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May 10, 2002 For Immediate Release Contact: Russ Anderson |
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| Forty players chosen from 17 conferences | |||||
| NCBWA ANNOUNCES DICK HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS |
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (NCBWA) – The National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, working in association with the St. Petersburg
Area Chamber of Commerce, has released the list of 40 semifinalists for the 2002 Dick
Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball. The membership of the NCBWA will choose the Dick Howser Trophy based on three rounds of voting. The 2002 winner will announced at the College World Series in Omaha on Friday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m. CDT. A total of 17 different conferences have at least one player among the semifinalists. The ACC has the most semifinalists with 10, followed by the SEC (6) and Pac-10 (5). The Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball's most prestigious award. Criteria for consideration for the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser's life. A Florida native, Howser was twice an All-America shortstop at Florida State University (1957-58), then coached the Seminoles in 1979 after a career as a major league player and coach. After one year in the college ranks, Howser returned to the majors to manage the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals and won the World Series with the Royals in 1985. The baseball stadium on the Florida State campus is named for Howser. The winner's name is inscribed on the permanent trophy, a bronze bust of Howser permanently displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the 1999 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four. Both the winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep. The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is in its 103rd year of existence in 2002. The organization has long been a vital force in the baseball affairs of the city, both in spring training and during the pursuit of a Major League Baseball franchise for the Tampa Bay area, and continues its solid role in the 21st Century. NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport's only college media-related organization, founded in 1962. The Howser Trophy was created in 1987, shortly after Howser's death. Previous winners of the Howser Trophy are Mike Fiore, Miami, 1987; Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State, 1988; Scott Bryant, Texas, 1989; Alex Fernandez, Miami-Dade Community College South, 1990; Frank Rodriguez, Howard College (Texas), 1991; Brooks Kieschnick, Texas, 1992 and 1993; Jason Varitek, Georgia Tech, 1994; Todd Helton, Tennessee, 1995; Kris Benson, Clemson, 1996; J. D. Drew, Florida State, 1997; Eddy Furniss, LSU, 1998; Jason Jennings, Baylor, 1999; Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; and Mark Prior, P, USC, 2001.
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