PITTSBURGH –Right-hander Jeff Karstens has had a great season with the Pirates this season, going 9-8 with a 3.45 ERA. But it’s what he’s done off the field that is also turning heads.
Major League Baseball announced that Jeff Karstens was named the Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.
Karstens, 28, was honored prior to the Pirates 12:35 PM ET game against the Cardinals at PNC Park on Roberto Clemente day.
The righty is one of the 30 club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a player who best represent the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.
Vera Clemente, widow of the late Roberto Clemente, along with her sons Roberto, Jr. and Luis, and former teammates of Clemente’s were also at PNC Park this afternoon for Clemente day.
“To see some fellow friends of his out there today in the dugout, it always has meaning,” Manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’s never going to get old. It never should get old. It stands for all the right things for all the right reasons. That’s why I’ve got his picture in the office. That’s why I’ve got his quote on my wall. It’s just a great reminder everyday of how he went about his life, how he went about the game of sport. It’s a blue print for everyone involved.”
Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports
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