Chicago Cubs star Rizzo wins MLB's Clemente Award
HOUSTON - Anthony Rizzo is a cancer survivor and World Series champion. The Roberto Clemente Award is a trophy that will stand out for the Chicago Cubs slugger.
"This is something that is so humbling to receive," Rizzo said. "It's the greatest award you can win and I will be forever appreciative of this, and this will go front and center of anything I've ever done on the baseball field."
The 28-year-old Rizzo, a three-time All-Star, was honored Friday night with baseball's biggest honor for sportsmanship and community involvement. Rizzo was recognized for his foundation's work to help other families dealing with cancer.
Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma when he was only 18 and in the Boston Red Sox minor league system, and he vividly remembers sitting with his mother and getting the news from doctors. He was wearing a "LIVESTRONG" T-shirt.
"The LIVESTRONG Foundation was so big at that time. I was saying, 'We're going to start a foundation like this eventually. And literally 10 years later it's coming full circle," Rizzo said. "Winning this award and being recognized for it, I can't speak enough about the foundation and the work that we do and what we want to continue to do."
Rizzo went through six months of chemotherapy, at the same time his grandmother was dealing with breast cancer, and six more weeks of treatment before doctors told Rizzo he was clear of his cancer late in 2008.
In 2012, he started the nonprofit Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation to raise money for cancer research and to provide support to children and their families struggling with the disease.
The foundation supports children's cancer centers in Florida and Chicago, and supports oncology life specialists to help children deal with the aspects of the disease that are beyond medical treatment. It also sponsors camps for children with cancer.
"More important, though, than any of those support activities is Anthony's personal involvement with kids," baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said.
Rizzo spoke to how much it means to be able to visit a kid in the hospital.
"They light up like a Christmas tree, for five minutes of escaping the reality, because they're going through treatment," he said. "They're battling for their lives and I'm just grateful to be able to go in there and say hello to them and make them escape reality for a second."
The Clemente Award was presented before Game 3 of the World Series. A year ago, Rizzo and the Cubs ended a 108-year championship drought with their World Series victory.
Major League Baseball has been recognizing players for their philanthropic work since 1971. The honor was named the Roberto Clemente Award in 1973 after the 15-time All-Star was killed in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Charitable stars
Anthony Rizzo joins a distinguished list of national Roberto Clemente Award recipients:
2017: Anthony Rizzo
2016 : Curtis Granderson
2015 Andrew McCutchen
2014: Paul Konerko and Jimmy Rollins
2013: Carlos Beltran
2012: Clayton Kershaw
2011: David Ortiz
2010: Tim Wakefield
2009: Derek Jeter
2008: Albert Pujols
2007: Craig Biggio
2006: Carlos Delgado
2005: John Smoltz
2004: Edgar Martinez
2003: Jamie Moyer
2002: Jim Thome
2001: Curt Schilling
2000: Al Leiter
1999: Tony Gwynn
1998: Sammy Sosa
1997: Eric Davis
1996: Kirby Puckett
1995: Ozzie Smith
1994: Dave Winfield
1993: Barry Larkin
1992: Cal Ripken, Jr.
1991: Harold Reynolds
1990: Dave Stewart
1989: Gary Carter
1988: Dale Murphy
1987: Rick Sutcliffe
1986: Garry Maddox
1985: Don Baylor
1984: Ron Guidry
1983: Cecil Cooper
1982: Ken Singleton
1981: Steve Garvey
1980: Phil Niekro
1979: Andre Thornton
1978: Greg Luzinski
1977: Rod Carew
1976: Pete Rose
1975: Lou Brock
1974: Willie Stargell
1973: Al Kaline
1972: Brooks Robinson
1971: Willie Mays
Before 1973, the award was known as the Commissioner's Award