The Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization affiliated with Major League Baseball. The organization's mission is to "confidentially support members of the Baseball Family in need of assistance." [1] The baseball family includes former players, both from the Major and Minor Leagues, former Negro leagues and All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players, umpires, scouts, athletic trainers and MLB and MiLB team personnel.
The Baseball Assistance Team was founded in 1986 during the term of Commissioner Peter Ueberroth as a way for Major League Baseball and its players to take care of former players who have fallen upon hard times. Eligibility for help from B.A.T. has since been expanded to include those with two years of service as Major League and Minor League front office personnel, umpires, scouts, Minor League players, athletic trainers, former Negro leagues players, women from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, former Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) employees, and their widows, widowers, and children under the age of 23. B.A.T. has expanded its efforts into Latin America where they have provided help to players from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. This organization was founded with the goal of helping members of the Baseball Family during times of hardship, not as a long-term program but as a bridge to help people become self-sufficient. In 1991, a contribution from Major League Baseball, the MLBPA, and the Freedom Foundation established an endowment for B.A.T. [1] While B.A.T. was not, and is not, meant to be a substitute for a pension or retirement savings, it is able to assist in times of need.
In 2018, B.A.T. created a scholarship program for former Major and Minor League players. [2] The program is designed to provide financial assistance in the pursuit of educational and vocational opportunities related to career growth goals. [3]
Major League Baseball provides for the overhead expenses of the Baseball Assistance Team, including salary and travel expenses, which allows all funds raised to be donated to grant recipients. To date, the Baseball Assistance Team has awarded more than $62 million in grants, benefiting more than 10,400 members of the Baseball Family, including current and former, on-field Major & Minor League personnel (players, managers, coaches) as well as scouts, umpires, athletic trainers, Major & Minor League front office personnel, Negro League players, and players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
The annual B.A.T. Spring Training Fundraising Tour is another major endeavor for B.A.T. Since 2003, B.A.T. board members, staff, and former applicants, have visited each team in Major League Baseball and solicited donations, all of which are given back to former players and members of the Baseball Family in need. Through the payroll deduction program, players and coaches can pledge a portion of their salary to B.A.T. which goes directly to the grants. Most importantly, the visits also educate the players to be the eyes and the ears of B.A.T. by notifying the organization about anyone who may be in need of assistance. The teams that donate the most money to B.A.T. are honored each year with the Bobby Murcer Award. The 2023 Bobby Murcer Award recipients are the San Diego Padres and the Chicago White Sox.
The Lifetime Achievement Award B.A.T. Award, The B.A.T. Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has dedicated their services for the betterment of individuals and families who are in need of assistance. Past award winners include Michael Weiner, Bob Gibson, Cookie Rojas, Frank Torre, Bob Watson, and Sam McDowell.
The Frank Slocum Big B.A.T. Award, [4] named for the first Executive Director of the Baseball Assistance Team, is given to "an individual or a group of individuals whose exemplary service to B.A.T. has helped provide dignity and self-esteem to members of the Baseball Family." Past award winners include Commissioners Bud Selig, Peter Ueberroth and Fay Vincent, as well as Bob Costas, Bob Uecker, John Carter, Jane Clark, Richard McWilliams, Rick White, Phil Laskawy, Slocum Family, Joe Malone, Edward Stack, Ozzie Smith, George Brett, the late George M. Steinbrenner, Don Zimmer, Bob Watson, Brad Lidge, Adam Jones, and Jake Peavy.
The Bart Giamatti award is given to the "individual associated with baseball who best exemplifies the compassion demonstrated by the late commissioner." Generally, it is given to a player involved in a wide range of charity work, benefiting both those involved with the game of baseball and those in the community at large. Previous winners include CC Sabathia, Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Al Leiter, Don Mattingly, Tom Glavine, Jorge Posada, Dale Murphy, Tim Wakefield, and Carlos Beltran.
