Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

Major League Baseball award From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best exhibits the character and integrity of Lou Gehrig, both on the field and off it.[1] The award was created by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity in honor of Gehrig, who was a member of the fraternity at Columbia University. It was first presented in 1955, fourteen years after Gehrig's death. The award's purpose is to recognize a player's exemplary contributions in "both his community and philanthropy."[1] The bestowal of the award is overseen by the headquarters of the Phi Delta Theta in Oxford, Ohio,[2] and the name of each winner is inscribed onto the Lou Gehrig Award plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. It is the only MLB award conferred by a fraternity.[1]

LocationCooperstown, New York
CountryUnited States
Presented byPhi Delta Theta
First award1955
Quick facts Location, Country ...
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
A smiling man in a dark cap and white pinstriped baseball uniform with an interlocked "N" and "Y" on the left breast.
Lou Gehrig, the namesake of the award
LocationCooperstown, New York
CountryUnited States
Presented byPhi Delta Theta
History
First award1955
Most recentBobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
WebsiteLou Gehrig Memorial Award
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Twenty-nine winners of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.[3] The inaugural winner was Alvin Dark.[4] Curt Schilling (1995) and Shane Victorino (2008) received the award for working with the ALS Association and raising money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The disease took Gehrig's life and is eponymously known as "Lou Gehrig's disease".[5][6] Mike Timlin won the award in 2007 for his efforts in raising awareness and finding a cure for ALS, which took his mother's life in 2002.[7]

Winners of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award have undertaken a variety of different causes. Many winners, including Rick Sutcliffe,[8] Barry Larkin,[9] Mark McGwire,[10] Todd Stottlemyre[11] and Derek Jeter,[12] worked with children in need. Jeter assisted children and teenagers in avoiding drug and alcohol addiction[12] through his Turn 2 Foundation,[13] while Sutcliffe visited disabled children in hospitals[8] and bestowed college scholarships to underprivileged juveniles through his foundation.[14] Other winners devoted their work to aiding individuals who had a specific illness, such as Albert Pujols, whose daughter has Down syndrome, and who devoted the Pujols Family Foundation to helping those with the disorder,[15] and Ryan Zimmerman, who established the ziMS Foundation to raise money for multiple sclerosis, the disease which afflicts his mother.[16][17]

