07/17/2006 11:50 AM ET Major League Baseball, DHL unveil nominees for the "DHL Presents Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes" platform Fans to select each club's hometown hero based on criteria of leadership, character, and on-field performance

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• Nominees
• Online ballot
• Ozzie Smith on DHL Hometown Heroes 

A special ballot has been produced featuring five players per franchise. Nominees selected to appear on the ballot were chosen for their contributions to their franchise's history using the Hometown Heroes selection criteria of on-field performance, leadership quality and character value. The majority of nominees were selected by individual Clubs. In some instances, Clubs chose to defer the selection of one or more nominees to an esteemed panel appointed by Major League Baseball that was comprised of baseball historians and media representatives. In these cases, the panel chose the franchise's representatives on the ballot. A complete list of panelists can be found at the bottom of the release.

Fans will be able to select one of the five nominated players (or write-in a candidate of their own choosing) for each Club; there are no voting restrictions based on fans' geographic location. The "DHL Presents Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes" program is grounded in fans' enthusiasm for individual players and their accomplishments, and is intended to provoke the kind of healthy debate and discussion that is so closely associated with the history of the National Pastime.

"Over the course of Baseball's history, certain players have become synonymous with the cities they have represented," said Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "Through this program, and thanks to the support of our valued partner DHL, we will celebrate the contributions of some of baseball's greatest players and the rich history that belongs to each Major League franchise."

"We are proud of our partnership with Major League Baseball, the legacy of the sport, and the effect the game has had on generations of people," said John Cameron, Executive Vice President, Ground, DHL. "The DHL Presents Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes program is a perfect vehicle to celebrate the game and its franchises, and we expect it will really generate excitement, and some interesting debates, among baseball fans."

From July 18th through September 17th, fans will be able to vote for each Club's Hometown Hero in all MLB ballparks; online at MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball; via cell phone by sending a text message with the keyword "DHL" to 55222; and at any of the 1,600 participating DHL Authorized Shipping Centers around the country. Information on those locations can be found at www.DHL-USA.com.

DHL's promotional efforts to support the "DHL Presents MLB Hometown Heroes Program" will include new Major League Baseball-themed television, print, radio and online advertising that will break on July 18, the first day of balloting. In addition, nearly 800 DHL vehicles in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco and St. Louis will proudly display the Hometown Heroes logo, as will over 10 million DHL overnight delivery envelopes. DHL will conduct promotional nights with 12 MLB Clubs that will encourage fan participation in the program during the in-stadium balloting period. DHL will also support the program through themed in-store signage, ballots and ballot boxes at participating DHL Authorized Shipping Centers.

The program will culminate in the unveiling of the 30 official Hometown Heroes in a three-part primetime original series produced by MLB Productions, the Emmy award-winning in-house television and video production division of Major League Baseball. The series, DHL Presents Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes, will highlight all of the nominees on the official ballot and showcase each of the 30 players who will have emerged as the actual 'Hometown Heroes.' ESPN will broadcast the series in primetime on September 26, 27, and 29, to coincide with the final week of the 2006 Championship Season.

About Major League Baseball Properties
The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) in 1966 as the Club's agent for marketing and trademark licensing and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs, broadcast rightsholders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events. For more information on Major League Baseball, log on to www.MLB.com.

About MLB Advanced Media, LP
Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major League Baseball club owners to centralize all of Baseball's Internet operations, MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) is the interactive media and internet company of Major League Baseball. MLBAM manages the official league site, www.MLB.com, and each of the 30 individual Club sites to create the most comprehensive Major League Baseball resource on the Internet. MLB.com offers fans the most complete baseball information on the web, including up-to-date statistics, game summaries, extensive historical information, and exclusive features about Major League Baseball events and programs, including on-line ticket sales, baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles, fantasy games, live and archived radio broadcasts of every game, live and archived video webcasts of entire games, pitch-by-pitch enactment of games, and hosted post-game video highlight shows.

About DHL
At DHL, Customer Service is back in shipping. Our mission is to provide the most flexible, personable and enjoyable experience in the shipping industry for our customers.

DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source. DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, and contract logistic solutions as well as international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's international network links more than 220 countries and territories worldwide with over 285,000 employees dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers' expectations.

Founded in San Francisco in 1969, DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net brand.

For more information on DHL, please visit www.dhl.com.

"DHL Presents Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes" Official Panel
• Orestes Destrade, Broadcaster, ESPN and XM Satellite Radio
• Steve Hirdt, Executive Vice President, Elias Sports Bureau
• Jerome Holtzman, Official MLB historian and member of the writer's wing of the Hall of Fame
• Richard C. Levin, President, Yale University
• Dinn Mann, Editor-In-Chief, MLB.com
• Tim McCarver, Broadcaster, FOX Sports
• Jose de Jesus Ortiz, Writer, Houston Chronicle
• Harold Reynolds, Broadcaster, ESPN
• Ken Shouler, historian, author of The Real 100 Best Players of All-time and Why
• Claire Smith, Assistant Sports Editor, Philadelphia Inquirer
• Don Sutton, Broadcaster, Turner Sports and member of Baseball Hall of Fame

"DHL PRESENTS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HOMETOWN HEROES" OFFICIAL FRANCHISE NOMINEES

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