Chandler High School alum Jon Gray has been nominated by the Texas Rangers for this year’s Roberto Clemente Award. His nomination was announced on Sep. 8.
The award is considered baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for players, according to the Major League Baseball(MLB) organization. It’s awarded every year to one player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field. Each team in the league nominates one player that the general public is then allowed to vote on.
Gray was recognized by the Rangers as their nominee in a pregame ceremony on Monday when the Rangers played the Boston Red Sox.
In a recent interview with the Rangers Beat newsletter, Gray said the nomination means a lot to him and made him realize that other than baseball, players are doing some big things and there are more important things in the sport.
Gray joined the Texas Rangers in 2022 and, since then, has been involved in many philanthropic pursuits, according to the MLB official website.
In 2022, Gray began the #Mission-GrayWolf22 program, which hosts military groups at Ranger home games.
For three games, Gray invited 28 members of the U.S. military and their spouses to attend as his special guests.
They were treated to complimentary parking, premier seating, and an exclusive meet-and-greet.
This season, he has hosted 12 #MissionGrayWolf22 nights for military families in Texas. He is also donating $500 for each of his Rangers wins to the Adaptive Training Foundation, which works to empower wounded and disabled veterans and others with traumatic injuries to redefine their lives through exercise and community.
He and his wife, Jacklyn, hosted a toy drive in December 2022 for Mission Arlington/ Mission Metroplex, gathering more than 900 toys that benefitted more than 16,000 families. They are currently planning to host another toy drive this Christmas.
Gray also donated $100 for every strikeout to The Pawerful Rescue for animals in need as well as spearheaded the 2023-24 pet calendar this season to benefit the rescue.
Lastly, Gray and his wife hosted The Birthday Party Project at four Rangers home games for children experiencing homelessness. The initiative allows these kids to have a magical birthday experience in a suite at the game. The couple is planning to donate $100 for every strikeout by Gray this year to The Birthday Party Project.
The general public can vote on the winner on the MLB website. Voting closes on Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST.