Moyer up for Clemente Award

SEATTLE -- Jamie Moyer was nine years old when baseball legend Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash while delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He didn't know much about Clemente back then, but he definitely knows what the Hall of Fame outfielder meant to the game, on and off the field, and understands the importance of helping others. It is that off-the-field work that resulted in the Mariners' left-handed pitcher to be nominated as a finalist for the 2002 Roberto Clemente Award presented by John Hancock.

"Awards are nice things to attain," Moyer said Monday. "But the person that it's named after is a pretty special person in the history of baseball, in the history of his country and (for) what he was doing when he perished."

Moyer and his wife, Karen, have been leaders in fundraising efforts for a number of charitable causes throughout the Northwest and two years ago they created the Moyer Foundation, which has helped raised millions of dollars for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Hutch School, Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research, LifeCenter Northwest Donor Network, Northwest Harvest and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

These efforts led to Moyer being selected as the Mariners' nominee.

"I can think of no one more deserving of this award than Jamie Moyer," club president Chuck Amstrong said. "He and his wife are dedicated to making a difference in people's lives."

Since 1972, Major League Baseball annually has presented an award (originally known as The Commissioner's Award), which recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team. In 1973, the award was re-named to honor the man whose spirit and goodwill always will be remembered. The award, sponsored by John Hancock Financial Services, recognizes those individuals who truly understand the value of helping others.

"Both my wife and I understand the other side of being an athlete, being a parent, being a role model, call it what you want," Moyer said. "This is a very philanthropic city, in my opinion. It's just amazing the number of people that support these things. And to me, that's special. That's why my wife and I thought that is the right thing to do, the right path to go. And it's something that we can do forever. I can't play baseball forever. But helping in the community is something I can do forever."

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling was the Roberto Clement Award winner last year. This year's winner will be announced at the World Series.

Moyer will be honored Wednesday at SAFECO Field in a ceremony before the Mariners' game against the Rangers.