Texas Rangers Manager Jeff Banister Named 2015 Chuck Tanner MLB Manager of the Year
Beaver Falls, PA, November 12, 2015… On November 14, 2015, the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh will host the ninth annual Chuck Tanner Awards Banquet at the Rivers Club in downtown Pittsburgh.
Texas Rangers Manager Jeff Banister will be awarded the 2015 Chuck Tanner Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Award.
Banister was chosen by a national selection committee, which includes baseball executives Roland Hemon and Tal Smith, sports journalists Hal Bodley and Murray Chass and author Pete Peterson. Before joining the Rangers, Banister spent 29 years within the Pittsburgh Pirate organization as a player and coach in both the Pirates’ major and minor league system.
The Rangers hired Banister as their manager during the 2014–15 off-season, and he led the Rangers into post-season play with an 88 – 74 record.
Banister spent the last four seasons as the major league bench coach under Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle. Pittsburgh went to the National League playoffs as a wild card entry in each of his last two years.
Banister was drafted by the Pirates in 1986, and he ended his professional playing career (over 500 games in the minor leagues) after the 1993 season.
Previous winners of the Tanner MLB Manager of the Year Award include Buck Showalter (2014, Baltimore Orioles), Clint Hurdle (2013, Pittsburgh Pirates), and Jim Leyland (2011, Detroit Tigers).
This year the Chuck Tanner Awards Banquet committee is pleased to welcome Pittsburgh Pirates legend and World Series champion Kent Tekulve as honorary chairman. Tekulve, will help recognize the accomplishments of this year’s Tanner award winners, including:
- Kevin McClatchy – past owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates (Lifetime Achievement Award)
- Ray Searage – Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach (Chuck Tanner Memorial Award)
- Judy Carpenter Barada, director of Major League Baseball administration for St. Louis Cardinals (Sally O’Leary Distinguished Women in Baseball Award)
- Chase Rowe, Head Coach, La Roche College baseball (Collegiate Coach of the Year)
The co-masters of ceremonies for the event will be Dan Zangrilli of 93.7-FM “The Fan” and Joe Klimchak of the Pirates on-field broadcast team.
With this year’s theme of “Celebrating 15 years of PNC Park,” nationally recognized celebrity sports artist and Disney Master Artist, Kevin-John, will return to create a special limited edition print for everyone in attendance and will be present to personally sign this beautiful piece of artwork. Kevin-John’s artwork has been showcased on ESPN, Spike TV, NBC, at several Super Bowls and the PGA Tour. Kevin-John’s art also can appear on specially customized editions of the KeepScore Baseball/Softball Scorebook.
Kevin Lane, managing partner of KeepScore, served on the Chuck Tanner Awards committee. To purchase tickets to the banquet or to learn about how to support the event, please go to www.chucktannerbanquet.com or call (412) 471-6210.
Banquet Details:
When: November 14, 2015
Where: Rivers Club, Downtown Pittsburgh
Time: 5:30pm
Tickets: $195 per ticket/$1,800 per table of ten
The Chuck Tanner Awards Banquet is a charitable event, proceeds of which support Rotary Club of Pittsburgh operations and its charitable programs, including:
- Annual High School Ethics Symposium (400+ Student Attendees per year)
- Rotary Youth Post High School Scholarships
- Polio Plus Worldwide
You can find out more about the Pittsburgh Rotary at www.PittsburghRotary.org
