IRVING, Texas (NCBWA) A pair of recent Dick Howser Trophy winners are set to make their debuts this week in the nation's capitol, making it 11 consecutive Howser winners that have gone on to play Major League Baseball.
Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State), the 2009 winner, will make his much-heralded debut on the mound tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Wednesday night, Pirates right-hander Brad Lincoln (Houston) is scheduled to make his first start against the Nats.
On May 29, 2008 Howser Trophy winner Buster Posey (Florida State) made his major league debut for the San Francisco Giants, going 3-for-4 with three RBI in a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
That trio will join eight other recent Howser winners that are currently playing Major League Baseball. Heres a look at the entire list of active MLB players that have won the Dick Howser Trophy:
The three 2010 Dick Howser Trophy finalists will be announced just prior to the first game of the College World Series with a press conference slated for Saturday, June 10, at 9:30 a.m. (CDT) at Rosenblatt Stadium. The winner will be named in a national broadcast from Lubbock, Texas, on Friday, July 2.
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 displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg - home of the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays and the 1999 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four along with several other locations. Both the winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep.
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 College Baseball Foundation was established in 2004 and has inducted 57 greats into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock. The group promotes the highest ideals and recognition of greatness on college baseball diamonds in the 150 years since the first intercollegiate contest in 1859 between Amherst and Williams.
The groups also have come together in 2010 to select the Dick Howser Trophy, Brooks Wallace Award (Division I Shortstop of the Year), NCBWA Stopper of the Year, CBF Pitcher of the Year, John Olerud Award (top two-way player) and NCBWA National Coach of the Year. The Pro-Line Athletic/NCBWA All-America and Freshman All-America teams, the NCBWA Freshman Player and Pitcher of the Year also are being presented by these national entities.
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; Mark Prior, P, USC, 2001, Khalil Greene, SS, Clemson, 2002; Rickey Weeks, 2B, Southern U., 2003; Jered Weaver, P, Long Beach State, 2004; Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005; Brad Lincoln, P/DH, Houston, 2006; David Price, P, Vanderbilt, 2007; Buster Posey, C, Florida State, 2008 and Stephen Strasburg, P, San Diego State.
2010 Dick Howser Trophy:
May 20: Dick Howser Trophy semifinalists announced
· June 8: Two Howser Trophy winners to make MLB debuts
· June 19: Dick Howser Trophy finalists announced
· June 29: Dick Howser Trophy, Easton Foundations
reach sponsorship agreement
· July 2: Dick Howser Trophy Winner announced on
the College Baseball Awards Show