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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Branch Rickey Award
The Branch Rickey Award was given annually to an individual in Major League Baseball (MLB) in recognition of his exceptional community service from 1992 to 2014. The award was named in honor of former player and executive Branch Rickey, who broke the major league color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson, while president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rickey also created the Knothole Gang, a charity that allowed children to attend MLB games.

The award, created by the Rotary Club of Denver in 1991, was first awarded to Dave Winfield in 1992 at their annual banquet. Each MLB team nominates one individual who best exemplifies the Rotary Club motto: "Service Above Self". A vote is then conducted by the national selection committee, which consists of members of the sports media, previous winners of the award, and Rotary district governors in major league cities. Proceeds of the banquet benefit Denver Kids, Inc., a charity for at-risk students who attend Denver Public Schools. Each winner receives a bronze sculpture of a baseball player measuring 24 inches (610 mm), named "The Player", designed by sculptor George Lundeen. A larger version of "The Player", standing 13 feet (4.0 m) tall, was erected at Coors Field in Denver.

Winners of the Branch Rickey Award have undertaken different causes. Many winners, including Todd Stottlemyre, Jamie Moyer, John Smoltz, Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, and Shane Victorino, worked with children in need. Stottlemyre visited and raised money for a nine-year-old girl who suffered from aplastic anemia and required a bone marrow transplant, while Moyer's foundation raised US$6 million to support underprivileged children. Other winners devoted their work to aiding individuals who had a specific illness, such as Curt Schilling, who raised money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Trevor Hoffman, who lost a kidney as an infant and devoted himself to working with individuals with nephropathy. Also, some winners devoted themselves to work with major disasters and tragedies. Bobby Valentine donated money to charities benefiting victims of the September 11 attacks, while Luis Gonzalez worked with survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Previous winners

The Branch Rickey Award that was presented to Dave Winfield in 1992.
A man in a blue suit and a blue tie looks to his right and smiles.
Bobby Valentine won the award in 2002 in recognition of his charitable work for the survivors of the September 11 attacks.
A man in a white baseball uniform with red lettering and a red hat and red shoes stands on a baseball field reaching into the stands to sign autographs for fans.
The Moyer Foundation, founded by Jamie Moyer and his wife, supports underprivileged children.
Key
† Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
‡ Denotes player who is still active
Year Recipient Team Position Ref
1992 Dave Winfield Toronto Blue Jays Outfielder
1993 Kirby Puckett Minnesota Twins Outfielder
1994 Ozzie Smith St. Louis Cardinals Shortstop
1995 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres Outfielder
1996 Brett Butler Los Angeles Dodgers Outfielder
1997 Craig Biggio Houston Astros Second baseman
1998 Paul Molitor Minnesota Twins Designated hitter
1999 Al Leiter New York Mets Pitcher
2000 Todd Stottlemyre Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher
2001 Curt Schilling Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher
2002 Bobby Valentine New York Mets Manager
2003 Roland Hemond Chicago White Sox General manager
2004 Jamie Moyer Seattle Mariners Pitcher
2005 Luis Gonzalez Arizona Diamondbacks Outfielder
2006 Tommy Lasorda Los Angeles Dodgers Senior vice president
2007 John Smoltz Atlanta Braves Pitcher
2008 Trevor Hoffman San Diego Padres Pitcher
2009 Torii Hunter Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Outfielder
2010 Vernon Wells Toronto Blue Jays Outfielder
2011 Shane Victorino Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder
2012 R. A. Dickey New York Mets Pitcher
2013 Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher
2014 Anthony Rizzo Chicago Cubs First baseman

See also