White Sox's Hemond Earns Academy's Distinguished Service Award
The United States Sports Academy presented Roland Hemond, executive advisor of the Chicago White Sox, with a Distinguished Service Award for 56 years of front-office service in professional baseball. Academy Trustee Emeritus Jack Lengyel presented the award to him on the field prior to the White Sox’s spring training game on 17 March at Tucson Electric Park in Tucson, Arizona.
Hemond worked for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves from 1951-’60 before becoming scouting and farm director for the expansion Los Angeles Angels. Chuck Tanner and he became Manager and General Manager respectively for the Chicago White Sox on 14 September 1970. Tanner was voted American League Manager of the Year and Hemond was named Executive of the Year in 1972.
Hemond remained with the White Sox through 1985, when he became a special assistant to Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. In 1987, he became General Manager of the Baltimore Orioles. He led the Orioles’ 32-game turnaround in 1989.
He was honored by Minor League Baseball in 2001 as the “King of Baseball” during the 51st year of a career that began in the front office of the Eastern League’s Hartford Chiefs in 1951. He has been named Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year three times.
Hemond is president of the Association of Professional Ballplayers of America (APBPA), a non-profit organization that helps former and current players and baseball personnel in need. In addition, he helped found the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation.
The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to national or international sports through instruction, research or service. It has been awarded by the Academy since 1984. Past honorees have included Frank DeFord, Dean Smith, Martina Navratilova, Harvey Schiller, Pat Summitt, George Steinbrenner, Al McGuire and Nancy Lopez. For more information, visit http://www.asama.org/awards.
Academy Award recipients are presented with the Academy's Order of the Eagle Exemplar medal and Academy Rosette. The Academy's Order of the Eagle Exemplar medallion was designed by the Academy's Sport Artist of the Year 1990, Blair Buswell. Award recipients are also presented with the Academy Rosette, modeled after the Legion of Honour instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. A rosette is a symbol of recognition and affiliation.
