Saturday, November 13, 1999
Reds' Casey wins Hutch Award
Honored for service on, off the field
SEATTLE — Sean Casey, whose Fred Hutchinson-like character and performance this year helped inspire the Reds to a second-place finish in the National League Central, is the winner of the 1999 Hutch Award.
Postseason balloting made Casey, 25, the choice among 14 players nominated by their teams, a PRNewswire release said. His unswerving determination and uncompromising devotion to the sport have earned him one of baseball's top honors.
“This award is especially meaningful to me because it's named for one of the great managers in Reds history,” Casey said. “I've only been in the majors for one full year, but I already know Fred Hutchin son's integrity and winning attitude make him a great role model for me.”
Twenty-four baseball greats who won the award in years past served as the Selection Committee. They considered qualities such as dedication to team, community and family, as well as competitive spirit and ability to battle through adversity.
In 1999, Casey came back from a serious eye injury early in the 1998 season. He made the All-Star team for the first time and hovered near the top of the NL batting race all season, finishing with a .332 average, along with 25 homers and 99 RBI.
Struck by a thrown ball during batting practice, Casey required 20 stitches and subsequent surgery to repair the bones around his eye. Doctors also inserted a plate to free up muscles around the eye and allow normal vision and movement.
Casey will be presented the Hutch Award at the annual Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sports Star of the Year banquet on Monday, Feb. 3, 2000, in Seattle. Presenting the award will be the 1999 Hutch Award Honorary Chair, Sparky Anderson.
The Hutch Award was initiated by sportswriters in 1965, the year after "Hutch' lost his battle with cancer. The original award plaque resides at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Former winners of the award who played for the Reds are Pete Rose (1968), Bobby Tolan (1972), Gary Nolan (1975), Johnny Bench (1981) and Ron Oester (1988).
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