Guest Host

My goal is to have a positive impact on our Phoenix community, on the field, as a Diamondbacks player and off the field in our local community. What better person to follow in these footsteps than my friend Torii Hunter, a 3 time all-star, 8 time gold glove winner and the 2006 Marvin Miller Man of the Year. While my family and I are avid golfers and have 2 tournaments of our own, I thought it would be a good idea to aide Torii in his efforts to expand the Heart of Champion Program throughout the nation. By participating in The Torii Hunter Celebrity Golf Classic, you will be assisting in our cause to help make an impact in the immediate Phoenix area.

I invite you to join us at The Torii Hunter Celebrity Golf Classic as it promises to be a great time for a great cause. The event starts on Tuesday, November 10th with a Dinner Banquet, memorabilia auction for the charities, and a musical performance by Mr. Brian McKnight. Wednesday, November 11th, the Golf Tournament begins with a Shot Gun start at 10am. The tournament will be played at the Whirlwind Golf Course, rated as one of the top 25 new courses in the nation.

To register now, go to the registration link at: https://tickets.toriihunter.com/. Hope to see you there!

Justin Upton

Biography

Justin Irvin Upton...Graduated in 2005 from Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va...As a senior in 2005, received national accolades as the Gatorade High School Player of the Year, a USA Today First- Team selection and a Baseball America High School All-American while also earning Virginia Player of the Year honors... hit .519 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI with 29 runs scored and 7 stolen bases in 54 official plate appearances...Baseball America's "Rating the Best Tools" for the 2005 Draft preview issue tabbed him as the Best Athlete, Best Five- Tool Talent, Best Pure Hitter, Fastest Baserunner, Best Defensive Player and the Closest to the Majors among high school players...Following his junior campaign, awarded the inaugural Jackie Robinson Award as the 2004 AFLAC National High School Player of the Year and named the Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year. His older brother, B.J., was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as the second pick in the 2002 draft, making them the only brother combination to be selected as the No. 1 and No. 2 draft choices in different drafts.

On August 2, 2007, Upton was called up to the big league team at the age of only 19. He made his major league debut exactly three years after his brother B.J. made his for the Devil Rays.

Upton recorded his first career major league hit and run scored on August 4, 2007, in his third major league game. His first career RBI came the next day, and his first career home run two days after that. He almost became the youngest player ever to hit for the cycle on that day, falling just a single shy of the milestone.

On June 2nd, 2009, Upton was named NL Player of the Month of May by the MLB after compiling a .371 batting average with 7 home runs and 21 RBI. His brother B.J. Upton earned AL Player of the Month of June, making Justin and B.J. the first pair of brothers to win player of the month honors in the same year. On July 5th, Upton was named to the 2009 All-Star team as a reserve outfielder for the National League. The 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis was Upton's first.

For more information, on the Arizona Diamondbacks, please click here

To view Justin Upton's career statistics, please click: here