Major League Baseball and MLB Advanced Media announced that Curtis Granderson was named the New York Yankees nominee for the 2011 Hank Aaron Award.

Fan voting begins today exclusively online at MLB.com and the 30 Club sites. For the second straight year, a special panel of Hall of Fame players led by Hank Aaron will join fans in voting for the award, which is officially sanctioned by Major League Baseball and has recognized the most outstanding offensive performer in each League since it was established in 1999.

In 2011, Granderson hit .262 with 136 runs, 41 home runs and 119 RBI in 156 games with the Yankees. He led the Majors in runs scored, ranked second in home runs and extra-base hits (81), and ranked third in RBI and total bases (332). He became the only player in Major League history to record at least 40 home runs, 10 triples and 25 stolen bases in the same season. Granderson was also the first Major Leaguer to record 100 runs and 100 RBI in 2011, doing so in his first 126 games.

This year, the Hall of Fame panel will include two new members - personally selected by Hank Aaron - Roberto Alomar and Joe Morgan. They join panelists from last year, which included Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams and Robin Yount, forming a group comprised of some of the greatest offensive players of all-time. These Hall of Famers - who combined for 23,536 hits, 11,445 RBI and exactly 2,800 home runs - have all agreed to join Hank Aaron in lending their expertise to select the best offensive performers in each League.

Beginning today and continuing through Sunday, October 9, fans will have the opportunity to select one American League and one National League winner from a list comprising one finalist per Club. The winners of the 2011 Hank Aaron Award will be announced during the 2011 World Series.

Past winners of the Hank Aaron Award include: Jose Bautista and Joey Votto (2010); Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols (2009); Aramis Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis (2008); Alex Rodriguez and Prince Fielder (2007); Jeter and Ryan Howard (2006); David Ortiz and Andruw Jones (2005); Manny Ramirez and Barry Bonds (2004); Rodriguez and Pujols (2003); Rodriguez and Bonds (2001-02); Carlos Delgado and Todd Helton (2000) and Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa (1999).

The Hank Aaron Award was introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th Anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record, and, at that time, was the first major award introduced by Major League Baseball in more than 25 years.