The Dick Howser Award is presented annually to college baseball's top player - similar in respect to the Most Valuable Player Award. The award was created in 1987 and winners were selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association until 1998. In 1999 the National College Baseball Writers Association took over the selection process and since then it has been referred to as the "Heisman Trophy of College Baseball."
The Dick Howser Trophy is also, and probably more importantly, a national sponsorship that was created on behalf of Dick Howser himself to promote baseball excellence and scholastic achievement for collegiate baseball. Education is one of the country's biggest concerns and through sports will bring an enhanced national focus. Research by Baseball Almanac.
"This is like the Heisman Trophy of college baseball. An honor like this puts the entire program in the limelight. Obviously, Brad (Lincoln) is in the center of the spotlight with the season that he had, but an award like this casts light on the entire university." - Noble, Rayner. University of Houston Head Coach. National College Baseball Writers Association Press Release. 16 June 2006.
When Mark Prior won the Dick Howser Trophy in 2001 he said, "The Dick Howser Award is a very prestigious and coveted award. I was humbled and honored to be the recipient of this award in 2001. My education has been very important to me and this is one of the few awards that recognizes scholastic achievement in addition to on-field performance. The award was the pinnacle of my collegiate career."
On the official website for the Dick Howser Trophy they have the following description of the award – "Established in 1987, the Dick Howser Trophy awards the nation's top baseball player in the United States each year, likened to the Heisman Trophy in college football. The four cornerstones of the award, emulating Dick Howser, are courage, character, leadership and performance, both on and off the field." And, they had this note about Dick Howser:
The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce ® is the founder and owner of The Dick Howser Trophy. Dick Howser was a famous baseball player from Florida State and went on to manage the New York Yankees and led the Kansas City Royals to the World Series Championship in 1985. He died of cancer in 1987 at the young age of 51. His life contribution was so much more than baseball. He is quite a legend in his outstanding character as well as his accomplishments.
Do you agree with the choices? If you were a member of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce would you have chosen a different player from ANY of the seasons above? Share your opinions with us on our Baseball Almanac Facebook Group, on Baseball Almanac Twitter, via Baseball Almanac Messenger, or our baseball forum — Baseball Fever.