Washington Nationals: Gio Gonzalez nominated for Marvin Miller Award

In addition to his great year on the mound, Washington Nationals starter GIo Gonzalez is a nominee for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award

The Washington Nationals have had a great season on the field, but they have also done great things in the community. Earlier this month, we talked about Ryan Zimmerman receiving a nomination for the Roberto Clemente award for the fifth time in his career. Yesterday, a different nomination was given to Gio Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was nominated for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award. According to The Players Trust website, the award goes to “the player whose on-field performance and contributions to his community most inspire others to higher levels of achievement.”

Of course, Gonzalez has had a good season on the mound and is track to at least finish Top 5 in the National League Cy Young voting this year and he should be one of the frontrunners for NL Comeback Player of the Year. But, for today, let’s highlight one of the charities he supports.

More from District on Deck

• 3 Free Agents the Nationals Should Gamble On
• A Washington Nationals Christmas Wishlist
• Washington Nationals: Is Seth Lugo Still an Option?
• Robots in Baseball? The Possibility of an Automated Ball/Strike System in the MLB
• Washington Nationals Re-Sign RHP Erasmo Ramirez

Back in July, he hosted Uncork For A Cause at Teddy & The Bully Bar in Washington D.C. Gonzalez did release his own signature wine at the event, but as he talked about with MASN’s Dan Kolko, it is an event where Washington Nationals items were auctioned off among other items to benefit Hialeah High School in Florida. Here is more about what Uncork For A Cause does, courtesy of their website:

“Uncork For A Cause is a collection of people, professional athletes, and celebrities working together to give back to the communities where they live and work. Developed by TAG Sports, it was created as a way to bring the world of fine wines and unique, personalized collectibles to you, and to benefit those in need through various local and national foundations.”

Gonzalez went to Hialeah High School, which isn’t too far from Marlins Park in Miami. Back on July 31, the left-hander had one of the best outings of his career against the Marlins. He went eight scoreless innings and didn’t get up a hit until the bottom of the ninth.

There will be online voting for the award that runs through 2017. In order to vote for Gonzalez, you can log on to MLBPlayers.com and cast your ballot today. The other NL East finalists are Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich, Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki, and Mets pitcher Steven Matz.

Next: Pitchers must not be pushed in September

All of these athletes deserve every bit of recognition for the work they do off-the-field to help others. Be sure to go online and vote for Gonzalez to receive this special honor. A nomination for this prestigious award is great in of itself.