Winter 2012
Decades of Legends Find Unity and Inspiration through MLBPAA Dinner
By K.C. Kolarek, former MLBPAA intern
As Dave Winfield took the field for the
final time in 1995 for the Cleveland
Indians, young New Jersey native,
Mike Trout was still a few years out
from attending Millville Senior High
School. Winfield, the only athlete in
history to be drafted by four different
professional-leagues after graduating
from the University of Minnesota, took
the stage in Cooperstown in 2001 to
be inducted into the Baseball Hall of
Fame; nine years prior to Trout being
drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in
the first-round draft in 2009.
Having grown up idolizing the New
York Yankees, Trout & Jonny Gomes
both purchased an autographed
Winfield jersey at the Major League
Baseball Players Alumni Association’s
13th Annual Legends for Youth
Dinner on Nov. 13, 2012; the
proceeds benefiting the MLBPAA’s
Legends for Youth Clinic Series.
Two legends, whose personal careers
never crossed paths, but whose
success and legacies have electrified
the baseball world, exemplify how
interconnected the world of baseball
truly is, even if their careers are
decades apart. Unifying and fostering
the camaraderie between former and
current MLB players is just one of
the many goals of the MLBPAA,
headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO.
The Alumni
Association fosters that
ability for players to
not only come together,
but to help children in
various communities
stated Rusty Staub, who was awarded
the Alumni Achievement award along
with Winfield, a lifetime recognition.
story continued on page 3...
A cast of legends including seven current and 35 former MLB players joined together to support the Legends for Youth Clinic Series
Current players in attendance included Jamey Carroll, Michael Cuddyer, Jonny Gomes, Corey Hart, Nick Hundley, Mike Trout and, Brad Ziegler.
A Publication of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association
Baseball Alumni News
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Telephone: 1-800-336-5272
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MLBPAA Officers
President
Brooks Robinson
Vice Presidents
Bob Boone, George Brett,
Carl Erskine, Mike Hegan, Chuck
Hinton, Al Kaline, Rusty Staub,
Robin Yount
MLBPAA Board of Directors
MLAS Board of Directors
Jim Hannan – Chairman
Fred Valentine – Vice Chair and
Secretary/Treasurer
Brian Fisher – Asst. Sec.
Sandy Alderson, John Doherty,
Denny Doyle, Joseph Garagiola, Jr.,
Doug Glanville, Jim “Mudcat” Grant,
Rich Hand, Steve Rogers,
Will Royster, Jim Sadowski,
Jose Valdivielso
Sam Moore – Legal Counsel, Asst. Sec.
David Mindell – Asst. Counsel
Craig Skok – Chairman
Eddie Robinson – President
Vern Fuller – Vice Chairman
Bret Boone, Denny Doyle,
Rich Hand, Trevor Hoffman,
Jerry Kindall, Mark Kotsay, Jim
McManus, Mike Myers, Jimmy Wynn
– Secretary/Treasurer, Sam Moore –
Legal Counsel/Asst. Sec.
MLAM Board of Directors
Jerry Moses – Chairman
Orestes Destrade, Noah Garden,
Paul Hartzell, Evan Kaplan, Al Leiter,
Ethan Orlinski, Andy Parton, Jim Poole,
Brooks Robinson
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MLBPAA members
receive exclusive travel benefits
with their complimentary
Preferred Golf membership – A $295 Value.
MLAM Officers
Tom Seaver – President
Fergie Jenkins – Vice President
Dave Winfield – Vice President
Sam Moore – Legal Counsel,
Secretary/Treasurer
David Mindell – Asst. Sec.
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and show off your alumni status!
Please email Kate Hutchinson, Membership
Development Coordinator, at [email protected]
or call 1-800-336-5272 ext. 113.
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*All photos credited to Rob Cuni Photography
2
*Artist rendering, not actual photo of product
Winter 2012
Don Baylor awards Dave Winfield a Lifetime
Achievement Award.
One of the MLBPAA’s key goals is to
promote the sport of baseball through
the Legends for Youth Clinics—a
program designed to provide children
with positive role models and teach
young players baseball fundamentals.
Offered for free across the United
States, and expanding internationally
including: the Dominican Republic,
London, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico
and Venezuela, the LFY Clinic Series
totaled 85 clinics this 2012 season.
Former players, such as Orlando
Cepeda, Desi Relaford, Dmitri
Young, Jim “Mudcat” Grant, Brian
Boehringer, and Dennis Rasmussen,
have participated in past clinics and
were among those who attended the
elite night at the Marriott Marquis in
New York City.
In addition to Hall of Famer Winfield
and Staub being awarded the Lifetime
Achievement award, Jamie Moyer,
World Series champion pitcher, was
honored with the Brooks Robinson
Community Service Award. The Award
is given annually by the MLBPAA to a
current or former MLB player, which
in this case was given to the oldest
MLB player in history to earn a win as
a pitcher. The recipient’s community
service exemplifies the unselfish and
humble attitude of Brooks Robinson,
bettering the lives of the youth in his
community. The award is given in
honor of the dedication Robinson
has shown to young people across the
country through his support of the
LFY series and the MLBPAA since its
inception in 1982.
“I am truly honored to receive this
award named for a MLB player who
stands for so much on and off the
baseball field. Robinson is a man who
said ‘if you aren’t practicing, someone
else is,’” said Moyer, president and cofounder of The Moyer Foundation.
The Moyer Foundation’s mission is
to empower children in distress by
providing education and support
- helping them to live healthy and
inspired lives. This foundation is
just one of the many charitable
organizations and community
philanthropies that the MLBPAA
supports throughout the year.
Heart and Hustle Award, presented to
an active player who demonstrates a
passion for the game and best embodies
the values, spirit and traditions of
baseball, is chosen from among 30
individual club nominees in electronic
balloting by former Major Leaguers
representing each club.
Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, the
overall Rookie of the Year for the
American League, added another award
to his collection on a cold November
night in New York City.
“I look back at it, but you got to be
confident in your abilities. I knew I
had it in me. There is still work to be
done. We fell short and didn’t make the
playoffs, so we have to try harder next
year,” stated Trout humbly.
Decades of legends including rookies,
journeymen, and Hall of Fame veterans
can all find unity within the MLBPAA
Family and continue to inspire the next
decade of baseball players.
Rusty Staub accepts a
Lifetime Achievement
Award.
The MLBPAA, with a membership
of 6,300, of which approximately
4,600 are Alumni and active players,
recognized three former players and one
current player during the organization’s
largest fundraiser of the year. The
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Phone: (719) 477-1870
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Email: [email protected]
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@MLBPAA
Mike Trout, Dave Winfield and Jonny Gomes join together to support
the Legends for Youth Clinic Series.
MLBPAA
Mission Statement
To promote the game
of baseball, raise
money for charity,
inspire and educate
youth through positive
sport images and
protect the dignity
of the game through
former Major League
players.
A Publication of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association