Carlos Delgado Wins 2006 Roberto Clemente Award

[Valadius]

Mets 1B Delgado wins 2006 Roberto Clemente Award

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - First baseman Carlos Delgado, who helped lead the New York Mets to their first National League East title since 1988, was named the 2006 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award on Tuesday.

Prior to Game Three of the World Series at Busch Stadium, Delgado was presented with the award, which recognizes the player who best combines outstanding baseball skills with devoted work in the community.

The 34-year-old Delgado was selected from a list of 30 nominees, one from each club.

"It is an extreme honor for me to be selected for an award that bears the name of Roberto Clemente," Delgado said. "He was a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame person. I wore uniform number 21 this year in his memory. Roberto's legacy to me is that it's an athlete's obligation to give back. That's what I have tried to do throughout my career."

Five years ago, Delgado started a foundation called Extra Bases to which he personally donated $500,000. Extra Bases is a non-profit Puerto Rican-based charity that was founded to assist underprivileged and deserving youth in the community and abroad.

Currently looking to expand the foundation to help the children of New York, Delgado sponsored two, four-year college scholarships for the second straight year. He also sponsored trips to New York for the top students in Puerto Rico.

"On behalf of the entire baseball family, I am thrilled to present Carlos with this award that celebrates his commitment to the community," commissioner Bud Selig said. "His work with youth in Puerto Rico and New York are wonderful examples of the positive influence the game can have on the lives of others."

Delgado is coming off a season in which he hit .265 with 38 home runs and 114 RBI. During the season, he became the 10th active player to hit 400 career home runs and the fourth player in Major League history to hit 30 or more homers in 10 consecutive seasons.

The award is named for the Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972 during a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

"My congratulations to Carlos Delgado on his selection as the recipient of the 2006 Roberto Clemente Award," said Vera Clemente, Roberto's wife. "His performance on the field and dedication and commitment to the community truly embody the spirit of this award."

[MFS62]

I'm happy for him, and proud he is a Met.

Later

[stevejrogers]

Gary Carter in 89 and Al Leiter in 2000 are your other Met Clemente winners

The Senator's Plaque still hangs in the Diamond Club Lobby, on the same wall with the HOF busts

[Guest KC]

Steve, we're gonna whip you into shape if it kills us this off-season. The
Senator is an old (and funny maybe for a day or two, but not for four years)
nickname for a pitcher who was a decent Met. That stuff is gonna draw at-
tention to yourself that you don't want here.

[MFS62]

KC wrote: Steve, we're gonna whip you into shape if it kills us this off-season. The Senator is an old (and funny maybe for a day or two, but not for four years) nickname for a pitcher who was a decent Met. That stuff is gonna draw at- tention to yourself that you don't want here.

Not trying to be argumentative, but why does that nickname cause folks here to be upset? Was there something about this before I joined the board?
IIRC, Leiter has admitted that he has political aspirations. And its certainly more flattering than "The Gambler" is for Kenny R.

Just asking.

Later

[metirish]

Congrats to Carlos....

] IIRC, Leiter has admitted that he has political aspirations. And its certainly more flattering than "The Gambler" is for Kenny R.

I think it has more to do with Al being considered a clubhouse politician more than career aspirations....Kazmir and all that stuff..silly stuff really.

[Guest KC]

Not speaking for "folks here", 62 ... but I'm hardly upset and was goofing
around mostly. When someone posts Christopher Crossesque lyrics to
start IGT's and uses old (dumb) nicknames from other forums they might
get some guff from time to time. No?

[metirish]

Steve is imune to guff....

[Guest cooby]

Congratulations Carlos.

[Guest KC]

I was actually gonna edit and say Steve know this going in and it doesn't
seem to bother him so why should it anyone else.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Felicitaciones Carlos!

[nymr83]

congratulations. i'd rather a met won the world series MVP, but this is a good start.

[Elster88]

Does "immune to" mean "incapable of understanding"?

[Elster88]

Seeing Carlos receive the award in a suit with a cast during Game 3 is fucking depressing.

[metirish]

Damn I should have had the spell checker for that post Elster..they just showed carlos getting his award on FOX...got a very god reception from the crowd.

[Zvon]

They just showed Delgado accepting the award before the game.
His hand, post surgery, all wrapped up like a mummy.

[stevejrogers]

KC wrote: Not speaking for "folks here", 62 ... but I'm hardly upset and was goofing around mostly. When someone posts Christopher Crossesque lyrics to start IGT's and uses old (dumb) nicknames from other forums they might get some guff from time to time. No?

Heh, the Limp Bizkit song was burned in my head thanks to it being the 2001 WrestleMania theme song for Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock main event, (pretty much the last year I followed pro-wresting regularly) essentially "One...more fight..." and naturally it came back to me watching the 03 and 04 ALCSs with the MFY and Sawk so its a "Game 7" song for me.

[MFS62]

Got it, KC.
Thanks.

Later

[Centerfield]

Meanwhile, in Adam Rubin's article this morning, he mentioned that Delgado again declined to decline his right to demand a trade. Rubin speculates Delgado may be trying to put a little pressure on the Mets to pick up his 2009 option.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I also just heard that Wilson Delgado has won the Edgard Clemente.Award.

[Frayed Knot]

] ... that Delgado again declined to decline his right to demand a trade. Rubin speculates Delgado may be trying to put a little pressure on the Mets to pick up his 2009 option.

Yeah, but a player has never followed through on those demands.
A couple of teams have made trades for players in this spot - Javy Vazquez a year or so back comes to mind - but no one's ever taken it to the deadline.

If Carlos continues to demand, the Mets have until a particular date (March 1?) or he becomes a FA thus voiding the final 2 years of his current deal. He'd have to be pretty durn sure that he could snag hisself a better deal at that late date - at which point most teams will already have most of their lineup set and allowance spent - before he's willing to take it to the limit.

I don't blame him for not renouncing his right up front, but I'm also not worried about how this will all shake out.