47th Annual Hutch Award® Nominees

BILLY BUTLER, KANSAS CITY ROYALS 

Billy Butler is the Kansas City Royals’ designated hitter. He was selected by the Royals in the first round as the 14th overall pick of the 2004 draft out of high school and made his major league debut in 2007. Butler is currently hitting .292 with 19 home runs and 90 RBI.

Butler is active in feeding the hungry in the Kansas City area through the Bishop Sullivan Center's St. James Place, the area’s largest single-site provider of emergency services. In 2008, Butler started the “Hit-It-A-Ton” campaign, which donates $250 for each of his home runs to buy a ton of food for the hungry. Because five corporate sponsors also match that amount, the program receives six tons of food for every home run. In 2010, the program raised more than $100,000, all of which went to the Bishop Sullivan Center. Collectively, this program has provided more than 960 tons of food for those in need. Additional funds come from a dinner and silent auction held each April. In 2009, Butler hit a career best 21 home runs for the Hit-It-A-Ton campaign. In 2011, the campaign expanded with the Billy’s Doubles Club for Kids program, which encourages youth involvement in helping feed the hungry.

Butler represented the Royals as their 2010 Roberto Clemente Award nominee and was a nominee for the 2010 Jefferson Award which recognizes professional athletes’ public service. He was also selected as the Royals Player of the Year for 2009 and 2010.

[ Back to top ]

TONY CAMPANA, CHICAGO CUBS  

Tony Campana is an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs whose road to the major leagues was a unique one. At age six, a bout of chest pain his parents assumed was heartburn turned out to be a tumor pressing on his lungs and was soon after diagnosed as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Campana endured major surgery and six months of chemotherapy, followed by another 10 years of treatment before he was declared cancer-free. If battling though cancer was not enough, Campana also battled with those who told him he was too short and too small to play baseball. He heard this everywhere he went, but continued to play the game he loved. He went on to play baseball at the University of Cincinnati and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2008 in the 13th round. Listed on the Cubs' official roster at 5 foot 8 inches, 165 pounds, Campana is the shortest and lightest Cubs player.

On August 5, 2011, he became the only player in the history of Wrigley Field to have his first home run be an inside-the-park homer. Campana is considered by many sports analysts to be one of the fastest players in professional baseball, boasting a base-stealing success rate of 94 percent since his debut with the Cubs. He is currently hitting .263 with one home run and five RBI.
 
Campana’s great work continues off the field. He has quickly become a fan favorite not only for his play, but also for his personality. Campana participates in many charitable events with the White Sox organization including meeting with children. He has spent mornings before games with disabled children from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago playing catch, hitting baseballs and speaking to them about chasing their dreams and not letting anyone stop them in doing so.

[ Back to top ]

MICHAEL CUDDYER, MINNESOTA TWINS  

Michael Cuddyer is a right fielder for the Minnesota Twins. He was drafted in the first round as the ninth overall pick by the Twins in 1997 and made his major league debut for the team in 2001. Cuddyer is currently batting .280 with 19 home runs and 68 RBI. He has also been named one of the 50 greatest Minnesota Twins players.

Cuddyer serves on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund, which has the mission to enrich local and regional communities by providing resources for the healthy development of children and families through an association with baseball and softball. As a board member, Cuddyer helps direct grant and program funds to worthy organizations and assists in organizing Twins’ players to participate in fundraisers for the organization.

Naming the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities as his charity of choice, Cuddyer acts as a spokesman through local public service announcements and assists the clubs through his participation in a number of fundraisers. In 2007, he founded the Michael Cuddyer Celebrity Waiter Dinner which has raised more than $250,000 since the first event.

Additionally, Cuddyer established Cuddy’s Buddies which provides Twins game tickets to thousands of economically disadvantaged youth from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Since 2006, more than 26,000 youth have attended a Twins game for free because of Cuddyer’s generous contributions. He has also hosted a pancake breakfast fundraiser for the local charity Cheerful Givers for the past two years which raises funds to help purchase birthday gifts for underprivileged children.
 
Cuddyer is a past Roberto Clemente Award nominee and the recipient of the Twins Community Fund’s Carl R. Pohlad Award for community service.

[ Back to top ]

CURTIS GRANDERSON, NEW YORK YANKEES  

New York Yankees’ centerfielder Curtis Granderson is batting .268 for the season with 40 home runs and 113 RBI. Granderson was drafted by the Tigers in the third round of the 2002 draft and became the Tigers starting center fielder at the start of the 2006 season. He was traded to the New York Yankees in 2009.

