MLBPAA Announces Team Winners of 11th Annual Heart and Hustle Award
A player from each MLB team wins respected honor
Colorado Springs, Colo. - The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) is pleased to announce the 30 preliminary winners of the 2015 Heart and Hustle Award. This esteemed award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is also the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players.
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 their 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, all Alumni and active players will vote to select the final winner from the 30 team winners. The previous overall winners are David Eckstein (2005), Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013) and Josh Harrison (2014).
The final winner will be announced on November 10, 2015 at the 16th Annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City. This event is the primary fundraiser for the series of free Legends for Youth Baseball Clinics. These clinics impact more than 15,000 children each year at 125 clinics, allowing them the unique opportunity to interact with and learn from players who have left a lasting impact on the game of baseball.
The 30 individual team winners are as follows:
| American League | National League |
| Baltimore Orioles, Adam Jones | Arizona Diamondbacks, Paul Goldschmidt |
| Boston Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia | Atlanta Braves, Andrelton Simmons |
| Chicago White Sox, Geovany Soto | Chicago Cubs, Anthony Rizzo |
| Cleveland Indians, Jason Kipnis | Cincinnati Reds, Todd Frazier |
| Detroit Tigers, James McCann | Colorado Rockies, DJ LeMahieu |
| Houston Astros, George Springer | Los Angeles Dodgers, Joc Pederson |
| Kansas City Royals, Alex Gordon | Miami Marlins, Dee Gordon |
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Mike Trout | Milwaukee Brewers, Jonathan Lucroy |
| Minnesota Twins, Brian Dozier | New York Mets, Curtis Granderson |
| New York Yankees, Brett Gardner | Philadelphia Phillies, Chase Utley |
| Oakland Athletics, Stephen Vogt | Pittsburgh Pirates, Tony Watson |
| Seattle Mariners, Kyle Seager | San Diego Padres, Derek Norris |
| Tampa Bay Rays, Kevin Kiermaier | San Francisco Giants, Brandon Crawford |
| Texas Rangers, Prince Fielder | St. Louis Cardinals, Matt Carpenter |
| Toronto Blue Jays, Josh Donaldson | Washington Nationals, Ian Desmond |
For more information regarding the Heart and Hustle Award, please contact Nikki Warner, Director of Communications by e-mail at Nikki@MLBPAA.com or by calling (719) 477-1870, ext. 105.
To learn more about the MLBPAA, please visit www.baseballalumni.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@MLBPAA). The official hashtag for this award is #HeartandHustle.
About The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA)
MLBPAA was founded in 1982 with the mission of promoting baseball, raising money for charity and protecting the dignity of the game through its Alumni players. The MLBPAA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a membership of 7,400, of which approximately 5,600 are Alumni and active players. MLBPAA’s Legends for Youth clinics impact more than 15,000 children each year, allowing them the unique opportunity to interact with and learn from players who have left a lasting impact on the game of baseball. Alumni players find the MLBPAA to be a vital tool to become involved in charity and community philanthropy.
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