Perfect Game Cares Foundation Announces Perfect Game Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Second induction class includes Major Leaguers Alonso, Arenado,
Betts, Bryant, Bumgarner, Cole, Correa, Freeman, Heyward,
Kazmir, LeMahieu, Lindor, Machado, Springer, Story & Upton

• Class of 2022 has played more than 150 seasons of Major League Baseball between them and holds 10 World Series titles
• Guerry Baldwin, president and founder of East Cobb (GA) Baseball is first-travel team coach and second non-player inducted
• Induction Gala and Perfect Game Cares Fore the Kids golf tournament to take place November 17 & 18 at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL, with proceeds benefiting the Perfect Game Cares Foundation

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Perfect Game Cares Foundation today announced the members of the 2022 Perfect Game Hall of Fame induction class, including Major Leaguers: Pete Alonso (Mets), Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Mookie Betts (Dodgers), Kris Bryant (Rockies), Madison Bumgarner (Diamondbacks), Gerrit Cole (Yankees), Carlos Correa (Twins), Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Jason Heyward (Cubs), Scott Kazmir (Free Agent), DJ LeMahieu (Yankees), Francisco Lindor (Mets), Manny Machado (Padres), George Springer (Blue Jays), Trevor Story (Red Sox) and BJ Melvin Upton, Jr. (Retired).

The Foundation also announced that Guerry Baldwin, the Founder and President of East Cobb (Georgia) Baseball, will join the esteemed list of Major Leaguers comprising the Hall's Class of '22, making him the first travel team coach and second non-player inducted into the Perfect Game Hall of Fame.  Additionally, Eric Semler was announced as the 2022 recipient of the Perfect Game Cares Lifetime Philanthropic Award for his unending commitment to the sport of baseball and the youth who play the game.

Perfect Game Cares Foundation Executive Director, Jennifer Ford stated: "On behalf of the Perfect Game Cares Foundation, I want to congratulate each member of the Perfect Game Hall of Fame Class of 2022.  Each member of this group, from the day they took the field for their first Perfect Game experience, has displayed a love for the game and a sincere desire to help grow the sport.  To this day, the Class of '22 embodies and personifies the Perfect Game Cares Foundation mission to help improve the lives of youth from underserved populations and to provide playing opportunities for all.  The inductees continue to inspire us all."

"I have long admired each of the inductees for their immense talent, work ethic, perseverance, and accomplishments. They are personally responsible for inspiring thousands of young people to play this game we all love," added Perfect Game Founder and Commissioner, Jerry Ford.

The Class of '22 and other award recipients will be recognized during the Perfect Game Cares Hall of Fame Gala on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fl. 

On Friday, November 18, the Foundation will host its annual Perfect Game Cares Fore the Kids celebrity golf tournament at Rosen Shingle Creek, featuring a who's-who list of current and former Major Leaguers, baseball insiders and supporters.  Among those presently scheduled to attend the Hall of Fame Gala and golf tournament include Johnny Damon, Scott Erickson, Kyle Farnsworth, Flash Gordon, Luis Gonzalez, Elijah Green, Eric Green, Trevor Hoffman (HOF '18), Clint Hurdle, Charles Johnson, Brian Jordan, Ryan Klesko, Brian McCann, Tim Redding, Mark Reynolds, CC Sabathia, Reggie Sanders, Gary Sheffield, Tanyon Sturtze, Michael Tucker, Greg Vaughn, Preston Wilson, Tony Womack and Dmitri Young.  Additional players are being added to the list daily.

The Class of '22 joins 2021's inaugural class of Perfect Game Hall of Famers that included current and former Major Leaguers Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Zack Greinke, Bryce Harper, Brian McCann, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Joey Votto, as well as Perfect Game Founder, Jerry Ford.

For players to be eligible for election into the Perfect Game Hall of Fame, they must presently be - or had previously been on - a Major League Baseball team's active roster, and they must have attended multiple Perfect Game events as an amateur. Inductees are nominated and elected by a committee comprised of Perfect Game officials and scouts.

Proceeds from all Hall of Fame related events and activities will benefit the Perfect Game Cares Foundation's Grow the Game Fund, which helps provide baseball and softball playing opportunities for children in underserved communities across America.

Gala ticket and golf participation information can be found at PGHOF.givesmart.com.

[Note:  Event attendees listed above are subject to change.]

Media Contacts:

Jennifer Ford, Executive Director, Perfect Game Cares Foundation; 319-640-0556 /
[email protected]; Daron Sutton, [email protected]; 602-769-571

About Perfect Game Cares
The Perfect Game Cares Foundation, Inc. began in 2003 as The PG Foundation, Inc., when PG Founder and President Jerry Ford decided that the success of Perfect Game created a platform to give back. Perfect Game has helped raise over $4 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Rady Children's Hospital, Golisano Children's Hospital, the Toby Keith Foundation's OK Kids Korral, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, and the Boys and Girls Club. In 2018, the Foundation expanded its footprint to become the Perfect Game Cares Foundation with its largest initiative to date—empowering and supporting America's underserved youth. Visit www.perfectgamecares.org for more information.

About Perfect Game
Perfect Game is the world's largest elite youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, producing over 8,600+ events, 300,000+ games and showcases each year across the country. Perfect Game is dedicated to giving amateur players exposure to take their game to the next level, whether that be in college or in the professional ranks. At Perfect Game events, players are performing with top-level competition in front of college recruiters and professional scouts from all over the country. Because of this, these events prove to be invaluable to the college coaches as well as Major League Baseball, as they can scout a large population of talented ballplayers in one location. To date, more than 1,840 players that have played in a Perfect Game event have also played in Major League Baseball. Since 2003, 13,889 Perfect Game alumni have been selected in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. In the 2022 Draft, for example, more than 95 percent of all players selected had played in Perfect Game events, and 98 percent of players drafted in the first two rounds had played in a PG event. In the 2021 College World Series, every player on the rosters of national champion Mississippi State and runner-up Vanderbilt had played in a Perfect Game event.

SOURCE Perfect Game USA