like it was important to be involved in the community," Green said. "Over the years it has evolved as we've met different people and experienced things."
It's Green's commitment and involvement in the community that makes him the Diamondbacks' nominee for the 2005 Roberto Clemente Award.
Since 1971, Major League Baseball annually has presented an award (originally known as The Commissioner's Award) that 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 Hall of Famer Clemente, the award was renamed to honor the man whose spirit and goodwill always will be remembered.
A panel of baseball dignitaries, including Vera Clemente, Roberto's widow, and Commissioner Bud Selig, annually selects a winner from a list of 30 nominees, one from each club. Past winners include Al Leiter, Tony Gwynn, Sammy Sosa, Willie Mays, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett.
Green has long had a soft spot for kids, but over the last few years, he has focused even more of his time and money on infant care after Presley suffered a bad viral infection when she was a week old that required her to remain in the hospital for a couple of weeks.
"Just experiencing that and just kind of seeing that, you get a very brief glimpse of what life is like when you have a child that was under the weather," Green said. "We were fortunate that she was fine and recovered quickly. But that's why the last couple of years we've focused more on infant charities."
With that in mind, $200,000 of the $250,000 Green donated was designated for Phoenix Children's Hospital ($100,000) and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center ($100,000), where the money can have a significant impact on the children and families who rely on the medical services at the two first-class facilities.
The money that goes to Phoenix Children's Hospital will be used to help renovate its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while the money earmarked for St. Joseph's will go towards the Craniofacial Program, which is part of Children's Rehabilitative Services at the hospital.
The Greens also donated $50,000 to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, which was established in 1997, a year before the team began play. The money will be used to build "Shawn Green Field" as part of the "Diamonds Back Field Building Program," which provides first-class fields and safe places for kids to play baseball and softball.
Money is just one way that Green contributes to the community, but maybe the most valuable thing that he gives is his time. Whether it's appearing at Diamondbacks charity events or other fund raisers, there is something that Green does privately that has a very important impact.
"One thing I always try to do is to go to children's hospitals and visit the kids," he said. "Those are the ones that have always struck a chord with me. The kids that have leukemia, or who are in very difficult situations. The kids are always making the best of it."
Though he doesn't like to talk about it, Green grew particularly close with some of the kids he has visited. Two passed away from leukemia and he has not forgotten them.
"It's a pretty heavy experience when you go visit kids in the hospital," he said.
One of the children who touched Green was a 7-year-old in Los Angeles who was disappointed that there weren't more toys for the children at the hospital to play with. So he donated his life savings -- $15 -- toward buying more toys and Green and others pitched in to help and a fund was started.
"That's how all these kids are," Green said. "They see the big picture. It's pretty refreshing when you see that type of attitude. These kids are fighting for their lives and yet they're worried about other kids."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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