NEW YORK -- Clayton Kershaw was named one of six finalists for the 2014 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, an award recognizing major league players who "inspire others to higher levels of achievement by their on-field performances and contributions to their communities."
Kershaw was the Dodgers nominee and through an online poll from Sep. 6-12 was selected as the NL West representative for the award, joining Anthony Rizzo (NL Central), Adam LaRoche (NL East), Josh Hamilton (AL West), Max Scherzer (AL Central) and Carlos Beltran (AL East).
The overall winner will be decided by vote of major league players, to be announced as part of the 2014 Players Choice Awards.
In addition to being a lock for his third National League Cy Young Award in four seasons, Kershaw has been active off the field as well. Just last week he and his wife Ellen hosted a ping pong tournament at Dodger Stadium for his charity, Kershaw's Challenge, which has built and supported orphanages in Zambia as well as work with The Dream Center in Los Angeles and Mercy Street in Dallas.
Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera won the award in 2013. Adrian Gonzalez was the Dodgers representative last season. No Dodgers player has won the award, which began in 1997.