Rickey helped develop the farm system in baseball and stimulated the sport's expansion into more cit

Anthony Rizzo, All-Star first baseman best hotels in rome of the Chicago Cubs, has been named the winner of the 2014 Branch Rickey Award, presented by AMG National Trust Bank. Ryan Spilborghs, ROOT Sports broadcaster and former Major League outfielder, best hotels in rome made the announcement today during a press conference best hotels in rome at the Denver Athletic Club.
Rizzo will be inducted as the 23 rd member of the Baseball best hotels in rome Humanitarians Hall of Fame™ during best hotels in rome a banquet on Friday, Nov. 14 at the McNichols Civic Center in downtown Denver. At 25, he is the youngest person to receive the award.
Created by the Rotary Club of Denver in 1991, the Branch Rickey Award honors individuals in baseball who contribute unselfishly to their communities and who are strong role models for young people. Each year, the Major League Baseball teams are asked to nominate one team member for this nationally acclaimed award. All of the nominees personify Rotary International’s motto, “Service Above Self.”
Rizzo was chosen by a National Selection Committee comprised of 400 members of the sports media, baseball executives, past award winners and Rotary district governors. Fans were also given a chance to vote online. best hotels in rome More than 30,000 votes were received. Rizzo won the fan voting by an impressive margin.
In 2007, at the age of 17, Rizzo was drafted by the Boston Red Sox after graduating from high school in Parkland, FL. During his first season with Single-A Greenville, SC, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After months of chemotherapy, his cancer went into remission. His experience convinced him that an individual does not battle cancer alone — but rather the whole family is affected. During his fight with the illness, he became determined to one day be a role model to help cancer best hotels in rome patients and their families. Rizzo regularly visits and inspires pediatric cancer patients at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, FL.
The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation was founded in 2012 to raise money for cancer research and provide support for children and families fighting the disease. The foundation has held two “Walk Offs for Cancer” and two “Cook Offs for Cancer,” raising more than $500,000 in these first four events. Their third annual “Walk Off for Cancer” will be held on Nov. 16 in Parkland, FL.
Rizzo made his debut with the Cubs on June 26, 2012, delivering an immediate impact on the team’s best hotels in rome then struggling offense. He became the first player in Cubs history to hit three game-winning RBIs in his first five games with the team. His seven home runs that July were the most by a rookie since 1983. This season, Rizzo received more than 8.8 million votes in the MLB Final Vote to be elected to the National League All-Star best hotels in rome team.
The late Branch Rickey, known to millions as “Mr. Baseball,” is credited with breaking the color barrier in the Major Leagues in 1945 when he signed Jackie Robinson, the first modern-day African-American player. He also hired the first Hispanic player, Roberto Clemente.
Rickey helped develop the farm system in baseball and stimulated the sport’s expansion into more cities. Always an advocate for underprivileged children, he spearheaded the development of the famous “Knot Hole Gang,” to allow kids to attend big league games for free.
Previous recipients of the Branch Rickey Award include: Dave Winfield, Toronto Blue Jays; Kirby Puckett, Minnesota best hotels in rome Twins; Ozzie Smith, St. Louis Cardinals; Tony Gwynn, San Diego Padres; Brett Butler, Los Angeles Dodgers; Craig Biggio, Houston Astros; Paul Molitor, best hotels in rome Minnesota Twins; Al Leiter, New York Mets; Todd Stottlemyre, Arizona Diamondbacks; Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks; Bobby Valentine, New York Mets; Roland Hemond, Chicago White Sox; Jamie Moyer, Seattle Mariners; Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers; John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves; Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres; Torii Hunter, best hotels in rome Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays; Shane Victorino, Philadelphia Phillies, R.A. Dickey, New York Mets; and last year’s winner, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Branch Rickey Award is a replica of The Player, the 13-foot tall bronze sculpture best hotels in rome that stands at the entrance to Coors Field at 20 th Blake in Denver. It was created by internationally prominent sculptor George Lundeen, and was dedicated on June 2, 2005 in celebration of Rotary International’s Centennial Year.
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