Heart & Hustle Award
Created by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association in 2005, the Heart & Hustle Award is voted on by Alumni and active Major League players and is presented annually to an active player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.
The MLBPAA formed 30 committees, comprised of Alumni players with established relationships to each team. One player from each Major League team is chosen by the committees based on the passion, desire, and work ethic demonstrated both on and off the field. These players will be recognized prior to an upcoming home game. As the season draws to a close, fans, all Alumni and active players will vote to select the final winner from the 30 team winners.
This year marked the seventh time the MLBPAA has given this award. Torii Hunter was presented with the 2011 Heart & Hustle Award at the 12th Annual Legends for Youth Dinner on Nov. 3, 2011, in New York City.
For more information regarding the Heart & Hustle Award, please contact Nikki Warner at nikki@mlbpaa.com or 719-477-1870 ext. 105.
2010 Heart & Hustle Award
Up until the 2010 season, his first with the Phillies, Roy Halladay had spent his entire career with the Blue Jays. Chosen in the 1995 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Halladay pitched in his first Major League game in 1998, and after a rough start has had an amazing career. Halladay won the 2003 American League Cy Young Award, 2010 National League Cy Young Award, has been named to eight All-Star teams and has led the league in shutouts three times. Apart from his on-the-field accomplishments, the ace is actively involved in the community. While in Toronto, he started the "Doc's Box" program in which he and his wife, Brandy, brought kids from the local children's hospital with their families to a Blue Jays game. They were treated to a day of baseball along with a hat, T-shirt, program and other Blue Jays gear.
2009 Heart & Hustle Award
A 13th-round draft pick in 1999 by the Cardinals, Albert Pujols has spent his entire career in St. Louis. Widely considered one of the greatest players in the modern era, Pujols continued to display the power and consistency that makes him one of the most featured hitters in the league. This season Pujols once again put up Triple Crown numbers with a .324 average, a MLB-leading 47 home runs and 135 RBIs. Pujols was the leading vote getter for the 2009 All-Star Game, receiving the highest number of votes in National League history. A two-time NL MVP, eight-time All-Star, 2001 NL Rookie of the Year and 2006 Gold Glove Winner, Pujols does as much off the field as he does on it. Pujols created the Pujols Family Foundation dedicated to "the love, care and development of people with down syndrome and their families," and he leads relief efforts in his native country, the Dominican Republic. Pujols' all-around heart and hustle earn him titles such as the The Sporting News MLB Player of the Decade and the 2008 Roberto Clemente Award winner, awarded to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and individual contribution to his team.
2008 Heart & Hustle Award
Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore was the fourth recipient of the Heart & Hustle Award when Orestes Destrade announced him as the winner at the Legends for Youth Dinner on Nov. 7, 2008, in New York. Sizemore, who turned 26 in August 2008, set career highs in doubles (39), home runs (38), RBIs (90), stolen bases (38) and bases on balls (98) in 2008 and played defense good enough to earn him his second straight Gold Glove Award. Sizemore finished 10th in the MVP voting, despite his team finishing in third place, won his first Silver Slugger and was named an All-Star for the third time. All of those astounding feats combined with his on-field passion and energy made Sizemore a great choice as the fourth award winner.
- Past Heart & Hustle Award Winners
- 2007 — Craig Biggio
- 2006 — Craig Biggio
- 2005 — David Eckstein
