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As part of this year's Major League Baseball Players Association Players Choice Awards, ESPN.com users have the chance to help narrow down the field for the 2000 Players Choice Man of the Year. In addition to the Man of the Year, Players Choice Awards also honor each league's outstanding rookie, outstanding pitcher, outstanding player and comeback player, as well as an overall player of the year.
Listed below are the nominees from each Major League Baseball team. Please read the contributions from each player and then rank them in the order you feel is most deserving of this award. When voting concludes Sept. 13, the top six nominees will make the final ballot for the MLBPA players to vote on to determine the winner.
The 2000 Players Choice Awards will be broadcast live on ESPN from the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas on Friday, Nov. 3, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET. Tune in to find out if your No. 1 player is the same as the players' choice.
To rank your players, drag and drop the player tiles within the Java applet to the right. (You can also move a player by clicking its tile, then pressing the Up and Down
buttons.) Press the Submit button when you're finished.
Players on each of the thirty Major League teams have nominated one
teammate as a candidate for the 2000 Man of the Year Award.
Here are this year's nominees:
Anaheim Angels -- Darin Erstad: Over the last two years, Darin has made a financial contribution to the city of Long Beach, CA for the purposes of renovating three baseball fields, and he was presented with a key to the city for his generosity. For the past three seasons, Darin has volunteered his time to serve as an instructor at a youth baseball clinic held on the campus of Riverside Community College. In addition, he has worked closely to help promote the efforts and activities of Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Arizona Diamondbacks -- Luis Gonzalez: Luis is involved with a wide variety of causes, including serving as co-chairman of the Grand Canyon State Games, along with Tom Gugliotta of the Phoenix Suns,. Luis has established the "Kids Going gonzo for School" program in Phoenix, and he also works closely with Make-A-Wish Foundation and Sunshne Acres. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Houston chapter of the American Cancer Society and he has served as spokesman for Life Gift organ donors.
Atlanta Braves -- Andres Galarraga: Having to wage a personal battle with cancer caused Andres to miss the entire 1999 season, and since fighting the disease, he has made a commitment to brighten the lives of others faced with a similar situation, especially children. He has dedicated his time to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation and he always goes out of his way to greet young cancer patients attending home games. Andres participated in the Braves Christmas in July program, which is designed to brighten the days of hospitalized children during the summer months, by visiting inner-city hospitals and delivering toys to children.
Baltimore Orioles -- Cal Ripken, Jr.: Cal has spent his career establishing his presence in the Baltimore community. In 1988 Cal and his wife established the Kelly and Cal Ripken, Jr. Foundation which primarily supports community adult and family literacy. The Foundation is still running strong, today, supporting many programs which deal with literacy, including "Baltimore Reads"; "Reading, Runs and Ripken" and the "Winterfest for literacy". Cal spends much of his free time visiting one-on-one with many Make-A-Wish children.
Boston Red Sox -- Darren Lewis: Darren has dedicated a lot of his time to the Children's Hospital of Boston, the Ronald McDonald House and Boys and Girls Clubs in Boston and near his home in the San Francisco Bay area. He also makes several personal appearances during the season to support such Boston-based groups as the Jimmy Fund and the club's "Sox Talks" program. Darren is also a national board member of Summer Bridge, an organization that raises money to assist inner-city youth.
Chicago Cubs -- Rick Aguilera: Rick has been assisting several not-for-profit organizations throughout his career, including several Christian groups. He has donated $250,000 to the Santa Fe Christian School in San Diego, CA, of which $150,000 was used to construct a baseball field. In addition, Rick made contributions totaling $100,000 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action. While in Minnesota, Rick and his wife were supporters of many causes, including Mothers of Domestic Violence.
Chicago White Sox -- Frank Thomas: He established the Frank Thomas Charitable Foundation in 1993, to improve the lives of Chicago-area residents. Activities include a golf tournament, dinner gala, memorabilia auction, autograph event and sales of Big Hurt merchandise. He created Big Hurt's Buddies program, which supplies hundreds of free tickets to fans. Also, Frank donates $50,000 annually to the Leukemia Society, and he created the Big Hurt Toys and Book Drive to collect holiday gifts for the Chicago Boys and Girls Clubs.
Cincinnati Reds -- Sean Casey: Sean's commitment to the Cincinnati area earned him the 1999 Hutch award for service to the community. Sean is actively involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Cincinnati Emergency Food Center, Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Cincinnati Lighthouse Youth Services and the Cincinnati Center for the Blind. Sean's community outreach extends way beyond the city limits of Cincinnati. During the season, Sean makes visits to children's hospitals when he is traveling with his team, and he has supported a young girl in South America, even becoming her pen pal.
Cleveland Indians -- Jim Thome: Jim plays a key role in lending assistance to several local charities including a yearly benefit for the Illinois Children's Hospital, and, over the past five years, he has raised over $175,000 for the Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria, ILL. He is the Cops for Kids chairperson, and each holiday season Jim can be found handing out presents to local children involved in this program. Jim also has served as honorary co-chairman of the United Way Home Run Derby for the last three seasons, and this program has helped raise nearly $150,000 for the United Way's youth programs.