Winners

A smiling man in a dark cap with an orange interlocked "N" and "Y" in the centre.
Alvin Dark won the inaugural Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1955.
A man with short hair prepares to swing a baseball bat. He is wearing a black shirt with "Orioles" written in orange (obscured), and the bat is held over his right shoulder. He is wearing orange and black batting gloves on his hands.
Cal Ripken Jr., the 1992 winner, surpassed Gehrig's record for consecutive games played three years later.[18]
A man in a grey baseball uniform with a navy helmet prepares to swing at a pitch.
Derek Jeter, the 2010 winner, broke Gehrig's record for most hits as a member of the New York Yankees the year before.[19]
Bobby Witt Jr. is the most recent player to win the award.
More information Year, Player ...
Key
Year Links to the article about the corresponding baseball year
Player Name of the player
Team The player's team at the time he won the award
Position The player's position at the time he won the award
† Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
‡ Player is active
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More information Year, Player ...
Winners
Year Player Team Position Ref
1955 Alvin Dark New York GiantsShortstop[20]
1956 Pee Wee Reese† Brooklyn DodgersShortstop[21]
1957 Stan Musial† St. Louis CardinalsFirst baseman[22]
1958 Gil McDougald New York YankeesSecond baseman[23]
1959 Gil Hodges† Los Angeles DodgersFirst baseman[24]
1960 Dick Groat Pittsburgh PiratesShortstop[25]
1961 Warren Spahn† Milwaukee BravesPitcher[26]
1962 Robin Roberts† Baltimore OriolesPitcher[27]
1963 Bobby Richardson New York YankeesSecond baseman[28]
1964 Ken Boyer St. Louis CardinalsThird baseman[29]
1965 Vern Law Pittsburgh PiratesPitcher[30]
1966 Brooks Robinson† Baltimore OriolesThird baseman[31]
1967 Ernie Banks† Chicago CubsFirst baseman[32]
1968 Al Kaline† Detroit TigersOutfielder[33]
1969 Pete Rose Cincinnati RedsOutfielder[34]
1970 Hank Aaron† Atlanta BravesOutfielder[35]
1971 Harmon Killebrew† Minnesota TwinsOutfielder[36]
1972 Wes Parker Los Angeles DodgersFirst baseman[37]
1973 Ron Santo† Chicago CubsThird baseman[38]
1974 Willie Stargell† Pittsburgh PiratesFirst baseman[39]
1975 Johnny Bench† Cincinnati RedsCatcher[40]
1976 Don Sutton† Los Angeles DodgersPitcher[41]
1977 Lou Brock† St. Louis CardinalsOutfielder[42]
1978 Don Kessinger Chicago White SoxShortstop[43]
1979 Phil Niekro† Atlanta BravesPitcher[44]
1980 Tony Pérez† Boston Red SoxFirst baseman[45]
1981 Tommy John New York YankeesPitcher[46]
1982 Ron Cey Los Angeles DodgersThird baseman[47]
1983 Mike Schmidt† Philadelphia PhilliesThird baseman[48]
1984 Steve Garvey San Diego PadresFirst baseman[49]
1985 Dale Murphy Atlanta BravesOutfielder[50]
1986 George Brett† Kansas City RoyalsThird baseman[51]
1987 Rick Sutcliffe Chicago CubsPitcher[52]
1988 Buddy Bell Houston AstrosThird baseman[53]
1989 Ozzie Smith† St. Louis CardinalsShortstop[54]
1990 Glenn Davis Houston AstrosFirst baseman[55]
1991 Kent Hrbek Minnesota TwinsFirst baseman[56]
1992 Cal Ripken Jr.† Baltimore OriolesShortstop[57]
1993 Don Mattingly New York YankeesFirst baseman[58]
1994 Barry Larkin† Cincinnati RedsShortstop[59]
1995 Curt Schilling Philadelphia PhilliesPitcher[60]
1996 Brett Butler Los Angeles DodgersOutfielder[61]
1997 Paul Molitor† Minnesota TwinsDesignated hitter[62]
1998 Tony Gwynn† San Diego PadresOutfielder[63]
1999 Mark McGwire St. Louis CardinalsFirst baseman[64]
2000 Todd Stottlemyre Arizona DiamondbacksPitcher[65]
2001 John Franco New York MetsPitcher[66]
2002 Danny Graves Cincinnati RedsPitcher[67]
2003 Jamie Moyer Seattle MarinersPitcher[68]
2004 Jim Thome† Philadelphia PhilliesFirst baseman[69]
2005 John Smoltz† Atlanta BravesPitcher[70]
2006 Trevor Hoffman† San Diego PadresPitcher[71]
2007 Mike Timlin Boston Red SoxPitcher[72]
2008 Shane Victorino Philadelphia PhilliesOutfielder[73]
2009 Albert Pujols St. Louis CardinalsFirst baseman[74]
2010 Derek Jeter† New York YankeesShortstop[75]
2011 Ryan Zimmerman Washington NationalsThird baseman[76]
2012 Barry Zito San Francisco GiantsPitcher[77]
2013 Josh Hamilton Los Angeles AngelsOutfielder[78]
2014 Adrián Beltré† Texas RangersThird baseman[79]
2015 Curtis Granderson New York MetsOutfielder[80]
2016 Jose Altuve‡ Houston AstrosSecond baseman[81]
2017 Joey Votto Cincinnati RedsFirst baseman[82]
2018 Corey Kluber Cleveland IndiansPitcher[83]
2019 Buster Posey San Francisco GiantsCatcher[84]
2020 Stephen Piscotty Oakland AthleticsOutfielder[85]
2021 Salvador Pérez‡ Kansas City RoyalsCatcher[86]
2022 Brandon Crawford San Francisco GiantsShortstop[87]
2023 Paul Goldschmidt‡ St. Louis CardinalsFirst baseman[88]
2024 Chris Sale‡ Atlanta BravesPitcher[89]
2025 Bobby Witt Jr.‡ Kansas City RoyalsShortstop[90]
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See also

References

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