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Although the ‘roni has left the sports world on pause for (checks notes) about six weeks now, some much-needed good news came out of Marinerland this morning:
Congrats to Dee Gordon @FlashGJr of the @Mariners, recipient of the 55th #HutchAward supporting lifesaving research at Fred Hutch! The speedy second baseman is lauded for his devotion to kids dealing with domestic violence. Read more: https://t.co/7JQGMOnY55 pic.twitter.com/Q2sZYjLCBl
— Fred Hutch (@fredhutch) April 23, 2020
Dee Gordon is just the third Mariner to receive the Hutch Award, after Raúl Ibañez in 2013 and Jamie Moyer in 2003, and was also the club’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. Awarded each year to the player who “best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire” of Seattle-area pitcher and lung cancer victim Fred Hutchinson, previous winners include Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle (the inaugural recipient in 1965), Willie Stargell, and Paul Molitor.
While Gordon’s off-the-field work is no secret - contributing to charity efforts in Rwanda and the Dominican Republic, starting his own program in 2015 to aid children who have lost family members to domestic violence (a deeply personal issue for him), and donating to DAWN, a King County charity women and children’s shelter, are just a few efforts he’s made - he admitted in a conference call that he didn’t know much about the Fred Hutch Award or organization until Dustin McGowan, a former teammate from his Marlins days, took it home in 2016. Since arriving in Seattle in the 2017-18 offseason, though, the award has meant “the world to [him],” he told the organization, citing his wife as a driving force behind his charity work.
In normal circumstances, the Hutch Award is presented at an annual luncheon at T-Mobile Park. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly), the in-person event has been canceled this year due to the pandemic, though Fred Hutch’s website mentions that Gordon will be honored with “a virtual event that will include Dee and other special guests from around the game”. In the meantime, they’re still accepting donations, and the next in-person luncheon is scheduled for May 2021 - a minimum donation of $150 is needed to attend.
All of us at LL extend our biggest congratulations to Dee for his exemplary off-the-field work, and feel that this award is so deserved.