Local MLB star Justin Morneau is the Minnesota Twins' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually since 1971 to a player "who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field."
Morneau is one of 30 nominees, one from each major league team, and fans can vote online at mlb. com/ClementeAward until Oct. 14. The winner will be announced during the World Series.
This is the second nomination for the 31-year-old first baseman, who is active in several charities, including the Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation, the Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House and Fields for Kids.
Clemente, a 15-time all-star and member of the Hall of Fame, was killed in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
T-BIRD NAMED TOP JOCK
UBC Thunderbirds soccer player Marco Visintin is the new Canada West Male Athlete of the Week. The fifth-year midfielder got the nod after playing a big part in keeping the T-Birds undefeated last weekend.
The Notre Dame secondary grad scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in a 4-2 comeback over the Fraser Valley Cascades last Friday (Sept. 14) in Chilliwack. Both tallies were recorded on penalty kicks, with the first coming right before halftime with UBC trailing 2-1. His 68thminute spot kick goal gave the Thunderbirds a 3-2 lead.
The next night playing at home, UBC defeated top-ranked Victoria 1-0. While Visintin didn't get on the scoreboard, he was nonetheless chosen as UBC's Game MVP. With the two victories, UBC is now 4-0-0 for the new CIS season, and the team has a bye for this weekend.
VAG RE-OCCUPIED
Corporate types are swapping their suits and ties for sneakers and shorts today (Sept. 21) in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Stationary bikes have been set up at the Vancouver Art Gallery's plaza on Georgia Street as part of a day-long bike-a-thon fundraiser for diabetes research.
"As business professionals we are always aiming to reach that next goal or business objective, and to be successful you need to be able to work as part of a team," said AGF Management veep Judy Goldring. "The JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research is a wonderful opportunity to work with your colleagues as a group towards that common goal of raising much needed funds for diabetes research."
The annual ride has so far raised more than $30 million over the past few years. The 2012 Ride is expected to attract over 24,000 participants in cities across Canada and hopes to raise as much as $7.9 million.
