Back in August, closer Ryan Walker was part of a group of Giants players that visited the Roberto Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh.
“That was awesome,” Walker said. “The collection that’s there is unbelievable. It was a really good experience, seeing all the memorabilia, his original contracts and Silver Slugger [Award]. It was pretty unreal. It was cool to learn more about him.”
Now, Walker will have an even stronger connection to the late Pirates Hall of Famer.
On Monday, Walker was named the Giants’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is presented annually to the player who best embodies the game through sportsmanship, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field.
“It means a lot,” Walker said. “It wasn’t necessarily a goal to reach. I was just going out and trying to serve communities and do as much community service as I could this year. Nick Ahmed, who was with us [last year], showed us the way, and I thought it was really cool. To be able to get nominated for it is a pretty cool thing. I’m really excited about it.”
Ahmed appeared in only 52 games with the Giants in 2024, but he left a lasting impact on Walker, who often accompanied the veteran infielder on various community service trips throughout the year. Those experiences were “eye-opening,” according to Walker, and ultimately inspired him to spearhead his own humanitarian projects this season.
One of Walker’s biggest initiatives has come on the road, where he's taken it upon himself to organize volunteer opportunities in every city the Giants visit. Walker works with Big League Impact, a non-profit organization founded by former Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright, to find local food banks, soup kitchens and shelters and then dedicates a couple of hours to serving the less fortunate, often bringing a few teammates along with him.
“We have such a big platform to do that,” Walker said. “It feels like with the opportunities we have, to go out and be able to serve homeless people at shelters or whatever it may be, and bring a little light to those people and realize that it’s just people that have gone down a bad path or just got some bad luck in life. To be able to bring some joy and light to those people is important. You can change their life around, hopefully, and get them back in the community.
“That kind of stuff is important. It was weighing on my heart this year to do it. Having a guy like Nick Ahmed really sparked that. I kind of wanted to take over that role and lead guys into that and understand that God calls us to love thy neighbor, no matter who it is. We’re going out and doing that.”
Walker and his wife, Alexis, spend plenty of time giving back to the Bay Area community, as well. Walker has coached children with special needs at the Giants annual Fantasy Camp for Kids, visited San Quentin Prison to meet with its baseball team and served food at St. Anthony’s Foundation in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. He also makes regular visits to Family House and George Mark Children’s House, two non-profits that are dedicated to supporting pediatric patients and their families.
Walker has pledged a donation to Family House for every strikeout he records this season and also collaborated with local pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani to create a signature white pie at Slice House, with all proceeds benefiting George Mark Children’s House.
“They’ve both brought out a lot of emotions from me and my wife,” Walker said of the two charities. “To be able to go and see the kids there and bring a smile to their face -- I know they’re going through something I can’t relate with. But to be able to go and serve them, it gives you a different perspective on life outside of baseball.”