NewsTeahen is KC's Clemente nominee
Fans can vote for versatile player for sportsmanship award
By Rustin Dodd / MLB.com
09/02/09 9:09 PM EST
KANSAS CITY -- Mark Teahen is moving quickly around the Royals' clubhouse. There's a game approaching, but Teahen stops for a moment and talks logistics with someone from the Royals' community relations staff.There's an event coming up for Teahen's favorite community cause -- the YMCA Challenger baseball program -- and Teahen wants to make sure things are planned perfectly.
This scene played out back in June on a now-forgotten day in the Royals' regular season.
But if you know Mark Teahen, you know that this is not an uncommon occurrence.
Perhaps for that reason, Teahen is the Royals' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for the second straight year.
The award recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team. It is named in honor of the former Pirates outfielder, whose spirit and goodwill will always be remembered. Clemente died in a plane crash while attempting to transport relief supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua on Dec. 31, 1972.
"Anytime you get your name put there with a guy like Roberto Clemente, it's awesome," Teahen said. "I appreciate the nomination, and it's nice to know that some of the work I do in the community gets noticed."
Fans can participate in the selection process of the overall winner of the award now through Oct. 4. The fan ballot winner will be tallied as one vote among those cast by a special selection panel of baseball dignitaries and media members. The panel includes MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Vera Clemente, widow of the Pirates' Hall of Fame right fielder, whose spirit and goodwill always will be remembered. The winner will be announced during the World Series.
Voting fans also will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2009 World Series, when the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevy will be announced.
Teahen, who is in his fifth season with the Royals, has taken on a multitude of causes during his time in Kansas City:
• He's donated time to the Royals AbilityCAMP, an interactive baseball camp for kids with physical or developmental disabilities.
• He donated sweatshirts for children and families supported by the City Union Mission in Kansas City and purchased new equipment for their playroom.
• He's been an instructor for Royals youth instructional clinics and at the club's first Youth League Day at Kauffman Stadium this year.
• He participates in broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre's Gloves for Kids program, which raises money to buy baseball equipment for disadvantaged children.
• He can always be counted on to welcome terminally or chronically ill children from The Dream Factory at each Wednesday home game.
• He supports the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation and granted the wish of a child with a brain injury through the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2007.
However, his most visible community role has been his work with the local Challenger program -- a program that originated as a separate division of Little League Baseball, and which enables boys and girls with physical and mental challenges to enjoy the game of baseball.
In January, Teahen will host his third annual fashion show -- Mark Teahen's "Challenge Your Fashion" -- to raise money for the Challenger program in Kansas City.
"Ultimately, being nominated gets a little bit of money, and that just goes back to Challenger, so that's perfect for me," Teahen said.
Teahen calls himself a "product of Little League," so when officials with the Royals approached him a few years ago to work with the program, he slowly waded into a role with the organization.
Now he's a full-fledged spokesperson -- and if that means spending a few minutes before a game coordinating an event, he's going to do it.
"I guess I grew up being such a huge fan of the game, and a huge fan of different players growing up," Teahen said. "Being a fan, I think you notice when a guy does something in the community, and I just know that I'm fortunate to be where I'm at.
"If me putting my name on something or doing something helps promote awareness or raising money, than I want to do that, and I want to take advantage of the platform I have when I still have it."
Rustin Dodd is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
