Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez has made his mark in the big leagues with his bat and his glove. Tuesday, he was honored for his off-field contributions.
Gonzalez was named this year’s Branch Rickey Award recipient by the Rotary Club of Denver. He has generated more than $1 million for charitable groups in Arizona and volunteered more than 1,000 hours since becoming the Diamondbacks’ left fielder in 1999.
“Athletes get a lot of criticism sometimes from the public that they make all these huge salaries and that they don’t give back to the community,” said former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, this year’s national spokesman for Major League Baseball’s humanitarian of the year award. “A lot of athletes for all 30 teams in the major leagues do give a lot back. Luis is one of those, but when you say a million dollars and a 1,000 hours of volunteer work, that speaks a lot. Those are great statistics. Those are MVP statistics.”
Webb announced Gonzalez as the 14th Branch Rickey Award recipient Tuesday at Coors Field. Created in 1991 by the Rotary Club of Denver, the award is voted on by a sports media panel, past winners, baseball executives and rotary district governors. All 30 teams nominate a player, coach or executive for the award, named after the man credited for breaking the color barrier in baseball by signing Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson made his major-league debut in 1947.
“It’s a nice honor, especially knowing the past recipients,” Gonzalez said by telephone. “Players are always excited to receive awards for what they do on the field, but this is just as important – making a difference off the field.”
Gonzalez, 38, will be honored Nov. 12 at the Marriott City Center in downtown Denver. Commissioner Bud Selig will present the award and deliver the keynote address.
Gonzalez is the third Diamondback to win the award. Pitchers Todd Stottlemyre and Curt Schilling won in 2000 and 2001. No other team has had more than two winners.
“Our organization obviously does a lot in the community,” Gonzalez said. “They try to go out and get good-guy players, and the rest kind of falls into place.”
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
