HOUSTON -- Since Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker started his foundation in 2022, the main mission has been to bring awareness and help support nonprofit hospice care centers in their quest to bring more affordable and compassionate care to those who need it. The Kyle Tucker Foundation champions hospice care more than any other cause, while also raising money for the Astros Foundation and Sunshine Kids, which assists children battling cancer and their families. Tucker is the Astros' 2024 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. • VOTE NOW: 2024 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One "It's pretty cool to just be honored with an award for something outside of your stats and your play on the field, something bigger than baseball," Tucker said. Tucker's dedication to hospice causes stems from his grandfather, Dwayne, passing away under hospice care just days before the 2021 World Series. The Kyle Tucker Foundation -- which Tucker's wife, Samantha, helps to run -- aims to acknowledge the work of hospice workers by donating to hospice facilities in Houston and his hometown of Tampa, Fla. |
"We were thinking of ways we could help in the community outside of doing stuff with the Astros Foundation," Kyle Tucker said. "We kind of got into the charity world through my grandfather passing. That's kind of how this started." Twice a month, a staff member from Houston Hospice is selected as a Kyle Tucker Foundation Hospice Hero. Those individuals receive social media recognition, they get to participate in the annual Kyle Tucker Foundation Suite Day at the ballpark, and they receive gifts such as certificates, experiences, merchandise and more from local Houston businesses. Meanwhile, Tucker hosts a Hospice Day at the ballpark for 100 hospice workers and their families. He also hosts Houston Hospice staff and Texas Children's Hospital staff for Suite Days at the Park. The Kyle Tucker Foundation holds an annual Topgolf fundraising event in Tampa, and it hosts meet and greets at hospice centers in Florida. |
"Not very many people within sports kind of do stuff with hospice, so it's kind of cool to just be a part of that and show our support and raise awareness of what the people that work there do and show support of the people that have to go through it," Tucker said. "Honestly, unless you have a family member or someone you know in hospice, you really don't know what it is." Tucker's dedication and support for his community goes beyond the work in his foundation. He has done a lot of work in the Houston community supporting children battling life-threatening illnesses. He has worked with the nonprofit Dec My Room, decorating hospital rooms and meeting pediatric patients at Texas Children's Hospital. Tucker also hosts children battling cancer and their families from the Sunshine Kids at games and spends time with them on the field during batting practice. |
In July 2024, Tucker also teamed up with MDMotivator to surprise a Houston family battling cancer. Tucker surprised them with a trip to the All-Star Game and a check for $50,000. The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be honored at the 2024 World Series following selection by a panel that includes representatives from the Commissioner's Office, Capital One, MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS), MLB.com, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as Roberto's children, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente Jr. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
Colleague Thomas Harrigan delved deep into the numbers and has some interesting stuff about how Astros starting pitchers have turned things around after a rocky start to the season. This includes Framber Valdez dialing up his curveball usage, Hunter Brown adding a sinker and newcomer Yusei Kikuchi increasing his slider usage while rarely throwing his slower curve. |
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Shortstop Brice Matthews, the Astros' No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was promoted to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday. Matthews slashed .252/.376/.497 in 42 games at Double-A Corpus Christi, collecting eight doubles, nine homers, 16 stolen bases and 21 RBIs for the Hooks, whose season ends Sunday. The Astros' first-round pick (No. 28 overall) in the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Nebraska, Matthews began the season by slashing .321/.423/.580 at High-A Asheville before his midseason promotion to Corpus Christi. He'll finish the season for the Space Cowboys, who have 11 games remaining and have qualified for the Pacific Coast League Championship Series. "Brice missed a lot of at-bats [with injury], and we're just trying to get him to the team and get some more at-bats before the rest of the season," Astros assistant general manager Gavin Dickey said. "I think he's lived up to our expectations, but Brice is very aware he has some things to work on on both sides of the ball to get up here and help us compete for a championship." |
ASTROS TEAM UP FOR CHARITY |
The stars were out on Monday night as Tucker, Jose Altuve and Josh Hader partnered to play host to the Team Up charity event at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston. Astros owner Jim Crane, general manager Dana Brown, manager Joe Espada and other coaches and players were in attendance. The players took part in a live auction that featured artwork and a silent auction to benefit animal rescue efforts, hospice care, children's charities and other initiatives throughout the Greater Houston community. "This is my third year doing the Team Up event, and watching it grow to what it is now is pretty special," Tucker said. "Seeing familiar faces and some new faces come out and show their support with donations and auctions items is great." |
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