Royals Awards Luncheon Set for January 11

The Kansas City Royals will recognize a select group of honorees for their exceptional contributions both on and off the field in 2011 at the Royals Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. The event will take place at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kan.

Award recipients already announced include 2011 Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year Bruce Chen, 2011 Les Milgram Player of the Year Alex Gordon and 2011 Joe Burke Special Achievement Award winner Eric Hosmer.

Winners of several additional awards, named to honor the accomplishments of great players and contributors to the organization, will be announced at a later date and include:

Dan Quisenberry Special Achievement Award - recognizing an outstanding member of the community
Matt Minker Award - recognizing an outstanding Minor League affiliate employee
Art Stewart Scout of the Year - recognizing an outstanding scout
Dick Howser Player Development Person of the Year - recognizing an outstanding member of player development
Mike Sweeney Award - recognizing a player who best represents the organization on and off the field
Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year - recognizing the organization's top base runner
Frank White Defensive Player of the Year - recognizing the organization's top defensive player
Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year - recognizing the organization's top pitcher
George Brett Hitter of the Year - recognizing the organization's top hitter

More details, including information on how to purchase tickets for the event, will be announced in the coming weeks.

In addition to the Royals Awards Luncheon, the club will also set out for annual Royals Caravan in January. Royals FanFest, which debuted in 2008, will not be held in 2012 due to preparations for the upcoming MLB All-Star Game and related festivities, including the MLB All-Star FanFest. Plans call for the event to return to the Overland Park Convention Center in 2013.

For additional information, members of the media may contact the Royals Publicity Department at (816) 921-8000.