Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association Announces Bert Blyleven as Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree for 2017 Legends for Youth Dinner
Colorado Springs, CO – The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) is pleased to announce that Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven will be honored with the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award at the 18th Annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City.
The event, which will take place on Tuesday, November 14 at Capitale, recognizes former major league players for their accomplishments on the diamond coupled with their off-the-field contributions to communities across the nation.
Blyleven, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011, was a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion during his 22-year career. Blyleven was a three-time American League shutouts leader in 1973, 1985 and 1989 and compiled 4,970 innings pitched. A model of consistency, Blyleven finished 16 seasons with 200+ innings pitched. He achieved 287 career wins pitching for the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers. Blyleven’s number “28” was retired by the Twins in 2011 after 11 years with the club as a player. The first Dutch-born Major League Baseball player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Blyleven has served as a color commentator for the Twins television broadcast since 1995. Inspired by his use of the onscreen highlighting tool, Blyleven leveraged his broadcasting career to create the “Circle Me Bert” campaign. In addition to “Circle Me Bert”, Blyleven has been involved in numerous charitable endeavors primarily benefitting the Parkinson’s Association, in addition to the Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Juvenile Diabetes and Leukemia Association. Blyleven also participated in a charity event at the 2014 All-Star Game in Minnesota that benefitted the Wounded Warrior Project.
“We are pleased to honor Bert Blyleven with a 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award,” said MLBPAA CEO Dan Foster. “Through his charitable contributions to both the Wounded Warrior Project and to the National Parkinson Foundation Minnesota, Bert’s philanthropic endeavors paired with his achievements in Major League Baseball make him a perfect candidate for the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association congratulates Bert on this distinct honor.”
Other awards presented at the Legends for Youth dinner include the Heart & Hustle Award and the Brooks Robinson Community Service Award. The Brooks Robinson Community Service Award will be presented to a player who embodies dedication and service to his community. The 13thannual Heart & Hustle Award will also be presented to the active player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.
MLBPAA allocates proceeds from the dinner to the Legends for Youth Baseball Clinic series. The Legends for Youth program is a series of free baseball clinics designed to provide children with positive role models, teach young players baseball fundamentals and promote the game of baseball. Former players, such as George Foster, Bobby Grich, Ferguson Jenkins, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Orlando Cepeda and Tom Seaver, have participated in past clinics.
To purchase a table or tickets for the Legends for Youth Dinner, please contact Nikki Warner, Director of Communications, at nikki@mlbpaa.com or visit www.baseballalumni.com.
About The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA)
MLBPAA was founded in 1982 with the mission of promoting baseball, raising money for charity and protecting the dignity of the game through its Alumni players. The MLBPAA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO with a membership of more than 7,800, of which approximately 6,100 are Alumni and active players. Alumni players find the MLBPAA to be a vital tool to become involved in charity and community philanthropy. Follow @MLBPAA for Twitter updates.
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