ST. LOUIS — Over the course of his 14 year career, Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has gained a reputation not only as a reliable and often dominant starter, but as one of the truly good people in the game.
Wainwright is being recognized again for all the good he does off the field, with another nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award.
This is the fourth time Wainwright has been nominated for the award, which recognizes the player in baseball who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field.
Wainwright founded the organization, Big League Impact in 2013 to help provide basic needs such as food, water medical care and shelter to those in need all over the world.
His "Waino's World" fantasy football drafts are one of the highlights of his charitable endeavors, and he's also helped other players around the league begin their own similar efforts.
According to a release from the Cardinals, by the end of 2019, $4.5 million will have been raised by 150 players to benefit 60 charities.
This season, Wainwright created a fundraising campaign called "ALL WIN", which is helping to provide healthy meals across the St. Louis area and creating an Ag-tech program at Normandy High School.
A player from each team is nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, and a league-wide winner is determined by a blue-ribbon panel that includes Commissioner Rob Manfred, Clemente's widow Vera as well as a fan vote component.
The Cardinals have seen quite a few Roberto Clemente Award winners over the years. Yadier Molina won the award just last year, and Carlos Beltran, Albert Pujols, Ozzie Smith and Lou Brock have also claimed the honor.