The Dick Howser Trophy is a national sponsorship that was created by The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce more than 20 years ago on behalf of Dick Howser to promote baseball excellence and scholastic achievement for collegiate baseball. Education is one of the country's biggest concerns and through sports will bring an enhanced national focus.

We are extremely proud that The Dick Howser Trophy considers character as an important factor in selection. This key element of selection honors Dick Howser and the values which we feel should be represented in collegiate athletics and separates our award from every other collegiate sports award. The Trophy is managed and funded by The Dick Howser Trophy Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) foundation managed by The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

Because baseball is now an Olympic event, baseball is accepted as a worldwide event. Those of us that are avid baseball fans have always known that baseball is not only America's pasttime, but a growing global pasttime. Baseball is motherhood and apple pie. College baseball, along with the College World Series, is still an important part of intercollegiate athletics and our Olympic team roster.

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce® is the founder and owner of The Dick Howser Trophy. Dick Howser was a famous baseball player from Florida State and went on to manage the New York Yankees and led the Kansas City Royals to the World Series Championship in 1985. He died of cancer in 1987 at the young age of 51. His life contribution was so much more than baseball. He is quite a legend in his outstanding character as well as his accomplishments.

As the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for college football, The Dick Howser Trophy is THE annual national award given to the outstanding collegiate baseball player based not only on performance, but character, leadership and courage. The nominees for the award are selected from the 285 Division I colleges. The National College Baseball Writers Association votes for the recipient based on nominees' performance, character, leadership and courage—all features to be emulated in memory of the late Dick Howser.