[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  LARRY LUCCHINO: THE JOHNS FELLOWSHIP AWARD OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY 
           BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL, AFL-CIO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Larry Lucchino, as 
he is honored by the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades 
Council, AFL-CIO at the Eighteenth Annual John S. Lyons Memorial 
Banquet.
  Larry Lucchino, President and Chief Executive Officer of the San 
Diego Padres, is being recognized for his contribution to the community 
of San Diego and for fulfilling three fundamental commitments of 
ownership which he made as he purchased the San Diego Padres baseball 
team on December 21, 1994.
  First and foremost, the Padres, under the leadership of Larry 
Lucchino have become active participants in the community, assisting 
the children of the region in their education, recreation, and health. 
The Padres Scholars Program was established in 1995 to aid students 
with college scholarships. The Little Padres Parks Program has 
committed to building or refurbishing 60 youth ballfields in San Diego 
and Northern Baja. The Cindy Matters Fund, named for a lifelong Padres 
fan who inspired Padres players and staff during her fight against 
cancer, pledges assistance in the fight against children's cancer and 
provides funding to the UCSD Medical Center's Pediatric Oncology 
Research Laboratory.
  Second, he has helped to rebuild the club so that they were 
recognized as the most improved team in the National League in 1995 and 
champions of the National League West in 1996. In 1998, the Padres 
captured the National League West Championship and then proceeded to 
the World Series to play against the New York Yankees.
  He has also created a warm and fan-friendly environmental at the 
local Qualcomm Stadium, and his passion for the internationalization of 
baseball has led to historic achievements with the Padres playing games 
in Mexico and Hawaii, and establishing relations with teams in Japan 
and Korea.
  In addition, Larry Lucchino is active in both civic and charitable 
institutions in San Diego, serving on the CEO Roundtable, the Board of 
Directors of the Economic Development Corporation, the Binational 
Advisory Council on Border-Crossing Process, and the Board of Directors 
of the Padres Foundation.
  He has the unique distinction of earning a Final Four watch with 
Princeton in 1965, a Super Bowl ring with the Washington Redskins in 
1983, and the World Series ring with the Baltimore Orioles in 1983. He 
has earned a reputation as one of baseball's modern-day innovators. As 
President and CEO of both the Baltimore Orioles from 1988-1993 and the 
San Diego Padres since 1995, he has broken ground in ballpark design 
and planning, the development of new marketing concepts, and the 
furthering of player-owner relations.
  Larry Lucchino is being honored by a very special award. The JOHNS 
Fellowship Award was established to commemorate the late John Lyons of 
the Teamsters who was one of the founders of the San Diego Chapter of 
the Leukemia Society of America. The proceeds from the Memorial Banquet 
will be used to support local charitable causes including bone marrow 
testing and local research grants.
  My sincere congratulations go to Larry Lucchino, and I am proud to 
salute him and to recognize his accomplishment with this statement in 
the United States House of Representatives. Thank you, Larry.

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