SEATTLE — October 7, 2008 — A national committee of Major League Baseball and media representatives has released a list of 10 players, one of whom will go on to receive the prestigious Hutch Award® in January. The finalists for the 2008 Hutch Award are:
The 2008 Hutch Award recipient will be selected in mid-November through a vote of all surviving former awardees. Through the years, 43 players have been honored. Mickey Mantle accepted the inaugural award in 1965, the year after baseball great Fred Hutchinson (known as "Hutch") succumbed to cancer at age 45. Hall-of-Famers Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Al Kaline, Willie McCovey and Lou Brock all have received the Hutch Award, and in more recent years Jamie Moyer, Trevor Hoffman, Craig Biggio, Mark Loretta and Mike Sweeney have joined their ranks.
The Hutch Award is given annually to the major league player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Hutch. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center -- which was named in Hutch's honor by his brother Bill, a surgeon -- is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the understanding, treatment and prevention of cancer and other potentially fatal diseases.
Each year in January the award is presented in Seattle, Hutch's hometown and the site of the renowned cancer center that bears his name. While in Seattle, Hutch Award recipients often visit with young cancer patients undergoing treatment on the Hutchinson Center campus. The Hutch Award will be presented at a luncheon honoring the awardee on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 at Safeco Field in Seattle. MLB pitching legend Tom Seaver will serve as keynote speaker for the ceremony.
For more information, including a full list of recipients, or to learn more about the January award luncheon, visit Hutch Award webpage.
Media Contact
Christi Ball Loso
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
(206) 667-5215
closo@fhcrc.org
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Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit www.fhcrc.org.
For the Media