MLB WORLD SERIES: MARLINS v YANKEES

October 21, 2003

Wayne Budd

Vera Clemente

Jamie Moyer

Harold Reynolds

Allan H. "Bud" Selig

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Good evening. Thank you. First of all, before we even get started we're just here for the Roberto Clemente Award. So no other questions outside of pertaining to this right now afterwards, all right? Making that real clear off the bat. First of all, my name is Harold Reynolds. I work at ESPN. In '91, I was the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award. It is obviously the greatest award I've ever received. Every year, annually, Major League Baseball picks a Roberto Clemente Award winner. The winner is a player who exemplifies what baseball is about on and off the field with their community involvement and baseball. I want to introduce some people at the panel before we introduce our 2003 Roberto Clemente Award winner. To the far right, Commissioner Bud Selig. Next to Mr. Selig is this year's winner, Seattle Mariner, Jamie Moyer, 21-game winner, by the way, as I was reminded today. I was like, "Jamie, you won 20." He goes, "21" (laughter). Mr. Wayne Budd from John Hancock. And Vera Clemente, obviously Roberto Clemente's wife. Also a couple sons here, Roberto Jr. and Luis, present in the first row. Off to Roberto's left, to our right, is Karen Moyer, Jamie's wife. They just had their fifth child; you wouldn't think so looking at her. First of all, I want to open the mic up to Commissioner Selig and listen to his remarks for a second. Thank you, sir.

COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG: Thank you, Harold. Good evening. The Roberto Clemente Award is presented by John Hancock, awarded each year to the Major League Baseball player who combines outstanding baseball skills with devoted work in the community. I know that many of you who cover me regularly during the year keep hearing me refer to baseball as a social institution. I believe that. And I believe with that inherently comes a lot of social responsibility. That's why this award is so remarkably meaningful. The award has been presented since 1971. In 1973, the award was named to honor the late, great Roberto Clemente, who died on December 31, 1972, during a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This year's award winner, Jamie Moyer, and his wife Karen, have contributed countless hours, funds and resources to the community through the Moyer Foundation, which was created to offer encouragement, comfort and support to children and families who are enduring a time of profound distress, be it physical, emotional, or financial. The Moyer Foundation has raised nearly $3 million in support of more than 100 different organizations. This year, the Moyers teamed up with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to create the Gregory Fund, a new initiative that raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars in funds for early detection. Jamie, obviously, has had an extraordinary season, 21-7; I'm not gonna cheat you out of a win! (Laughter). He ranks second on the Mariners all-time win list, second in games started, second in career wins, second in innings pitched, fourth in strikeouts and he's had an absolutely remarkable career. John Hancock will present Jamie with a $25,000 check to the Moyer Foundation in recognition of his selection as a Clemente Award winner, and John Hancock, who is a great partner with Major League Baseball, will contribute $30,000 in Jamie's name to the Roberto Clemente Sports City, a multipurpose sports and education center in Puerto Rico. So a special thank you to you, Wayne, vice president and general counsel of John Hancock. To Carol Fulp, who is also here today. Jamie, congratulations. There are a lot of awards in a year, but you're really what every athlete should be and we're very proud to make this presentation.

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Thank you, Commissioner. You can only win the Roberto Clemente Award one time in your career, then you are not eligible to win it again. Every Major League team submits a player from their ballclub whose community-involved and also, obviously, playing ball for them and playing well. Then there's a panel that votes on the winner. Jamie, obviously, came out on top of all the other players. So it's quite an honor and quite a thing to do. About four years ago, John Hancock came on and really has taken this award to another level, that makes everybody respect it a little bit more. This summer, in one of the workshops that Roberto Clemente, they do with Roberto Clemente's family, talking about John Hancock, started thinking about, "What is John Hancock"? John Hancock, we always hear that, "Put your John Hancock on that." Anything you do, you want to put your signature on it. Roberto Clemente put his life on the line and that's become his signature and his trade. That's what this award stands for. So it's pretty special to do that. I want to introduce the gentleman right here, Wayne Budd. He is the executive vice president and general counsel of John Hancock Financial. We will allow him to say a few words.

WAYNE BUDD: Harold, thank you very much. I'm sure Jamie Moyer wants to make sure John Hancock is on that $25,000 check! And it will be there. On behalf of John Hancock, our company, we're delighted to sponsor this very important event, together with Mrs. Clemente and her wonderful sons, Roberto and Luis. As the Commissioner said, the winner of this award isn't just a winner on the baseball field; he's a winner off the baseball field as well in contributing to the community. That's really how we like to think of our company. We're excellent in our business, and we like to be excellent in our community as well. So Jamie, we're very proud to partner with you this year, and, again, congratulations. (Applause).

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Wouldn't be right if

Mrs. Clemente didn't get to speak, so we're gonna turn the mic over to Vera Clemente and let her have a few words. It's all yours.

VERA CLEMENTE: Thank you. My congratulations to Jamie Moyer, his wife, Karen, for being selected this year as recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by John Hancock. Jamie has become one of the most accomplished pitchers in Mariners' history, leading the Major Leagues winning percentage over the last eight years. But, his commitment to making the difference in the life of those in need through the Moyer Foundation made people see you as a great baseball player and great humanitarian. Congratulations again and God bless you and your family (applause).

HAROLD REYNOLDS: I guess it's time to hear from the man himself, and Jamie, just a little note, there's been a couple guys that didn't thank their guys; it was a long winter. Turn it over. Jamie Moyer from the Seattle Mariners (applause).

JAMIE MOYER: Thank you, Harold. First of all, I would like to start off by thanking Vera Clemente, John Hancock, the Commissioner, Bud Selig. Thank you all for having this award. I mean, again, what a great honor. Roberto Clemente may be the greatest humanitarian in the game of baseball. A great player, he set many great examples when I was a young boy on the field. I was living across the state in Pennsylvania, and realizing, hoping to realize, a dream come true. He was living that dream and playing out that dream. But not only did he do that on the field, but he did it off the field. Probably, at that time, I was probably a little too young to understand or appreciate what he was doing. But as I've grown and matured in this great game of baseball, I feel like people like Roberto Clemente have set a great stepping stone and have allowed players and fans to come together and do some great things in communities. I commend the Clemente family for this award and I thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. But along with that, being involved with charity is, I think, a lot of fun. It allows us to meet a lot of great people. It allows for a lot of great opportunities - some better than others. I know for myself, and I can speak for myself personally only, I have a great back bone and that would be my wife (applause). Karen has opened my eyes, as well as baseball, to a lot of things and a lot of people and a lot of situations off the field. Through her strength has allowed me to get through a lot of, probably, personal things, personal situations that we've met through people that we've met, through the charitable situations we've been in. But without her and without starting our foundation, I don't think we would be sitting here today. Again, what we're trying to do is open people's eyes to show people that, "You know what? It's not always money. Money helps. Money is great. But you know what? Everybody has a time and everybody has a talent." When you find that out in your life, it doesn't matter when you find it out. But when you find what those talents are and you find the time to help in the community, by doing those things, you can set great examples. I think that's what we strive to do in our community, the great community of Seattle. So on behalf of myself, my wife, our foundation, our organization, and the city of Seattle and our fan base, I would like to say thank you very much to the Clementes, to John Hancock and to the Commissioner Bud Selig. Thank you very much (applause).

HAROLD REYNOLDS: Outstanding, Jamie. Congratulations.