Gabe Kapler, a 1999 Inaugural Teammate, who guided the San Francisco Giants to a franchise-record 107 victories in his second season, was named the 2021 National League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Kapler spent 13 years in the majors after being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1995 MLB draft. After the Tigers, he played for Texas, Colorado, Boston, Yomiuri (Japan), Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. As a Manage Kapler has quickly built a reputation as an analytically savvy, outside-the-box thinker who relates well to players. The Giants went into 2021 with the sport’s second-oldest roster and 40-1 odds of winning the NL West, but guided by Kapler the team blow past expectations, holding off the Dodgers to claim its first division title in nine years. Congratulations Gabe … we are proud that you have been a Teammate from the start!

Robinson, a Defender for Atlanta United FC, has been a Teammate since 2018. In the 25 matches in which the defender went the full 90 minutes, Atlanta United conceded an average of just 0.92 goals per match and tallied nine clean sheets. Miles Robinson's development with Atlanta has led to his emergence as a go-to defender within the USMNT squad – helping the Stars and Stripes to the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup crown as he contributes to World Cup qualification. This is Robinson’s second Best XI selection after making his Best XI debut in 2019. Zimmerman, a Defender for Nashville SC, joined the Foundation in 2015. Leading Nashville SC to new heights in 2021, Walker Zimmerman has been named MLS Defender of the Year for the second straight season and included in the Best XI for three consecutive seasons. Zimmerman led the Boys in Gold to a league-tying 13 clean sheets and went unbeaten at Nissan Stadium. The Georgia-born defender has accumulated 22 caps for the USMNT and helped the United States win the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. Best XI, a collection of elite performers from the 2021 MLS regular season and one of the most prestigious annual honors a player can receive. The Best XI – recognizing the league’s top players at each position as determined by media, MLS players, and MLS club technical staffs – features some of the league’s most exciting and accomplished talent. Representing eight nations and five clubs – all of which qualified for the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs – the group features a number of breakout stars selected to their first Best XI and several international stars on the brink of helping their national teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. We congratulate Miles and Walker … we are proud to call you Teammates!

The Denver Broncos honored the late Demaryius Thomas (Teammate since 2013) in various ways when they faced the Lions on Sunday, December 12, including having the offense take the field with just 10 players for its first play from scrimmage. The missing player was the “x” receiver which Thomas played for 9-seasons with the Broncos. Thomas, passed away tragically on Thursday, December 9 at the age of 33. A memorial was set up outside of the stadium for fans to mourn the franchise great. A framed jersey and a photograph of Thomas were displayed. The pre-game ceremonies included a tribute video and moment of silence. A number 88 painted on the field became a focal point for the Broncos players during the game. Peyton Manning and his family attended the game. Thomas was one of Manning’s star receivers on the 2016 Super Bowl championship team. In a pregame interview, Manning said that Thomas was one of the reasons he signed with Denver as a free agent. He also went on to say, “D.T. was a better person than he was a player, and he was a Hall of Fame player. That tells you how good of a person he was. He treated my kids like they were his own. He was there for every teammate’s charity event … he will be dearly missed.” Just a couple of the many comments from around the league: “I think we all know how gifted DT was on the football field but that was not his greatest gift — his greatest gift was the joy he brought to life,” Tebow said, while fighting back tears, “when he walked into a room he made it brighter!” Josh McDaniels called Thomas, “the best person I have ever coached.” Tom Brady posted on Twitter, “I’m so sad to wake up this morning to hear about the passing of my friend Demaryius Thomas. We were all blessed with his humility and positive spirit, and we will all miss him.” Pro Football writer Lindsay Jones, “Demaryius Thomas’ football feats were incredible, but the man I’ll remember: The guy who was kind, always smiling, who was Uncle DT to so many kids.” Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the Thomas family … we are so very proud to call him our Teammate.