Liam Hendriks is one of the biggest allies in pro sports. The MLB hurler is such a strong advocate for queer people, he’s said he factors in a team’s support for the LGBTQ+ community before signing with them.

With a sterling track record of altruism, Hendriks was recently nominated for his sixth Roberto Clemente Award, which is awarded each year to a player who best embodies the Hall of Fame outfielder’s dedication to community service and sportsmanship.

When asked about his values, Hendriks provided a simple, yet perfect response.

“It’s not that hard. Just don’t be a d*ck,” he told reporters.

Easy! Or at least it should be…

Hendriks, 35, was honored this season despite not appearing in a game for the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander is recovering from Tommy John surgery, a serious procedure in which a torn ligament in a patient’s elbow is replaced with a tendon from another part of their body.

Since Hendriks is rehabbing, he’s not required to travel with the team. But he joins on road trips anyway, and uses home stands as meet-and-greets.

His work as a pitcher extends far beyond the mound.

“That was one thing I discussed with the brass when I did my initial interview before I even signed here,” he told the Boston Globe. “I was like, ‘Look, I’d love to be in Boston, I’d love to be able to travel.’”

After being diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2022, Hendriks has made it his mission to connect with cancer patients across the country. He visits hospitals in each road city, speaking with families and trying to instill hope.

“Being able to talk to people who are going through it, have gone through it or are about to go through it has been beneficial to me,” he said. “But I also know that the more you talk about it the better it is. So hopefully I can change a couple people’s perspectives on the way of what they’re going through or what they’re about to.”

Related: LGBTQ ally Liam Hendriks continues to be an All Star human as he continues rehab

Hendriks has long tried to shift people’s perspectives on LGBTQ+ issues, leveraging his platform as an All-Star pitcher to make a difference. When negotiating with the Chicago White Sox in 2021, Hendriks said he inquired about whether they host an annual Pride Night.

“It wasn’t a demand. It was a simple question of, ‘Do you guys have a Pride Night?,” he told The Athletic. “And if you don’t, that will be something that we need to look into that working out, making sure that we can handle it, because I don’t want to go necessarily to a team that doesn’t do it.”

Hendriks’ tactics worked: he signed a 3-year, $54 million deal with the White Sox. When he returned to the mound following his cancer diagnosis at the start of the 2023 season, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Unfortunately, Hendriks blew out his elbow after only five appearances, and has been sidelined since. But his latest nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award shows the value he brings to a locker room, even if he’s not playing.

MLB still struggles with players displaying homophobia on the field. Earlier this season, Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran was caught shouting the antigay “f-word” at a fan, and then apologized while wearing a shirt that says “F*ck ‘Em.” (FWIW, Duran wears the shirt often, and says the phrase is a personal mantra about his struggles with anxiety.)

Naturally, Hendriks was asked about the incident. And for the sake of objectivity, we must say we found his response underwhelming, as did Outsports’ Ken Schultz.

“It had nothing to do with that community, had nothing to do with trying to put someone down who’s in that community. I know where his heart’s at and that’s something that I value more than anything,” Hendriks said.

Hendriks’ response to Duran’s episode shows even the best allies can have blind spots. It’s understandable for a veteran player to try and protect a younger teammate. But given Hendriks’ past comments, it was disappointing he didn’t explicitly mention the LGBTQ+ community, or the ugly history of that particular slur.

Still, we know Hendriks is dedicated to inclusion. He’s an enthusiastic participant on Pride Night, which is more than we can say for one of the other Roberto Clemente Award nominees.

The Tampa Bay Rays nominated pitcher Jason Adam, who infamously refused to wear a rainbow patch during Pride Night…

As one can glean, Hendriks’ allyship is needed! That’s why the expectations for him are high.

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