In 2007, Granderson founded the Grand Kids Foundation to focus on improving the educational experience for youth nationwide as well as helping to reestablish baseball opportunities for inner city youth. The foundation raises funds through a variety of yearly events to support educational causes.
 
In 2009, Granderson released a children’s book, All You Can Be, which shares personal stories from his youth encouraging children to chase after their dreams and includes artwork from Michigan state fourth graders. He donated a copy of the book to each public elementary school library in Michigan and all other proceeds benefit the Grand Kids Foundation. Granderson also acts as the official Major League Baseball spokesperson for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move anti-obesity campaign and has served for several years as one of the league’s overseas ambassadors.

Granderson was named the 2009 MLBPA Marvin Miller Man of the Year in recognition for his work with education, received a 2009 Jefferson Award for Public Service as a top athlete who has given back to the community and was awarded the Pop Lloyd Award from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in 2009 for his baseball and community leadership. In addition, Granderson was nominated twice by the Tigers and once by the Yankees for the Roberto Clemente Award.

[ Back to top ]

JOSH HAMILTON, TEXAS RANGERS  

Josh Hamilton is a left fielder for the Texas Rangers. He is hitting .299 for the season with 23 home runs and 91 RBI. In 1999, he was the first overall selection at the draft, selected by the Tampa Bay Rays, and the first high school outfielder selected number one since Ken Griffey, Jr. in 1987. During spring training he was in a car accident with his parents. He rejoined the Rays at training the next day, but soon started experiencing back pain and was sent back down to the minors, where his season was shortened by injuries. After trying to cope with the pain through cortisone shots and painkillers he missed nearly four years of development as he battled periodic drug abuse from 2001 to 2005. 

After overcoming years of suspension by Major League Baseball for positive drug tests, Hamilton was picked up by the Cincinnati Reds, promptly traded to the Texas Rangers, and went on to set a record with 28 home runs in the first round of the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He finished seventh in voting for the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player when he led the league in RBI and total bases. Hamilton was named the 2010 American League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America, the MVP of the 2010 American League Championship Series, and has also been selected by fans as an All-Star Game starter for three consecutive years.

In 2008, Hamilton and his wife, Katie, founded Triple Play Ministries. Through the project, the Hamilton’s have worked to provide sports ministry, community outreach and mission projects in a variety of endeavors. The project has provided funding for an orphanage in Uganda, Sowers of Seed Red Light District and Life Outreach International.

[ Back to top ]

TORII HUNTER, LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM  

Torii Hunter is an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who is currently batting .260 with 21 home runs and 77 RBI. Hunter was selected as the Minnesota Twins first round pick in 1993 and made his major league debut with the team. After playing with the Twins for 11 years, Hunter turned down a three year deal in August 2007 from the team and went on to sign with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. 

Hunter grew up amid gang violence, drugs and poverty in Pine Bluff, Ark. A trip to Santa Fe, N.M., at the age of 13 for a two-week regional baseball tournament allowed him to experience a different kind of life, and made a huge impact on his view of the world. When he hit the major leagues, his primary focus became brightening the lives of inner-city youth, having personally endured the indignities and tribulations of the hardest and harshest of realities.

Hunter and his wife have personally contributed more than $1 million to found and fund the Torii Hunter Project, which is a comprehensive, long-term effort designed to impact youth in need in various parts of the United States. The project has four areas of focus related to youth: sports, community, education and wellness. Further, the Torii Hunter Project Education Initiative, which will be operated by the Heart of a Champion Foundation, focuses on two aspects: the Heart of a Champion character education curriculum and the Hunter’s Hundred scholarship program.

[ Back to top ]

JUSTIN MASTERSON, CLEVELAND INDIANS  

Justin Masterson is a right handed pitcher with the Cleveland Indians and was drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2006 draft. After playing in the minors for two years, Masterson made his major league debut in April 2008 for the Red Sox against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Masterson was traded to Cleveland in 2009 and currently has a pitching record of 12 – 10 for the season, with a 3.15 ERA and 154 strikeouts. 

