Major League Baseball today announced that Justin Turner was named as the Dodgers’ 2022 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, one of baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for major leaguers.
The annual award recognizes the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
As part of the annual program, each MLB Club nominates one player to be considered for the league-wide award in tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character. Turner is the Dodgers’ nominee for the award for the fifth time in the last six years.
During his time in Los Angeles, Turner has become ingrained in the community, giving his time, energy and financial support to a variety of charitable efforts including the Justin Turner Foundation, which he founded in 2016 with his wife Kourtney. The Foundation’s official mission is to support homeless veterans, children (and their families) battling life-altering illnesses and diseases and various youth baseball organizations.
Beyond his Foundation, Turner is a fixture at Dodgers and Dodgers Foundation community events, local hospitals and the Dream Center, which renamed its food bank The Justin & Kourtney Turner Food Bank in his honor.
The Dodgers plan to honor on the field prior to their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 19.
“I’m grateful to once again represent the Dodgers as the Roberto Clemente Award nominee,” said Turner. “There are many honors that come with being a Major League Baseball player, but there is nothing that makes me more proud than representing Roberto’s No. 21 and trying to follow in his philanthropic footsteps. The Justin Turner Foundation doesn’t work for recognition, but receiving this distinction reassures us that our relationship with the community is on the right track.”
Thursday, September 15 marks the 21st annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy as a humanitarian and to formally acknowledge Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award. As part of the league-wide celebration, the Roberto Clemente Day logo will appear on the bases and official dugout lineup cards and a special tribute video will be played in ballparks.
The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be selected by a blue ribbon panel. Beginning Thursday, fans can vote for their choice via mlb.com/clemente21 (English) and LasMayores.com/clemente21 (Spanish).
The site will feature biographies of each of the nominees and will allow fans to vote until the end of the season on Wednesday, October 5. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote among those cast by the blue-ribbon panel.
(Information in this report was furnished by the Dodgers Media Group)
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Ya gotta love JT. picked up as a free agent by GM Ned Colletti, he has been totally solid ever since he made the team. JT is active in the community and just one of those guys you come to love. He is one player who somewhere down the road gets his own Legends of Dodger baseball bobblehead. Now they need one for Jim Gilliam.
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Gilliam was amazing taking pitches so Maury could steal. A team player and terrific baseball player. Love to see Jim honored
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In 2018, they were scheduled to give out a Jim Gilliam bobblehead in September, but they traded for Manny Machado and issued one for him instead. I was pissed then, and I am still pissed that they passed over a career Dodger who contributed to 4 World Championship teams for that POS. This is Turner’s 5th nomination for the Clemente Award. He deserves to win one.
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If I’m correct that JT has never actually won the award, I predict that this will be the year he does win.
When team management signs a player, Justin Turner is the model they use for what they want their players to be, both on the field and off. He deserves the award and I hope MLB gives him this honor before he retires.
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