Orioles Outfielder Adam Jones Nominated for Service Award

When he's not on the field, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is raising money for local causes like the Boys and Girls Club and the Y of Central Maryland. It's his work away from the game that led team officials to nominate him for a prestigious honor.

Team officials announced Monday that Jones will be the team's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. The honor, named for the late hall of fame outfielder, recognizes players for community involvement.

Fans can vote online for Jones through Oct. 6. He will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on Sept. 24, before the Orioles take on the Toronto Blue Jays.

The award, instituted in 1971 as the Commissioner's Award, was renamed following Clemente's 1972 death in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico, while he was accompanying a relief flight to Nicaragua.

Jones' efforts include working with the Orioles charitable foundation to donate $75,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore for a new technology center. He also donated bats and catcher's gear to 30 teams as part of the team's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, and is supporting a Jackie Robinson Foundation scholar studying neurology at Spelman College in San Diego, according to a team release.

Jones has also hosted clinics at Camden Yards for the Boys and Girls Club and worked with Coppin State softball players on an annual baseball and softball clinic. Jones is also the honorary chair for the Y of Central Maryland's Send a Child to Camp campaign and filmed a public service announcement for the campaign. Jones also donates $5,000 each year to host underprivileged youth at games as part of an OriolesREACH initiative, according to the team.

Jones joins nominees this year including Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, Mariners outfielder Raul Ibañez and Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.

Four players have won the Clemente award while Orioles: Brooks Robinson in 1972, Ken Singleton in 1982, Cal Ripken in 1992 and Eric Davis in 1997. Former Orioles Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Rick Sutcliffe, Jamie Moyer and Curt Schilling have also won the award.