Jones Honored with Legacy Award

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum will honor Chipper Jones as one of its 2008 Legacy Award winners.

As the National League batting champion, Jones will receive the Walter "Buck" Leonard Award. The Museum annually presents the Legacy Awards to the top performers from the National and American Leagues.

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and Twins catcher Joe Mauer have been named this year's Oscar Charleston Legacy Award winners. This award is the Museum's top honor, and it's presented to the best player from both the NL and AL. Charleston was a Negro League outfielder who has been compared to Willie Mays.

Each of the Legacy Awards winners will be recognized on Jan. 10 during a ceremony at the Gem Theater in Kansas City, a venue across the street from the Negro Leagues Museum. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Museum, which keeps alive the legacy of men and women who played, coached or owned teams when baseball was a segregated sport.

This marks the second year that MLB.com will sponsor the Sam Lacy Legacy Award, which is reserved for a baseball writer who embodies the pioneering spirit of Lacy, a Hall of Fame sportswriter whose half-century of work for the black press beat the drum for equality in the sport.

This year's Lacy Award will be presented to Chris Murray, a sportswriter for The Philadelphia Tribune. Murray has written extensively about baseball for The Tribune, a black weekly.

This year's other Legacy Award winners include:
Josh Gibson Award -- presented to the NL and AL home run leaders
Recipients: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies; and Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

Bullet Rogan Award -- presented to the NL and AL pitchers of the year
Recipients: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants; and Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians

James "Cool Papa" Bell Award -- presented to the NL and AL stolen base leaders
Recipients: Willy Taveras, Colorado Rockies; and Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox

Walter "Buck" Leonard Award -- presented to the NL and AL batting champions
Recipients: Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves; and Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

Andrew "Rube" Foster Award -- presented to the NL and AL executives of the year
Recipients: Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers; and Tony Reagins, Los Angeles Angels

Charles Isham "C.I." Taylor Award -- presented to the NL and AL managers of the year
Recipients: Lou Piniella, Chicago Cubs; and Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays

Larry Doby Award -- presented to the NL and AL rookies of the year
Recipients: Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs; and Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

Hilton Smith Award -- presented to the NL and AL relievers of the year
Recipients: Jose Valverde, Houston Astros; and Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Angels

John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Award -- presented in recognition of baseball and community leadership
Recipient: Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers

Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award -- presented to an individual for career excellence in the face of adversity
Recipient: Cito Gaston, manager of the Toronto Blue Jays

John "Buck" O'Neil Award -- presented to a local or national corporate/private philanthropist for outstanding support of the NLBM
Recipient: Jon Wefald, president of Kansas State University

By Mark Bowman
MLB.com

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Braves Museum and Hall of Fame Announces Offseason Specials, Including 'Free Admission Day' on November 15

This offseason, baseball fans will have the opportunity to explore the rich history of the Braves franchise and see behind-the-scenes areas of Turner Field during special monthly promotions at the Braves Museum and Hall of Fame. Monthly specials will begin with "Free Admission Day" on November 15, when fans of all ages will enjoy free admission and tours all day.

Offseason Specials at the Braves Museum and Hall of Fame

November 15, 2008: "Free Admission Day"
On Saturday, November 15, the Braves Museum and Hall of Fame will offer free admission during normal museum hours from 10 AM - 2 PM. Tours of the stadium, normally $12 for adults, $7 for children, and $10 for groups of 20 or more, will also be free on November 15th. Tours leave on the hour starting daily Monday-Saturday at 10:00 AM, with the last tour leaving at 2:00 PM.

December 1- 22, 2008: "A Toy for a Tour"
Children 13 and under who bring a new, unwrapped toy will receive free admission to the Braves Museum and Hall of Fame and a complimentary tour of Turner Field December 1-22. The Atlanta Braves Foundation will donate the toys to children's charities for distribution to those in need during the holiday season.

February 1-28, 2008: Black History Month education initiative
In an effort to encourage youth to learn about the many achievements of African Americans in baseball, children 13 and under who read a book about the Negro Leagues, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, or any African American contributors to the sport, will receive complimentary admission to the Braves Museum and a free tour of Turner Field.

Students can bring in the book they read or a note with the name and author of the book from their teacher or librarian on school letterhead, Monday-Saturday during Black History Month.

The Ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum & Hall of Fame features more than 600 Braves artifacts and photographs that trace the team's history from its beginnings in Boston (1871-1952) to Milwaukee (1953-65) to Atlanta (1966-present).

This educational and entertaining destination is open year-round and is the starting point of one hour guided tours of Turner Field. Tours take fans through behind-the-scenes areas of the ballpark including the press box and broadcast booths, and give fans the opportunity to sit in the Braves dugout and see their favorite players' lockers in the Braves clubhouse. Other stops along the tour include Sky Field, a luxury suite, the SunTrust Club, and the Braves Museum store.

The Braves Museum and Hall of Fame is open Monday - Saturday during the offseason from 10 AM - 2 PM, with Turner Field tours leaving on the hour. The museum will be closed November 27 - Thanksgiving Day, December 23 - January 2, and January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Turner Field tours, including admission to the Braves museum, are $12 for adults, $7 for children 13 and under, and $10 for groups of 20 or more.

Free parking is available during the offseason in the Turner Field Green Lot, on the corner of Hank Aaron Drive and Ralph David Abernathy Avenue.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page