The Washington Nationals recently announced first baseman Josh Bell as Player Ambassador to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, the signature program of Nationals Philanthropies.
Bell, who will represent the Youth Baseball Academy in the Nationals clubhouse and the D.C. community, will support the work of the Academy by making regular visits to the facility throughout the year and serve as a role model for the Academy’s Scholar Athletes, the team said.
“Baseball is a wonderful game that has given so much to me and taught me many valuable life lessons,” Bell said a statement released by the Nationals. “I am humbled to serve as the Player Ambassador to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy and to have the opportunity to share my love of baseball with the kids and all it has taught me. I cannot wait to be part of the Academy family and to begin forging meaningful relationships with the Scholar Athletes soon.”
In December 2020, Bell was named the Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers that recognizes a player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Last year, he also started a series on his social media pages with the hashtag #SocialReformSunday, speaking from his heart and educating others on social justice issues while reaching out to other Major League players to do the same.