Adam Jones named O's nominee for 2011 Roberto Clemente Award

Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, today announced that Adam Jones was named the Orioles' 2011 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Jones is one of the 30 Club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement. Tomorrow will mark the tenth annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente's legacy and to officially recognize local Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet pays tribute to Clemente's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. It is named for the 12-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Jones has been very active in the Baltimore community since he joined the Orioles in 2008, focusing on making a positive impact on underprivileged youth in Baltimore City. Jones has made numerous appearances at Boys and Girls Clubs, the Y of Central Maryland and Baltimore City Title I schools, where his visits include promoting an active lifestyle and engaging in question and answer sessions with the children. He has also taken a strong interest in working with players in Baltimore's Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities (RBI) program, hosting a clinic at which players from RBI and other Baltimore City baseball leagues received baseball instruction from Jones and other former and current Orioles players and coaches. Jones also frequently visits RBI games on Orioles off-days. Jones's other community activities include a partnership with BARCS (Baltimore Animal and Rescue Care Shelter), in which he posed for the OriolesREACH pet calendar and teamed up with BARCS for an ad campaign designed to bring awareness to animal cruelty in the inner city. Jones also participated in the MLBPA Buses for Baseball Program, where children from the "Cool Kids Campaign" (an organization whose mission is to provide a higher quality of life for children with cancer) were treated to a full gameday experience. In addition to his appearances, Jones also contributes $5,000 a year to the OriolesREACH Gameday Experience, a program that gives underprivileged children the opportunity to come to Oriole Park for a game, hat, t-shirt and concessions. The Orioles will present Jones with the Roberto Clemente Award in an on-field ceremony prior to their game vs. the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, September 14.