The Arizona Diamondbacks will honor their late General Manager, Kevin Towers with a "KT" patch to be worn on the team's jersey on Aug. 2 when the D-backs celebrate the 2011 National League West Division Championship team. In addition, the D-backs will rename the suite in which Towers sat during his tenure as "Kevin's Tower" during a dedication ceremony on April 20 and will create the Kevin Towers Pro Scouting Award, given annually to a D-backs Professional Scout who exemplifies the characteristics displayed by Towers.
The announcements were made at a celebration of life for Towers tonight at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, following the passing of Towers on Jan. 30 at the age of 56.
"The outpouring of love and support for KT was not only evident tonight in Arizona, but earlier this spring in San Diego when the entire baseball community came together to talk about his incredible life," said D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall. "It is fitting that we not only honor him when we celebrate his most successful season as our GM, but also with a permanent award named after him and a spot at Chase Field where he spent so much time with his friends and colleagues."
Towers served as the team's Executive Vice President and General Manager from September 2010 through May 2014, helping guide the franchise to the 2011 National League West Division Championship just one season after the team finished in last place. As a result of the 29-game turnaround, Towers finished third in The Sporting News Executive of the Year voting. He signed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to a five-year contract extension in 2013 less than 200 games into his big league career and was the GM when the team drafted Archie Bradley.
Considered one of baseball's most respected General Managers, he served in that capacity for 18 seasons with the D-backs and San Diego Padres (1996-2009).
Towers helped raise the global presence of the franchise, signing the organization's first players from Japan, Brazil and Germany, while taking goodwill trips on behalf of the team to Japan, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
A native of Medford, Oregon, he was selected in the first round of the 1982 draft and pitched in the Minor Leagues for seven seasons before a series of arm injuries ended his playing career in 1988. He then served as a scout and pitching coach for the Padres before rising to Director of Scouting in 1993, a position he held until being named GM in 1995.