The Hutch Award is given annually to an active Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire" of Fred Hutchinson, by persevering through adversity. The award was created in 1965 in honor of Hutchinson, the former MLB pitcher and manager, who died of lung cancer the previous year. The Hutch Award was created by Hutch's longtime friends Bob Prince, a broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates and KDKA; Jim Enright, a Chicago sportswriter; and Ritter Collett, the sports editor of the Dayton Journal Herald. They also created a scholarship fund for medical students engaged in cancer research to honor Hutchinson's memory.
Fred Hutchinson, the award's namesake
Jon Lester won the award after recovering from anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.
Billy Butler won the Hutch Award in 2011.
Frederick Charles Hutchinson was an American professional baseball player, a major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, and the manager for three major league teams.
Hutchinson in 1953 with the Detroit Tigers.
Hutchinson with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957