News Story - Yankees' Jeter wins Roberto Clemente Award

Yankees' Jeter wins Roberto Clemente Award

NEW YORK (AP) New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter received the Roberto Clemente Award on Thursday for being a major league player who combines community service with excellence on the field.

Jeter was honored for his work with his Turn 2 Foundation, which he started during his rookie season in 1996 to support programs that help young people recover from drug use to a healthier lifestyle.

Turn 2 has given more than $10 million in grants to programs in New York City, West Michigan and Florida according to the foundation's Web site.

Jeter placed the success of his foundation on his family, which helps run the organization.

"They deserve a lot of credit for not only helping me start this foundation but pretty much running it on a day-to-day basis," he said. "I want to thank them for coming out here. My sister now is running it. I know she wanted me to mention that."

Jeter has enjoyed one of his best seasons, batting .334 and passing Lou Gehrig as the all-time hits leader for the Yankees.

Clemente was a Hall of Fame outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates who died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972, while trying to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He finished his MLB career with 3,000 hits.

His widow, Vera Clemente, who presented the award to Jeter, was named Major League Baseball's Goodwill Ambassador by commissioner Bud Selig for her work with children and youngsters in Puerto Rico and other countries.

"This opportunity will be good for me, you know, to keep working hard with this new era to provide more advice for the children to be better, and when they have the ability, for example, in baseball or any other sport, for them to be a star," Clemente said. "Derek Jeter is a good example of that."

Updated October 29, 2009