Marlins player will not win a prestigious award

We were all excited when Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo was nominated for the 2024 Roberto Clemente award. Luzardo was proud of the honor that he received, but sadly it did not lead to any positive news for him or the team. The award has now been given to Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez. This isn't a knock on Perez, who I congratulate on the win, but it just feels like Luzardo deserved it.

Jesus Luzardo will not win the 2024 Roberto Clemente award.

Jesus Luzardo has done something very admirable. He helps young people by hosting a free baseball clinic. In order to do that, he even includes his old high school and alma mater: the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He He goes even further by visiting the Challenger Baseball League. The league is actually based in Parkland, FL. It's also a program that focuses on helping kids with special needs and disabilities. In the past three seasons, He managed to participate in five different camps hosted by the Marlins Foundation.

One of the best accomplishments for Luzardo, is that he founded the Luzardo Family Foundation. The Foundations helps kids from underserved communities and he helps them reach up to their full potential. At the time of his nomination, Luzardo said:

I think it means a lot to me personally because of the community involvement, and I think that's something I take a lot of pride in, and just trying to do right. I'm not perfect, I'm not a saint or anything [like] that, but I do think that my parents raised me to try to help out [in] any way I can in areas where maybe people are in need, or people can't help themselves, or even if it's just lending them a word of encouragement -- whatever it might be. This award embodies that, and it's something I take a lot of pride in.”

This is why it is sad for me to see that Jesus Luzardo will not be winning the award. It's also sad to remember that the upcoming season may be his last with the Miami Marlins.