MLB to honor Medal of Honor recipients at ASG
WASHINGTON -- Thirty recipients of the Medal of Honor -- the country's highest and most prestigious personal military honor -- will be recognized in a ceremony before the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard tonight.
Joining the recipients on the field pregame will be a community of choirs from the Washington area, arranged and directed by Nolan Williams Jr., CEO of NEWorks Productions.
The ceremony comes on the heels of All-Star Week's Military Appreciation Weekend the past weekend, including the inaugural All-Star Armed Services Classic last Friday and the unveiling of a new USO logistics facility at Fort Belvoir last Thursday, among other events to honor the U.S. military in the nation's capital.
"As the national pastime in the nation's capital, Major League Baseball is proud to celebrate these heroes who demonstrated bravery and selflessness in serving and protecting the United States of America," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. "These extraordinary veterans are national treasures and we are honored by their attendance. I hope this stage provides an opportunity to recognize their unmistakable commitment to our country and start the 89th MLB All-Star Game in an inspiring and patriotic way."
"Medal of Honor recipients are honored to be included in the All-Star celebration of America's favorite pastime sport, Baseball," added Drew Dix, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
The 30 recipients who will be in attendance are as follows:
Bennie Adkins
Donald Ballard
Harvey Barnum, Jr.
Gary Beikirch
Edward Byers
Bruce Crandall
Roger Donlon
Michael Fitzmaurice
Robert Foley
Harold Fritz
Charles Hagemeister
Thomas Kelley
Charles Kettles
Gary Littrell
James Livingston
Walter Marm, Jr.
James McCloughan
Melvin Morris
Robert Patterson
Leroy Petry
Alfred Rascon
Gordon Roberts
Clinton Romesha
Gary Rose
Ronald Rosser
Clarence Sasser
Kenneth Stumpf
James Taylor
Brian Thacker
Hershel "Woody" Williams
The 89th Midsummer Classic, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.
For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame on social media.