Jake Duncan Honored by Bank of America and Minor League Baseball for Athletic Excellence and Community Service

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America -- the Official Bank of Minor League Baseball(TM) -- today announced Frederick Keys outfielder Jake Duncan as the recipient of the first-ever Bank of America Neighborhood Champion Player Recognition Award. The newly created national award recognizes one Minor League Baseball player each season who exemplifies athletic excellence, teamwork, sportsmanship and community involvement.

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As part of the award, Bank of America will present Duncan with a commemorative plaque during the 2006 Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL and make a $5,000 charitable donation in his name to the Texas chapter of the Special Olympics.

"For his on-field accomplishments to his commitment to community service, Jake Duncan is well-deserving of this award," said Ray Bednar, Sponsorship Marketing Executive, Bank of America. "Through his actions and leadership, Jake enriches the lives of people in need and inspires others to do the same. We are pleased to recognize Jake's achievements on and off the field and to be working with Minor League Baseball to celebrate the accomplishments of its players."

On the field, Jake Duncan, a Dallas, TX native, consistently contributes to the success of his team. He attended Texas Christian University, and was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round of the 2003 First Year Player Draft. In his first full season in 2004, Duncan made the jump from Short-Season Single-A Aberdeen to the Frederick Keys, where he hit .344 in 21 games. In 2005, Duncan continued his impressive play, batting .296 with 6 homeruns and 39 runs-batted-in, while helping the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds reach the playoffs. During the 2006 season, after having recovered from a debilitating blood clot in his right leg, Duncan posted a .252 batting average with 5 homeruns and 27 runs-batted-in, helping the Frederick Keys to a divisional championship.

Off the field, Duncan has made even more of an impact. During the 2005 season, Delmarva teammates regularly found him speaking to school groups or visiting retirement homes to brighten the days of nearby residents. Jake's work in the community earned him the Orioles' Elrod Hendricks Award, which recognizes a member of the organization who shows excellence in the field of community service.

Shortly after the beginning of the 2006 season, Duncan was called up to the Frederick Keys where he continued to speak at schools, visit retirement homes and coach in the Annual Challenger Little League, mostly without any encouragement from the front office. He also has been a good influence on his teammates, encouraging them to take an active role with the Keys' Junior Keys Kids' Club and the Frederick Keys Baseball Camps.

"It would be hard to find someone in any walk of life more dedicated to bettering his/her community than Jake Duncan," said Dave Ziedelis, General Manager of the Frederick Keys. "From day one, Jake has made an effort to be a positive role model to people of all ages and backgrounds in this community. He has never shied away from community appearances and has been a positive influence on his teammates and our front office staff in the example he sets."

As the Official Bank of Baseball, Bank of America has strived to create programs that build stronger, more vibrant communities, from the national level with Major League Baseball to the local level with Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball. The Bank of America Neighborhood Champion Player Recognition Award is just one way the bank is working to strengthen the fabric of the communities where its customers and associates live, work and play.

Bank of America has national sponsorship agreements with the four leading organizations that represent America's national pastime-Major League Baseball(R), Minor League Baseball(TM), Little League Baseball(R) and the National Baseball Hall of Fame(R) and Museum. Bank of America's deep-rooted support for baseball includes banking sponsorships with 10 Major League Baseball Clubs and 68 Minor League Baseball teams. Additionally, Bank of America's completed merger with MBNA further expands its support of MLB with affinity credit and debit card relationships with 23 Major League Baseball Clubs.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 55 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 5,700 retail banking offices, nearly 17,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than 20 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 175 countries and has relationships with 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 80 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. http://www.bankofamerica.com/.