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MLB WORLD SERIES: CARDINALS v TIGERS

October 25, 2006

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI: Game Four (Postponed)

KARL RAVECH: Welcome everyone. I'm Karl Ravech, from ESPN's Baseball Tonight and delighted to be a part of this ceremony, the Hank Aaron Award, presented by Century 21. We have our distinguished panel of guests and this year's recipients.
To my left is the Commissioner, Bud Selig, who deserves a round of applause for the deal we're going to enjoy the next five years. (Applause).
A great shortstop from the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter. (Applause).
Greatest home run hitter of all time, Henry Aaron. (Applause).
Ryan Howard, the Philadelphia Phillies. (Applause).
And Ken Toumey, the vice-president of brand management, Century 21 Real Estate. (Applause).
For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Hank Aaron Award is given to the outstanding offensive performer in each league. The way the voting procedure went the finalists were determined, thanks to fan balloting on each club's official website. From the 30 club nominees, six players from each League were selected as finalists by representatives of Major League Baseball and MLB.com.
The league winners were selected from among these six players in each league from balloting on MLB.com. The fan balloting ran from September 6th through September 30th.
The Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig.
COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG: Thank you, Karl. I almost feel like I'm sitting at home watching Baseball Tonight.
The Hank Aaron Award was created in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time record.
It was the first major award introduced in Major League Baseball in more than 25 years. It was presented by Century 21, it recognizes the best overall hitter in each league for a particular season.
As many of you that know me well, know that we talked about this award. Hank Aaron and I have had a very special relationship which goes back to 1958. We just replayed some highlights from the 1957 season, and Hank hit a home run, for the benefit of the Milwaukee Braves. Obviously he broke the most cherished record in American sports, but he's also, more importantly, he's one of the nicest human beings that I've ever known. He was always that way, and he always will be. And I saw him play many games. I saw him when he started and came up in 1954 and he played his last game for the Milwaukee Brewers.
So this award has great meaning. Hank's contribution to the sport is legendary. And the thing you always notice about him, he always carries himself with great dignity and class through controversies, through a lot of things. He's just the person I remember 50 years ago.
And so I want to thank Century 21 Real Estate, LLC for their sponsorship of this Hank Aaron Award and their long-standing relationship with Major League Baseball. It's a pleasure to be here.
KARL RAVECH: Thank you, Commissioner. Part of the beauty of my job, on most days, is getting a chance to speak to the Commissioner. And we often have spoken about Henry Aaron, and all the things the Commissioner just said there, if we had longer, he would speak longer. I know that all those feelings are true, and I think it's fascinating that while this award is basically about offense, is that the same things that the Commissioner said about Henry Aaron, you could certainly say about Derek Jeter.
My experiences with Derek went a little longer than they do with Ryan, but one thing you know with Hank is that people who saw him play on a daily basis appreciated it much more than those who just understand what the number means. Certainly the shortstop and captain of the Yankees is exactly the same. If you sit there and do Baseball Tonight every night, you watch every Yankee game, and that's where you have a much greater appreciation for what Derek does. And I'm sure over the years we'll have the same feelings about Ryan and his play in Philadelphia.
Time now to introduce Ken Toumey, who is the vice-president of brand management for Century 21. Ken?
KEN TOUMEY: Thanks, Karl. Century 21 we're thrilled to have been associated and be associated with the Hank Aaron Award, and with Major League Baseball, with the presentation of the Hank Aaron Award and the voting together with MLB.com, our Century 21 website and we've made a lot of people happy. And it's nice to be here with Ryan, who made one of our sweepstakes winners happy, winning the Home Run Derby in July, so that's doubly exciting.
Our system members are proud to be associated with baseball and really proud to be associated with the gentlemen that are up here. Thank you very much.
KARL RAVECH: Thank you. And Ryan proved that just winning the Home Run Derby doesn't mean you won't hit home runs the rest of the season. You did okay. It's a waste for me certainly to say anything more than already has been said, because you can't do justice; sometimes the name is just enough, and with that, let's introduce Hank Aaron. Hank?
HENRY AARON: Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Commissioner, Century 21 and to the awardees, this is a tremendous night for me, because I think about when I first broke into baseball many, many years ago, and seeing how you have decided to carry that torch a little bit further, not only as a ballplayer, but as a complete player.