Peter Victor Ueberroth is an American sports and business executive known for his involvement in the Olympics and in Major League Baseball. A Los Angeles-based businessman, he was the chairman of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee which brought the games to Los Angeles in 1984. Ueberroth was named 1984's Time Man of the Year for his success in organizing the Olympic games.
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts. The commissioner is chosen by a vote of the owners of the teams. The incumbent MLB commissioner is Rob Manfred, who assumed office on January 25, 2015.
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump. They are also sometimes addressed as blue at lower levels due to the common color of the uniform worn by umpires. In professional baseball, the term blue is seldom used by players or managers, who instead call the umpire by name. Although games were often officiated by a sole umpire in the formative years of the sport, since the turn of the 20th century, officiating has been commonly divided among several umpires, who form the umpiring crew. The position is analogous to that of a referee in many other sports.
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held a signed contract with a Major League club are eligible for membership in the Association.
Anthony Christopher Clark is an American professional baseball player and executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1995 to 2009 and is the sixth executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
Professional baseball leagues, amateur-baseball organizations, sportswriting associations, and other groups confer awards on various baseball teams, players, managers, coaches, executives, broadcasters, writers, and other baseball-related people for excellence in achievement, sportsmanship, and community involvement.
Bobby Ray Murcer was an American professional baseball outfielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1965 and 1983. He played the majority of his career for the New York Yankees, whom he later rejoined as a longtime broadcaster. A Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star, and was voted to the AP's American League 1970s All-Decade team. Murcer led the American League in on-base percentage in 1971, and in runs and total bases in 1972.
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987. Madlock is notable for being a four-time National League batting champion. His four batting titles as a third baseman was a record until Wade Boggs attained his fifth in 1988. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has won more National League batting titles (eight). Madlock is also one of only three right-handed hitters to have won multiple National League batting titles since 1960, Roberto Clemente having also won four and Tommy Davis having won back-to-back titles in 1962 and 1963.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1979 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1966 throughout the world.
Jeffrey N. Leonard is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1990 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, and Seattle Mariners.
Major League Baseball collusion refers to owners working together to avoid competitive bidding for player services or players jointly negotiating with team owners.
The 1983 New York Yankees season was the 81st season for the Yankees. The team finished in third place in the American League Eastern Division with a record of 91-71, finishing 7 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Billy Martin. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium.
Richard Frank Loiselle is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates over parts of six seasons spanning 1996–2001. Listed at 6' 5", 225 lb., Loiselle batted and threw right handed. He was born in Neenah, Wisconsin.
Women have a long history in American baseball and many women's teams have existed over the years. Baseball was played at women's colleges in New York and New England as early as the mid-nineteenth century; teams were formed at Vassar College, Smith College, Wellesley College, and Mount Holyoke College. An African American women's team, the Philadelphia Dolly Vardens, was formed in 1867.
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is professional baseball below Major League Baseball (MLB), including teams affiliated with MLB clubs and independent baseball leagues consisting of unaffiliated teams.
Baseball personnel have cheated by deliberately violating or circumventing the game's rules to gain an unfair advantage against an opponent. Examples of cheating include doctoring the ball, doctoring bats, electronic sign stealing, and the use of performance-enhancing substances. Other actions, such as fielders attempting to mislead baserunners about the location of the ball, are considered gamesmanship and are not in violation of the rules.
The 2022 Oakland Athletics season was the 122nd season for the Oakland Athletics franchise, all as members of the American League. It was their 55th season in Oakland, which surpassed the amount of seasons they played in their original home of Philadelphia. On November 1, 2021, Bob Melvin was hired away from the A's by the San Diego Padres for their manager position. Mark Kotsay was named as Melvin's successor on December 21, 2021.
The 2022 Colorado Rockies season was the 30th in Major League Baseball. It was their 28th season at Coors Field. Manager Bud Black returned for his sixth season with the Rockies in 2022.