COLUMBUS, Ohio (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association, working in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area
Chamber of Commerce, has released the watch list of 64 candidates for
the 2006 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 2006 winner will be announced at the College World
Series in Omaha on Friday, June 16, at 9:30 a.m. CDT.
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 a two-time 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 107th year of existence
in 2006. 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; Mark Prior, P, USC, 2001, Khalil
Greene, SS, Clemson, 2002; Rickey Weeks, 2B, Southern U., 2003; Jered Weaver,
RHP, Long Beach State, 2004; and Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005.