Like the Commissioner said, I think most of us have to realize that we owe much more than just hitting home runs on the field, we owe a lot to our kids, we owe a lot to our fellow man, and you do have a tremendous duty to continue to do your job as far as baseball on and off the field.
If you look to my right, Derek Jeter to me has demonstrated that he is not only a man that the Yankees can depend on winning a championship year in and year out, but he has carried this a little bit further because he has done so many great things off the field.
I don't know that, Derek, I have ever heard a bad thing about you, other than from some pitcher that said you hit a 3 and 0 pitch out of the ballpark with the bases loaded.
Seriously, I think this award means much more than just presenting an award to two great players. I think that you, more than anybody, has realized that what you do on the field means little of nothing to what you do off the field. And you have carried yourself that way.
Century 21 has given me an opportunity to sit up here, to present you two with the award that I think that demonstrates not only the home runs, but other things that you do on the field. Runs batted in, runs scored, slugging percentages and then after you take the uniform off, of course, it's what you do for other people, once the game is over with.
So I'm extremely proud of the fact that the Commissioner, Century 21, and all the people who have voted for this award, that I'm sitting here today to give this award to two of the players that I think have exemplified what I think Major League Baseball is all about.
To Derek Jeter and to Ryan Howard. Thank you and congratulations to both of you. (Applause.)
KARL RAVECH: And now we announce the winners of the 2006 Hank Aaron Award presented by Century 21, the Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG: Thank you, Karl. Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, National League.
This season Ryan Howard assumed 33 percent of the National League fan votes, led the Major Leagues with 149 runs batted in and a season finish of 383 total bases. For the season the Phillies first baseman also led the Majors with 58 home runs. This accomplishment marked the most home runs by a second-year player in the game's history. The 58 home runs also sets a new Phillies home record, breaking Hall of Fame Mike Schmidt's previous mark of 48. He was elected to his first Major League Baseball All-Star Team this season and won the 2006 Century 21 Home Run Derby. It is a pleasure, congratulations, Ryan Howard (applause.)
New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, American League. In 2006 Derek Jeter, who received 37 percent of the overall American League votes, finished the season with the second best batting average in the American League, .343.
Derek finished second in the American League with 118 runs and tied for third with 214 hits. The seven-time All-Star recorded his 2000th hit earlier this season, becoming the eighth New York Yankee to achieve the milestone. Two-time Gold Glove winner, also accomplished a 25-game hitting streak during the 2006 season, which is the longest by a Yankee player since 1942, when Joe Gordon hit safely in 29 consecutive games. This season Jeter also became the all-time Major League leader in postseason hits with 150.
I want to add, I haven't had the privilege to know Ryan as well as I've known Derek, but what Hank said I'm sure is true about Ryan, Derek Jeter is the kind of player, frankly, that makes you proud to be the Commissioner of baseball. Congratulations. (Applause.)
KARL RAVECH: Thank you, and congratulations to both. Ryan, if you'd like to say a few words to the fans here about your season and about Century 21.
RYAN HOWARD: It was a lot of fun. I think first off, with Century 21 we might need to work out some kind of deal, here. Maybe something about hosting the World Series, maybe you can win an MVP or something like that. (Laughter).
I want to say thank you to Century 21 and to everyone who made the vote, to Hank Aaron. It's been a pleasure this season. It was a blast. Hopefully many more to come.
KARL RAVECH: Thank you, Ryan. Ryan, is a Philadelphia Phillie, but he's a Cardinal fan. And he's not even on a road trip, he's living here.
RYAN HOWARD: Can't say that too loud. We've got Phillie fans watching.
KARL RAVECH: And now Derek.
DEREK JETER: The season was fun, huh? (Laughter.)
First of all, like Ryan said, you have to thank Century 21 for support of this award. It's an award that -- what can you say about Mr. Aaron.
In '99 we had the All-Star Game in Boston, that was the first time I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Aaron. And the thing that stuck out with me, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, "I was looking for you." I don't know if you remember the story. He wanted to say hello. "You were looking for me?" (Laughter.)
What he stands for not only, like the Commissioner said, not only on the field but away from the field, how he carries himself, he's second to none. This award, I thank everyone that voted for me. I sort of feel out of place. With Hank Aaron, the first thing that comes to mind is home runs. Ryan Howard the same thing. So when people said what award I was going to win, I stuck my chest out, and I said, "You know, the Hank Aaron Award. What do you think?" (Laughter.) Thank you very much. It's an honor and privilege for me to be here, and I really appreciate it (applause.)
KARL RAVECH: Congratulations again to Ryan Howard and Derek Jeter.

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