Detroit Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson
was named the recipient of the 2009 Marvin Miller Man of the Year award.
The award is named for the founding executive director of the MLB Players
Association and is bestowed upon the player "whose on-field and off-field
performance most inspires others to higher levels of achievement by displaying
as much passion to give back to others as he shows between the lines on the
baseball diamond."
Granderson created the Grand Kids Foundation in 2008 to give more education
and youth baseball opportunities to inner-city kids. The 28-year-old has also
developed a children's book and is a member of the Action Team national youth
volunteer program.
In addition to his off-field work, Granderson continues to put up stellar
numbers each season. In 2009 -- his fourth full season in the majors -- he was
named to his first All-Star team, playing in 160 games and setting career-
highs with 30 home runs and 71 runs batted in.
The Major League Baseball Players Trust will donate $50,000 to the charity of
Granderson's choice in his honor. The Players Choice Awards, which have
been awarded annually since 1992, are unique because the electorate
consists of the players themselves.
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