Baseball Hall picks executive Hemond for second O'Neil Award

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February 26, 2011

Anonymous STAFF REPORT The Daily Star Sat Feb 26, 2011, 02:30 AM EST

Longtime baseball executive Roland Hemond will receive the Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 23.

Hemond, 81, will be honored as part of Hall of Fame Weekend, when the Cooperstown shrine will induct Baseball Writers' Association of America selections Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven at the Clark Sports Center. Expansion Era Committee pick Pat Gillick also will be inducted.

The Hall's Board of Directors chose Hemond for the second John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented no more than once every three years for "extraordinary efforts to enhance baseball's positive impact on society," according to a Hall media release.

The Hall established the honor in 2007 and recognized O'Neil as the first winner with a life-sized, bronze statue of the Negro leagues standout. O'Neil received his award in 2008, two years after his death.

Hemond's name will be added to the statue, which stands on the first floor of the museum.

"The Board's decision to award Roland with this tremendous honor recognizes the profound impact he has had on the game, for his baseball intelligence as a keen talent evaluator and in building winning teams, to the universal respect he has earned for mentoring generations of baseball executives, past and present," Hall Chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement.

Hemond served Milwaukee as an assistant scouting director in the late 1950s, helping the Braves to National League pennants in 1957 and 1958 and the World Series title in 1957. During his 60-year career, Hemond won three Executive of the Year awards for building winning franchises in Chicago, Baltimore and Arizona.

Hemond also served as senior executive vice president for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1996-2000 and as an executive advisor for the White Sox from 2001-07. He returned to the Diamondbacks in 2007 as a special assistant to the president, which is his current position.

Hemond is the president of the Association of Professional Baseball Players of America as well. The organization provides financial assistance and college scholarships to current and former players, scouts and others connected with professional baseball.

Additionally, Hemond helped found the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, which provides assistance to longtime scouts in need of special support.

The Hall accepts nominations for the O'Neil Award through written submissions from the public at any time. Letters of nomination should be submitted to Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main Street, Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326. Only submissions received by mail will be considered.

Nominations for the following people were considered for the 2011 award:

Johnny Bench, Ken Boyer, Ken Burns, George H.W. Bush, Kevin Costner, Harry Coyle, Curt Flood, Hemond, Gil Hodges, Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Kaat, W.P. Kinsella, Ed Lucas, Penny Marshall, Marvin Miller, Joe Morgan, Dale Murphy, Don Newcombe, Lefty O'Doul, Sadaharu Oh, Peter O'Malley, Branch Rickey, Rachel Robinson, Charles Schulz, Ozzie Smith, Ted Turner, Fay Vincent, Bill White, Ted Williams, Dave Winfield, Kenichi Zenimura and Don Zimmer.