Granderson, Happ and Mauer to Receive Prestigious 2009 Players Choice Awards

From MLBPA news releases:

Joe Mauer to be Presented Players Choice Award as 2009 AL Outstanding Player

In Joe’s honor, the Players Trust contributes $5,000 each to the Catholic Athletic Association, Friends of St. Paul Baseball, Gillette Children’s Foundation and Highland Friendship Club

New York, NY, Friday, April 16, 2010… In a pre-game ceremony on Sunday, April 18, Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer will receive a prestigious Players Choice Award as 2009 AL Outstanding Player.  Michael Cuddyer, Joe’s teammate and a member of the MLBPA’s Executive Board, will represent his American League peers in presenting the award to Joe.

Selected in a secret ballot of all Major League players, Joe earned his first Players Choice Award after providing the offensive spark that helped the Twins capture the AL Central Division title. Despite missing the first month of the season, Joe returned to the lineup in May and went on to become the first catcher in Major League history to lead the league in average (.365), on-base percentage (.444) and slugging percentage (.587) in a single year.  His 28 home runs and 96 RBI were career highs, and last season he became the first catcher to win three batting crowns.

In Joe’s honor, the Major League Baseball Players Trust has awarded a $5,000 grant each to the Catholic Athletic Association , Friends of St. Paul Baseball , Gillette Children’s Foundation and the Highland Friendship Club . 2009 Players Choice Award winners in all categories will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Players Trust. Since 1992, the Players Trust has recognized the outstanding on-field and off-field performances of Players Choice Awards winners by contributing nearly $3 million to charities around the world.

Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers contribute their time, money and celebrity to call attention to important causes affecting the needy and to help encourage others to get involved in their own communities. In partnership with Volunteers of America, the national human service organization, the Players Trust administers the Action Team, a national youth volunteer program currently inspiring the next generation of volunteers in more than 150 high schools in cities throughout the United States. For more
information on the Major League Baseball Players Trust, please visit www.MLBPLAYERS.com and http://www.youtube.com/mlbplayerstrust .

The Players Choice Awards winners (Outstanding Pitchers, Rookies, Comeback Players, Player of the Year and the Marvin Miller Man of the Year) were selected by secret ballot of all Major League baseball players, under the supervision of accounting firm KPMG.

Curtis Granderson Presented Players Choice Award as 2009 Marvin Miller Man of the Year

In Curtis’s honor, the Players Trust contributes $50,000 to the Grand Kids Foundation

New York, NY, Friday, April 16, 2010… In a pre-game ceremony on Saturday, April 17, New York Yankees centerfielder Curtis Granderson will receive a prestigious Players Choice Award as the 2009 Marvin Miller Man of the Year. Mark Teixeira, Curtis’s teammate and a member of the MLBPA’s Executive Board, will represent his Major League peers in presenting the award to Curtis.

Selected in a secret ballot of all Major League players, Curtis earned the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award, named for the founding executive director of the MLBPA and awarded to the player whose on-field and off -field performance most inspires others to higher levels of achievement, by displaying as much passion to give back to others as he shows between the lines on the baseball diamond . In 2008, he established the Grand Kids Foundation to focus on improving opportunities for inner-city youth in the areas of education and youth baseball, and he recently released a children’s book, All You Can Be , which encourages children to chase their dreams. In 2009, Curtis set a career high in home runs (30), and finished with 157 hits, 91 runs scored, 23 doubles, 8 triples, 20 stolen bases and 71 RBI in 160 games with the Detroit Tigers.

In Curtis’s honor, the Major League Baseball Players Trust has awarded a $50,000 grant to the Grand Kids Foundation .

J.A. Happ to be Presented Players Choice Award as 2009 NL Outstanding Rookie

In J.A.’s honor, the Players Trust contributes $20,000 to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

New York, NY, Friday, April 16, 2010… In a pre-game ceremony on Saturday, April 17, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ will receive a prestigious Players Choice Award as 2009 NL Outstanding Rookie. Jimmy Rollins, J.A.’s teammate and a member of the MLBPA’s Executive Board, will represent his National League peers in presenting the award to J.A.

Selected in a secret ballot of all Major League players, J.A. earned a Players Choice Award after making an impressive jump from the Phillies’ bullpen to starter in late May, and posting a record of 12-4 with an ERA of 2.93. Drafted by the Phillies in the third round of the 2004 June draft (92nd overall), last season J.A. struck out 119 batters in 166 innings pitched and posted two shutouts. In 2008, the 6’6” native of Peru, IL, finished second in the International League in strikeouts, with 151, and averaged 10.1 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched.

In J.A.’s honor, the Major League Baseball Players Trust has awarded a $20,000 grant to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation .

The Players Choice Awards winners ( Outstanding Pitchers, Rookies, Comeback Players, Player of the Yearand the Marvin Miller Man of the Year) were selected by secret ballot of all Major League baseball players, under the supervision of accounting firm KPMG.

The 2009 Players Choice Awards finalists are [winners in bold & underlined]:

American League :
Outstanding Rookie: Elvis Andrus (Texas), Gordon Beckham (Chicago White Sox) , Jeff Niemann (Tampa Bay)
Comeback Player: Russell Branyan (Seattle), Aaron Hill (Toronto) , Scott Podsednik (Chicago White Sox)
Outstanding Pitcher: Roy Halladay (Toronto), Zack Greinke (Kansas City) , C.C. Sabathia (NY Yankees)
Outstanding Player: Derek Jeter (NY Yankees), Joe Mauer (Minnesota) , Kendry Morales (LA Angels of Anaheim)

National League:

Outstanding Rookie: Chris Coghlan (Florida), Tommy Hanson (Atlanta), J.A. Happ (Philadelphia)
Comeback Player: Aaron Boone (Houston), Chris Carpenter (St. Louis) , Nick Johnson (Florida)
Outstanding Pitcher: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis), Tim Lincecum (San Francisco), Adam Wainwright (St. Louis)
Outstanding Player: Prince Fielder (Milwaukee), Albert Pujols (St. Louis) , Hanley Ramirez (Florida)

Either League :
Man of the Year: Curtis Granderson (Detroit) , Torii Hunter (LA Angeles of Anaheim), Albert Pujols (St. Louis)
Player of Year: Joe Mauer (Minnesota), Albert Pujols (St. Louis) , Hanley Ramirez (Florida)

For year-by-year Players Choice Awards results, please click here: http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/programs/choice_winners.jsp

The Major League Baseball Players Association ( www.MLBPLAYERS.com ) is the collective bargaining representative for all professional baseball players of the thirty Major League Baseball teams and serves as the exclusive group licensing agent for commercial and licensing activities involving active Major League baseball players. On behalf of its members, it operates the Players Choice licensing program and Players Choice Awards, which benefit the needy through the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a charitable foundation established and run entirely by Major League baseball players. Please visit the Players Trust Channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/mlbplayerstrust .

Contact: Greg Bouris, MLBPA Director of Communications, 212/826-0808