Masterson is active in local Cleveland Indians’ community outreach events including the Celebrity Golf Outing, the team’s annual Tyson Food Distribution event and the annual Shop-With-A-Pro day, where select kids are grouped with players to go back-to-school shopping. Masterson continues to support the Cleveland community outside of Cleveland Indians Charities, making visits to local schools where he teaches them the importance of a good education. He is the spokesperson for Cleveland’s 2011 glove drive and has spent numerous occasions reaching out to fans to let them know how important a glove donation is to the Cleveland Baseball Federation. Masterson is also the 2011 Roberto Clemente Award nominee for the Indians.

[ Back to top ]

BRIAN McCANN, ATLANTA BRAVES  

Brian McCann is a catcher for the Atlanta Braves. After making his debut with the Braves in June 2005, he burst into the spotlight as a rookie by hitting a home run off Roger Clemens in his first playoff game. Since then, McCann has continued to make a name for himself as one of the top catchers in Major League Baseball. He is hitting .275 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI.

McCann serves as a spokesperson for the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research. Since 2008, nearly $700,000 has been raised for the organization through events such as the Rally Benefit Bash, the Brian McCann Rally Celebrity Softball Game and the McCann 16 Home Run Challenge. McCann also participates in Rally Foundation fundraisers and events throughout the year, including hosting Rally Kids, children who are current or former cancer patients, and their families at Turner Field for batting practice and games as well as Rally in the Mitt events. During the events, McCann and his Braves teammates join Rally Kids for a bubble gum blowing contest to raise funds for the organization.

In addition to his work with the Rally Foundation, McCann supports several other organizations, including Jaden's Ladder, the WES Foundation, The Moyer Foundation's Camp Erin and the Atlanta Braves Foundation. McCann was named the MVP of the 2010 All-Star game and was the 2010 Roberto Clemente Award nominee for the Braves.

[ Back to top ]

JAKE PEAVY, CHICAGO WHITE SOX  

Jake Peavy is a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who made his major league debut playing for the San Diego Padres against the New York Yankees in 2002. In 2009, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox and currently has a 7 – 7 record with a 4.92 ERA and 95 strikeouts. 

In July 2010, Peavy suffered a rare and possibly career-ending injury when he tore his latissimus dorsi muscle and tendon completely from the bone while pitching against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. A groundbreaking surgery repaired the injury, and in March 2011 he pitched his first game in eight months, racking up two scoreless innings and a fastball clocked at 92 miles per hour. 

Peavy supports the White Sox Volunteer Corps, The Jake Peavy Foundation and is partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities, but the majority of his community outreach efforts support active military and veterans. Peavy, along with a number of other White Sox players, formed the True Heroes program, where they visit veteran’s hospitals both in Chicago and on the road. Under Peavy's leadership, wounded heroes are invited to a game once a month during the season to meet players and enjoy an evening of White Sox baseball. The pitcher has formed and maintains friendships with a number of military veterans and also is considered a leader in the Strikeouts for Troops program, which provides the comforts of home and lifts the spirits and morale of wounded troops during treatment at military hospitals nationwide. Since its inception, Strikeouts for Troops has raised nearly $2 million through contributions made by more than 60 professional baseball players, fundraising events, fan donations and corporate partnerships.

[ Back to top ]

JOSH WILLINGHAM, OAKLAND ATHLETICS  

Josh Willingham is a left fielder for the Oakland Athletics. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 17th round of the 2000 draft and made his major league debut in 2004. Willingham’s breakout season came in 2006 when he played catcher for the Marlins. In 2008, he was traded to the Washington Nationals and quickly became a productive player for the team, moving into the fifth slot in the batting rotation. In December 2010 Willingham was traded to the Oakland Athletics and is currently batting .254 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI.

The Josh Willingham Foundation, created by Willingham and his wife, Ginger, is committed to providing life changing opportunities and experiences to underserved children in their hometown of Florence, Ala. Since its inception, Willingham has been actively involved in the organization and hosted the first major fundraiser, a charity golf tournament in Alabama, in the fall of 2009. When tornadoes devastated northern Alabama in April this year, the foundation reacted by focusing its efforts on assisting local victims who had both short and long term needs. The Willingham family also provided financial assistance so Florence area high schools could repair baseball fields damaged by the tornadoes. Since April, the foundation has raised more than $100,000 for victims, and during this year’s All-Star break, Willingham personally visited with victims.

Willingham was the 2010 Roberto Clemente Award nominee for the Washington Nationals and was nominated again in 2011 by the Athletics.

[ Back to top ]