Royals' Perez wins Roberto Clemente Award

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez is the recipient of the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award for his humanitarian efforts, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

Perez is the first Royals player to win the award thanks to his community work in Kansas City, Venezuela, and Colombia.

"When we do something, we do because it's coming from my heart," Perez said, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. "I don't like to do things because somebody ask me to do it. When I sit with my mom and want to do something, we just do. We don't have to post anything on social media. I don't like that. If I do, I do it for my heart. I want to make people happy."

Perez and his mom, Yilda Diaz, give food and kitchen supplies to nearly 2,000 houses in Venezuela each year. The duo has also provided aid for more than 10,000 families in the area. The nine-time All-Star owns a youth baseball league in the country that offers free gear and clinics for 220 children. In Colombia, Perez contributes to the Carlos Fortuna Foundation and, in Kansas City, he made a $1-million donation to the Urban Youth Academy and helped local charities, organizations, and hospitals.

The award, named for the Hall of Fame outfielder who died in a 1972 plane crash while on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua, is considered one of the most prestigious honors in baseball. It is given to the player "who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field."

A panel of voters that included representatives from MLB, the Hall of Fame, and Clemente's three children, selected Perez as the winner from a group of 30 nominees, one from each team.