Colorado Rockies -- Jeff Cirillo: Jeff is actively involved with several Denver-based charities including the Sky's the Limit, Care and Share and Rape Awareness and Assistance Program (RAAP). As part of the Sky's the Limit program, Jeff purchases tickets and provides lunch for inner-city youth attending select home games. Jeff signs autographs and chats with participants in the Care and Share program, which allows seriously ill children to attend Rockies games and gives them a chance to go onto the field prior to the game. Jeff recently painted a plate that was auctioned off during a fund-raising event to benefit RAAP.
Detroit Tigers -- Todd Jones: Todd is involved with several Detroit charities including the Special Olympics, March of Dimes, Leukemia Society and D.A.R.E. Todd also participates in several special events for many local charities, including Picnic in the Park for the Boys and Girls Clubs and he hosts children with special needs during batting practice prior to select home games. Todd dedicates countless hours of time to support these causes, and his involvement includes personal visits and special event participation, including the Special Olympics Summer Games.
Florida Marlins -- Cliff Floyd: Cliff has entrenched himself deep into the roots of the South Florida community through his association with several of the area's most worthy causes. Among Cliff's charitable affiliations are The Starting Place, the Kidney Foundation and American Lung Association. He has created a personal scholarship to FIU, and each year he grants two $2,000 scholarships. On the baseball side, Cliff is the chairman of the Marlins RBI program and he participates in the club's Ballpark Buddies program by inviting 25 at-risk kids to attend Saturday games. This "Cliffhanger" program also supplies each youth attending the game with a free dinner and an autographed photo.
Houston Astros -- Craig Biggio: Craig is associated with several not-for-profit groups in the Houston area, including the Sunshine for Kids program, a support organization for children with cancer and their families. Craig's involvement with the Sunshine Kids includes hosting an annual celebrity golf tournament for the past eight years, and hosting a party for the kids at the stadium. Also, Craig invites Sunshine Kids to attend four Astros games each season, where Craig and his teammates meet the kids and sign autographs.
Kansas City Royals -- Jermaine Dye: Since joining the Royals in 1997, Jermaine, and his wife, Tricia, have made Kansas City their permanent home, and together they have supported many local charities. Personally, Jermaine has adopted the Kansas City chapter of the RBI Program (Reviving Baseball in the Inner-City), and he puts on clinics for the kids and attends RBI games. During the 2000 season, Jermaine donated $50 for every run he drives in to the RBI program. Jermaine and his wife work closely with Salvation Army, March of Dimes and Hope House. Also, Jermaine is the spokesman for One for the Community, a fund-raising program that raises over $1.3 million for schools and non-profit groups.
Los Angeles Dodgers -- Gary Sheffield: Gary established the Gary Sheffield Foundation in 1996 to benefit at-risk children and under privileged youth. The Foundation supports community sports facilities and learning centers for after-school programs. Gary also established a scholarship fund to assist students who may not have the chance to enjoy the rewards of higher learning. Scholarships, given in association with the United Negro College Fund, are given annually to two minority seniors graduating with a 3.0 GPA or better, who attend an inner city school, are raised in a single-parent home and who exemplify an outstanding level of community involvement.
Milwaukee Brewers -- Marquis Grissom: Marquis supports several Milwaukee-based charities, including the Wooden Bat Classic. He also spends a lot of his time working with local Boys and Girls Clubs, lending a hand to their Reading Fundamentals and Mentorship Programs. Marquis also is very active in his hometown of Atlanta, where at the YMCA he coordinates youth programs and makes financial contributions. Also, Marquis sponsors 12 youth baseball teams while completely financing and providing transportation for three teams.
Minnesota Twins -- Ron Coomer: Ron is admired by his teammates for his community involvement, which includes The Children's Miracle Network and their local fund recipient, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. The goal of this organization is that children with disabilities may achieve greater independence and enjoyment of life. He also dedicates time to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and several of the Twins charitable efforts, including making a financial contribution to support the TwinsCare program.
Montreal Expos -- Steve Kline: Steve's involvement in the Montreal community is unmatched on the club. Steve started this year's community involvement at the annual Expos Winter Caravan this past February, when he visited schools and hospitals during his one-week stay. This season, Steve visited several hospitals in Montreal and took an active role in several baseball clinics for inner-city youth. He also participated in Camp Leukan, a camp for children stricken with Leukemia. This off-season, Steve has offered to return to Montreal in December and help the Expos distribute food baskets in the community.
New York Mets -- Turk Wendell: In 1999, Turk turned his passion of helping children into a program titled "Wendell Wednesdays," where Turk visits local youth organizations each Wednesday during Mets' homestands. Turk has visited children at local hospitals, schools and other not-for-profit organizations, including the National Center for Disability Services, Big Brothers and New York Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation. Also, Turk has served as the spokesman for Harvest '99, hosted an NBC-TV segment on adoption awareness and received several awards for his community service.
