Roy Halladay Unsurprisingly Up for Even More Baseball Awards
By Justin Klugh
Just when you thought I was finished talking about the Phillies getting awards, the MLBPAA has unveiled the nominations for the Heart and Hustle Award. The difference between this one and the last one is that you can actually affect the outcome of this one.
You could vote for Jose Reyes, Torii Hunter, or that guy from the Astros you’ve never heard of. Or you could use your vote on the guy who isn’t hurt all the time, has the heart of a champion, and didn’t play for the Astros this year. Also the arm of a champion.
That man is Roy Halladay, and he is the Phillies’ nominee for the MLBPAA Heart and Hustle Award. And every team has a nominee, so this isn’t just some participation award they’re stitching onto somebody’s gym bag–you gotta win this shit.
Besides, if you gave Doc a participation award he’d probably give it to whichever one of his kids finished last in their morning stair run. And they would all know it was a mark of shame.
The Heart & Hustle award, invented by baseball’s Alumni Association, has seen such highly-touted past victors as Dvid Eckstein, Craig Biggio, and Craig Biggio a second time.
Albert Pujols, the 2009 champion, was sadly not even nominated this year (He was replaced by Jon Jay). You can hit three home runs in as many World Series games as you want, Albert, but unless you trot around those bases with heart and witness horrific communication meltdowns with hustle, you will never clutch the sweet, sweet trophy or certificate or fatted calf or whatever the actual award is in your giant hands again.
Even Roy Halladay has won! Last year, actually. If he were to win, he’d be the first player to repeat since Craig Biggio.
In a winter of discontent, the Phillies will continue making us proud, whether they are winning awards for their stellar character, or cutting ties with the team permanently.