Two players with Peoria ties are among the nominees for Major League Baseball’s highest individual honor.
Former Bradley Braves outfielder Mike Tauchman and former Peoria Chiefs infielder Brendan Donovan are among the nominees for the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award.
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The awards annually recognizes the MLB player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field.
Fans can vote on the ballot, which includes a player from each of MLB’s teams. Voting is online through the end of the regular season on Sept. 28. Those fan votes will be converted into one vote for the winner, added to an MLB selection committee.
The award was launched in 1971, and the complete list of past winners is here. The 2025 nominees from every MLB team are listed as well.
Bradley VP of Intercollegiate Athletics Chris Reynolds, left, shakes hands with popular Chicago Cubs outfielder and Bradley alum Mike Tauchman during a Bradley Hall of Fame ceremony at halftime of the Bradley-Belmont basketball game Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves routed the Bruins 95-72.
Tauchman and his wife, Eileen, welcomed a daughter named Remi last year. She was born with a cleft palate and required a feeding tube for the first three months of her life.
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Knowing that other couples are dealing with similar challenges, the Tauchmans assembled care packages for parents and children navigating hospital stays for cleft and other craniofacial conditions.
This July, the Tauchmans further supported their cause by launching a fundraising campaign at a Chicago hospital and pledging to match donations up to their goal of $18,000, a tribute to Mike’s number 18 with the White Sox.
More: How another Chicago Cubs baseball star ended up at this West Peoria bar
Donations have already exceeded $21,000. That money will be used in an array of areas, from transportation to meals for families navigating hospital stays.
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Tauchman, 34, has played 562 MLB games for the White Sox and Cubs, Colorado, San Francisco and Yankees.
He appeared in 193 games over four seasons from 2010-13 for Bradley University.
Peoria Chiefs second baseman Brendan Donovan throws to first for an out in the third inning against the Wisconsins Timber Rattlers on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at Dozer Park.
Donovan, 28, made his St. Louis Cardinals debut in 2022 and is in fourth MLB season. He played for the then low-A Chiefs for 138 games over parts of 2019 and 2021, batting .272 with 10 home runs.
As the son of a U.S. Army deputy commander, Donovan has always been active with veteran groups, including donating to the Veterans Community Project, advocating for Team Red, White & Blue and The Kaufman Fund.
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In 2024, he was honored with the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, which recognizes MLB players who demonstrate extraordinary support for military service members and veterans.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Fans can vote: Roberto Clemente Award nominees include two players with Peoria ties