10 major leaguers nominated for 48th Annual Hutch Award

Awardee to be honored Jan. 30 at Safeco Field luncheon in Seattle

SEATTLE – Oct. 4, 2012 – Ten distinguished Major League Baseball players are in the running for the 48th Hutch Award®. Of the finalists, one will go on to receive the award and visit Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The award will be announced this fall and presented at the annual Hutch Award Luncheon on Jan. 30, 2013 at Seattle’s Safeco Field. Baseball icon Lou Piniella will give the keynote address, and proceeds will benefit early cancer detection research at Fred Hutch.

This year’s nominees are:

Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Ryan Ludwick, Cincinnati Reds
Brandon McCarthy, Oakland Athletics
Logan Morrison, Miami Marlins
Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox
Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves
Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants

The Hutch Award recipient is selected through a vote of all surviving former awardees. A total of 47 players have been honored since 1965, when Mickey Mantle accepted the inaugural award. Early recipients include Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie McCovey and Lou Brock. More recently Jamie Moyer, Craig Biggio, Jon Lester, Tim Hudson and Billy Butler have joined their ranks.

The award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of baseball legend and manager Fred Hutchinson. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – founded by Fred’s brother, Dr. Bill Hutchinson, after Fred succumbed to cancer at age 45 – is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the understanding, treatment and prevention of cancer and related diseases.

For more information about the Hutch Award, including a full list of recipients, or to learn more about the luncheon, visit www.fhcrc.org/hutchaward.

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At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists – including three Nobel laureates – seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. The Hutchinson Center’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer with minimal side effects. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, the Hutchinson Center houses the nation’s first and largest cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Private contributions are essential for enabling Hutchinson Center scientists to explore novel research opportunities that lead to important medical breakthroughs. For more information visit www.fhcrc.org or follow the Hutchinson Center on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

MEDIA CONTACT
Christi Ball Loso
206-667-5215
closo@fhcrc.org