McCann: 'Words don't really describe' Clemente Award nomination

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

James McCann’s big league career began in Detroit, where he played five seasons for the Tigers, who selected the catcher in the second round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He then had stints in Chicago (playing for the White Sox in ‘19 and ‘20) and New York (playing for the Mets in ‘21 and ‘22).

Now 34, McCann is wrapping up his second season with the Orioles, who acquired the veteran backstop in a trade prior to the 2023 season.

There has been one common thread among each stop in McCann’s MLB journey: his off-the-field presence in his new city. No matter how well he’s playing on the field, he’s always finding ways to give back to the community with various charitable efforts.

“That’s something that, my wife [Jessica] and I, we’re big believers in,” McCann said. “In Detroit, where we started, getting ourselves involved in the community and giving back to the place that welcomed us with open arms -- that’s what we’ve tried to do in each city that we’ve gone to since. We call it home for a minimum of six months, and we want to make sure that we’re leaving it better than how we found it.”

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That has been the case with Baltimore, where McCann has made a positive impact. So much so that he was named the Orioles’ nominee for the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award, an annual honor given to the MLB player who best represents baseball via high character, community acts, philanthropy and positive contributions on and off the field.

It’s the second time McCann has been his club’s nominee, as he was previously the Mets’ representative in 2022.

“It's very special,” McCann said. “What Roberto Clemente stands for, who he was, obviously, as a player and then just who he was to his community, words don't really describe what it is to be viewed in that same light. Being nominated for that, it's a very special award. I'm proud of it, and I feel very strongly that using my platform to be able to impact the community in a positive way is very important.”

“He’s done a lot of great things with the community, and congratulations to him,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said of McCann. “This is a big award. This is something that’s really, really special, and it means a lot to players. ... It’s a credit to him and his wife for what they do off the field and helping so many people.”

McCann and his wife are frequent visitors to neonatal intensive care units in each city they live. Jessica gave birth to their twin sons, Christian and Kane -- who are now 6 -- prematurely in a NICU, where they then spent the first seven weeks of their life.

In recent years, the McCanns have given back to NICUs around the country. They visit hospitals, supply gifts and provide encouragement.

McCann lives in Nashville, Tenn., in the offseason, and this past winter, he and his family donated 50 pairs of shoes to Church of the City’s Wrap Around Closet to support children in foster care. He has made videos for Meals on Wheels to promote a “Night of A Million Meals” event. He supports teammates’ endeavors, including Cedric Mullins’ Big League Impact event at TopGolf in Baltimore earlier this season.

The Orioles adopted Harlem Park Elementary Middle School earlier this year, and McCann has been at the forefront of that partnership. He has welcomed the students and staff who have visited Camden Yards, plus he’s gone to the school to visit physical education classes. He and his wife provided students with backpacks, clothing and shoes for the new school year.

“This year has actually been really special,” McCann said, “going over to Harlem Park and getting to do P.E. classes and hang out with the kids there, and just being a positive role model for some of those kids.”

And for his own kids, as well.

“As a father, that’s something I want to impress upon my kids, is that being a good man is giving back to those that are less fortunate than you,” McCann said. “There’s no guarantees in life, and it’s important that you make sure that those around you are loved and taken care of.”