This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
MILWAUKEE -- Imagine the honor of being a right fielder nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, named for the rocket-armed Pirates outfielder who made his mark as a Hall of Famer on the field and as one of the sport’s greatest philanthropists off it.
That isn’t lost on Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick, Milwaukee’s nominee this year.
“It has nothing to do with the position, but what it means as a whole,” Frelick said. “It’s crazy to hear that name in the same sentence [as myself]. I didn’t even know there was an award for that. I was always under the impression that what this award is for isn’t something you should get an award for.”
Here’s what Frelick means by that: The Roberto Clemente Award is bestowed annually “to the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” Frelick believes that’s all part of being a good big leaguer.
Each year, all 30 teams nominate one community-focused player, and an overall winner is announced during the World Series. The lone Brewers player to earn the overall honor was Cecil Cooper in 1983.
“In a perfect world, there shouldn’t be an award for doing good things,” Frelick said. “I love doing it because of the kids and the organizations I get to see. If this can help those organizations reach more audiences, that’s great.”
It was no surprise that Frelick mentioned kids, because youth initiatives have always been his calling, all the way back to high school in Boston. He made friends with many of the special needs kids at Lexington High School, driving them to prom and then seeing them in the stands at his baseball games or hockey games. That connection led Frelick to become involved with Best Buddies International, which seeks to build a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, employment, leadership development, inclusive living and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
After the Brewers drafted Frelick out of Boston College in 2021, he was thrilled to learn that there was a Best Buddies chapter in Milwaukee.
“They have chapters in every neck of the woods, every state, every country,” said Frelick, who can’t help but break into a big smile just thinking about the people he’s met through that group. “They’re just the best. I was so fortunate growing up to go to school with those kids, they’re the happiest of people. I felt some really strong friendships with those students early, and it carried through high school and college, and here we are today. I just feel like this has to be part of my life.”
As a Major Leaguer, it’s part of the job. Frelick just happens to love it.
“I just remember what it was like seeing athletes out and about in my community doing good things,” he said. “It’s cool that I’m on the other side of that now. It’s important to embrace where you are. I’m in Milwaukee, and I want to be part of that Milwaukee community.
“Even though Boston is my home, I spend most of my year in Milwaukee now, and I want to make sure that my job isn’t just to be available on the field. I want to make sure people know how much I love this city and the people here. It’s important to me to be out and about doing what I can do.”