Billy Butler Named Royals Nominee for the 2010 Roberto Clemente Award Presented by Chevrolet
September 7, 2010 - Pioneer League (PL)
Idaho Falls Chukars News Release
Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, today announced that Billy Butler was named the Royals 2010 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Butler is one of the 30 Club nominees who are finalists for the national award, which is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field. Tomorrow will mark the ninth annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente's legacy and to officially recognize local Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet.
The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet recognizes players who best represent the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions to their Clubs. The award is named for the 12-time All-Star and Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The award pays tribute to Clemente's achievements and character by recognizing talented current players who truly understand the value of helping others.
Butler, who will be recognized in a special pregame ceremony prior to the club's 7:10 p.m. game against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, September 15, is involved in a number of community outreach efforts in the Kansas City area, including work with the Bishop Sullivan Center. The center, created in 1972 by three area Catholic parishes in response to the growing number of people living in poverty in their neighborhood, is one of the largest providers of emergency assistance in the Kansas City area. The Bishop Sullivan Center now operates three food pantries, a soup kitchen, employment services, a clothes closet, elderly services, and financial emergency assistance.
Butler's wife, Katie, began volunteering at the Bishop Sullivan Center in 2007 and urged her husband to create a program to benefit the center. In 2008, the Butlers unveiled the Hit-It-A-Ton program to help feed the hungry in the Kansas City area. The matching donation program, in which individuals and corporate sponsors match Butler's donation for each home run he hits, is now in its third year and continues to grow. Donating fans have the opportunity to earn tickets to a Royals home game and autographed memorabilia, as well as attend a picnic event with the Butlers. For more information on the Hit-It-A-Ton program, visit www.bishopsullivan.org/hit-it-a-ton.aspx.
The distinguished list of national Roberto Clemente Award recipients includes 13 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame:
1971 Willie Mays* 1984 Ron Guidry 1997 Eric Davis
1972 Brooks Robinson* 1985 Don Baylor 1998 Sammy Sosa
1973 Al Kaline* 1986 Garry Maddox 1999 Tony Gwynn*
1974 Willie Stargell* 1987 Rick Sutcliffe 2000 Al Leiter
1975 Lou Brock* 1988 Dale Murphy 2001 Curt Schilling
1976 Pete Rose 1989 Gary Carter* 2002 Jim Thome
1977 Rod Carew* 1990 Dave Stewart 2003 Jamie Moyer
1978 Greg Luzinski 1991 Harold Reynolds 2004 Edgar Martinez
1979 Andre Thornton 1992 Cal Ripken, Jr.* 2005 John Smoltz
1980 Phil Niekro* 1993 Barry Larkin 2006 Carlos Delgado
1981 Steve Garvey 1994 Dave Winfield* 2007 Craig Biggio
1982 Ken Singleton 1995 Ozzie Smith* 2008 Albert Pujols
1983 Cecil Cooper 1996 Kirby Puckett* 2009 Derek Jeter
* Member of Baseball Hall of Fame
Fans are encouraged to participate in the process of selecting the national award recipient by visiting www.chevy.com/clemente, powered by MLB.com and created specifically for the Roberto Clemente Award platform, from September 7 to October 8 to vote for one of the 30 Club nominees. Participating fans will be automatically registered for a chance to win a trip to the 2010 World Series, where the national winner of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet will be announced.
The winner of the fan poll will receive one vote among those cast by the selection panel, which includes Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer; Commissioner Selig; MLB Network analyst and former Roberto Clemente Award winner Harold Reynolds; MLB Network analyst, TBS broadcaster and former Roberto Clemente Award winner John Smoltz; Hall of Famer and ESPN broadcaster Joe Morgan; former All-Star catcher and FOX broadcaster Tim McCarver; and MLB.com senior correspondent Hal Bodley.
MLB celebrates Roberto Clemente Day as part of the broader "MLB Going Beyond" platform, which strives to integrate community service and the importance of giving back.
• Discuss this story on the Pioneer League message board...
Pioneer League Stories from September 7, 2010
- Owlz Comeback Win Shaves Magic Number to One - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Six Ghost Errors Not Enough To Help Idaho Falls Win - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Shaved Heads Raise Money - Great Falls Voyagers
- Billy Butler Named Royals Nominee for the 2010 Roberto Clemente Award Presented by Chevrolet - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Royals Renew Player Development Contracts with Three Affiliates - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Watts A Pioneer League All-Star - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Owlz Score Early and Often, Inch Closer to Playoffs - Northern Colorado Owlz
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