New York Yankees -- Derek Jeter: Derek's "Turn 2" Foundation has made a major impact with children on a national basis. The Foundation was established in 1996 and was formed to support and create activities and programs designed to prevent and treat teenage substance abuse. His fund-raisers have benefited child-serving organizations in both New York and his hometown of Kalamazoo, MI.
Oakland A's -- Jason Giamb: Jason is very active in the community and assists with numerous events that benefit charities. Last season, Jason launched his "Operation Gumby" program that reaches out to children across the country to help them deal with the tough issue of bed-wetting. Jason has met with children prior to A's games in Seattle, Chicago, Anaheim, Phoenix, Kansas City and Oakland to help raise their self esteem and help them alleviate anxiety and put them back on track to a healthy life. Jason is the A's spokesman for CAP Cure, which helps raise money and awareness in the fight against prostate cancer.
Philadelphia Phillies -- Mike Lieberthal: Mike is very active in the Philadelphia community and in 1998 he created the "Lieby's VIP" program, where he purchases 20 tickets to every Phillies home game and hosts children with cancer and their families. In addition, Mike annually treats several local children to a Halloween Party following the season.
Pittsburgh Pirates -- Brian Giles: Brian's interest in helping out the Pittsburgh community involves getting some of the local corporations involved as well. In one program sponsored by Allegheny Energy, a donation is made to a local children's hospital for every one of his hits. The donations vary depending on the type of hit. For example, a single results in a $100 donation while a home run nets the children's hospital $1,000. In another program, Brian serves as the spokesman for a fund raiser for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western, PA. In this program, local supermarket chain, Giant Eagle, makes contributions to the Boys and Girls Clubs based on sales of its own brand of products.
St. Louis Cardinals -- Eric Davis: Eric touched the hearts of millions when, in 1997, he endured a courageous battle with colon cancer. Since beating this deadly disease, Eric has embarked on a life-saving mission by creating a public awareness campaign titled "Score Against Colon Cancer." Eric has recorded public service announcements for Score Against Colon Cancer, and he makes special appearances at hospitals in cities he travels to during the season. In St. Louis, Eric hosted a 5k run/walk to raise money for colon cancer research and pediatric ontology. The Eric Davis Foundation has raised more than $1.5 million for colon cancer awareness and research, and he and his wife Sherrie recently established a colon cancer research laboratory at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD.
San Diego Padres -- Trevor Hoffman: Trevor is one of the more active Padres supporting the various community work of the club, including visiting many schools and hospitals during the season. Additionally, as the result of losing a kidney as an infant, Trevor is the spokesman for the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California, and supports the fund-raising efforts of that organization by contributing money for each of his saves. He has previously been named as one of the "10 Health Heroes" by the Combined Health Agencies of Southern California.
San Francisco Giants -- Jeff Kent: In 1998, Jeff established perhaps one of the most unique charitable endeavors in all of professional sports when he created a scholarship program titled Women Driven. Women Driven offers scholarships to walk-on women athletes attending the University of California, Berkely, and Jeff makes a financial contribution to the fund for each RBI. Women Driven also attracts the participation of women to serve as mentors to the young athletes and Jeff even has attracted corporate support for the program. Jeff also actively participates in the Giants Community Fund.
Seattle Mariners -- Jamie Moyer: Jamie and his wife have demonstrated a tremendous commitment to the Seattle community and they are actively involved with the Hutch Cancer Institute and they have also organized a bowling tournament to benefit Life Center Northwest, which promotes organ donations. In addition, Jamie is an active supporter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Leukemia Foundation.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays -- Fred McGriff: Fred, a native of Tampa, has been very involved with his hometown, and for the past five years he has been actively involved with the Tampa-based Pediatric Cancer Foundation. His involvement includes hosting an annual weekend-long golf tournament, which to date has raised over $1 million for the Foundation. In addition, Fred has lent support to the Hillsborough County Library System's library card sign-up campaign and has held autograph signings to benefit causes such as the American Red Cross' Disaster Relief Fund to aid flood victims in Venezuela.
Texas Rangers -- John Wetteland: For the past four years, John and his wife, Michele, have hosted an annual toy drive to benefit Feed the Children at The Ballpark in Arlington, helping to gather thousands of toys for youngsters whose families have been devastated by disaster. In addition, this season John provided tickets to area youngsters who otherwise would not be able to attend a game. For most of the children, John was offering them a chance to attend their very first Major League baseball game. For the past two years, John and Michele also chaired the Rangers Diamond Ball, a fund raising dinner to benefit Cystic Fibrosis.
Toronto Blue Jays -- Carlos Delgado: Carlos has made it a priority to give back to his community, and his signature program, CARLOS' KIDS, believes every child should have the opportunity to attend a baseball game during the summer. During each homestand this season, Carlos is giving back to the community by inviting local children to enjoy the game in the Carlos' Kids section. Each child receives a ticket to the game, a hat, a hot dog and drink and the opportunity to meet Carlos before the game. Carlos also is actively involved with the Toronto Blue Jays Charitable Foundation and Variety, The Children's Charity, an international charity that assists children with special needs.
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