Vaughn earns Roberto Clemente Award nomination
Scott Merkin
@scottmerkinThis story was excerpted from Scott Merkin's White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CHICAGO -- Andrew Vaughn was somewhere around 7 years old when Major Leaguer -- and engaging force of nature -- Nick Swisher showed up at his baseball camp.
It¡¯s a moment the White Sox first baseman -- and the organization¡¯s first-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee for 2024 -- will never forget.
¡°I still have the glove that he signed. It¡¯s probably faded away, but little memories like that stand out,¡± Vaughn said during a recent interview. ¡°I remember seeing how energetic, how high-energy he was. I know we had a big waterslide, and he probably went down it a couple of times.¡±
Swisher played on a 2008 White Sox squad that claimed the American League Central title via the famous ¡°Blackout¡± division tiebreaker win over the Twins. He also gave back to the community during his one-year stint with Chicago.
Fans can vote for the Roberto Clemente Award via MLBTogether.com/clemente21 (in both English and Spanish). The site, which features bios of each nominee, will allow fans to vote until the end of the season on Sept. 29. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote among those cast by a blue-ribbon panel.
Vaughn and his wife, Lexi, have lived by that idea of helping others through their ¡°Going, Going, Vaughn¡± outreach that launched at the start of this season.
That program followed a ¡°Spring Training collaboration with ¡®Put on the Cape¡¯ to fill the toy closets, food pantries and wardrobes of children and families affected by abuse,¡± as explained in his Clemente Award nomination bio. The Vaughns also hosted children and families from La Rabida Children¡¯s Hospital in late March for a special Opening Day party, and in mid-May, they hosted more than a dozen foster moms from Brightpoint -- a Chicago-based nonprofit -- for an outing in a suite at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Vaughn visited Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, where he interacted with several dozen young men and women, distributing White Sox swag bags and treating everyone to ice cream from Rainbow Cone.
¡°For me and my wife, it¡¯s a huge part of our lives to be able to give back to the community,¡± Vaughn said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty special. Being on the platform that we are as baseball players, it allows us to do that. It¡¯s a good feeling to know that we can go out and help maybe one person, maybe a group of people -- just whatever we can do."
With help from ¡°Digs with Dignity,¡± Vaughn also provided a home makeover for a South Side family displaced by a flood. The first baseman selected furniture, linens, household items, artwork and toys to furnish the new living space of Rhyan King, a single mother and guardian to her 3-year-old son, Raheem.
While the King family was away for the day, Andrew and the volunteer group filled their home with essential items and personalized decor. And in August, Vaughn hosted a Nike Home Run Derby for young athletes from the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) and Team Teflon programs, which aim to inspire the next generation of Black baseball and softball players.
Picking a favorite moment from the wide variety of activities and contributions was impossible for the 26-year-old Vaughn, who has 18 home runs and 66 RBIs this season.
¡°Every single thing we¡¯ve done,¡± Vaughn said. ¡°Just seeing a smile on the kids¡¯ faces who are having a tougher time than we are. We are just starting out, so we have a lot of help through the White Sox Charities. We kind of pick avenues to go down, but I feel like everything is special.
¡°Sometimes it¡¯s very tough to see just because you never wish that upon anybody to be in that situation. It¡¯s a joy and a sadness.¡±
Andrew (and Lexi) are creating memories in their fourth year with the White Sox, just as Swisher did for him as a youngster.
¡°You get to bring a little light, a little joy to their day,¡± Vaughn said. ¡°Whatever the situation may be, just showing up and being there, giving time -- that¡¯s the most important thing."