Loading
  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Tip O'Neill Award

The Tip O'Neill Award is given annually to a Canadian baseball player who is "judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to the highest ideals of the game of baseball." The award was created by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and first presented in 1984. It is named after James "Tip" O'Neill, one of the earliest Canadian stars in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Larry Walker, Jason Bay, Joey Votto, and Justin Morneau are the only players to win the Tip O'Neill Award at least three times. Walker won the award nine times, and Votto has won it seven times. Six winners – Walker, Bay, Terry Puhl, Rob Ducey, Ryan Dempster, and Corey Koskie – are members of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. The award has been presented to one amateur player, Daniel Brabant. Walker, Votto, and Justin Morneau won the MLB Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award alongside the Tip O'Neill Award; the trio are the only Canadians to win the MLB MVP Award. Éric Gagné, the 2002 and 2003 recipient, compiled a major league record of 84 consecutive save opportunities converted from 2002 to 2004 and won the Cy Young Award in 2003. He and John Axford went on to win the Rolaids Relief Man Award in the same year as the Tip O'Neill Award. Bay became the first Canadian to win the Rookie of the Year Award, which he won the same year he won his first Tip O'Neill Award. Votto is the only award winner to also win the Hank Aaron Award.

Initially, the award was presented annually at either Rogers Centre in Toronto or Olympic Stadium in Montreal, depending on which venue the award winner's team was scheduled to play at during the MLB season. However, as the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C., and the Toronto Blue Jays do not host all the National League teams on an annual basis, the award has also been presented at the home park of the winning player. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays was the 2021 recipient of the award and Jordan Romano is the 2022 recipient.

Winners

Larry Walker at bat, June 17, 2005.
Larry Walker has the most awards with nine and is the only player who has won the award to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
A man wearing a red baseball cap with a white "C" in the centre, a red baseball uniform with the words "REDS" written across but obscured by his left arm and a black baseball glove on his left hand with the words "RAWLINGS" sewn on it prepares to throw a baseball.
Joey Votto is the only player to win the award four consecutive times.
Key
Year Links to the article about that corresponding year in baseball
Player (X) Denotes winning player and number of times they had won the award at that point (if more than one)
^ Indicates multiple award winners in the same year
Member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
§ Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Player is active
Winners
Year Recipient Position Team(s) Ref(s)
1984 Terry Puhl Outfielder Houston Astros
1985 Dave Shipanoff Pitcher Philadelphia Phillies
1986 Rob Ducey Outfielder Ventura County Gulls
Knoxville Smokies
1987 Larry Walker Outfielder Jacksonville Expos
1988 Kevin Reimer Outfielder Texas Rangers
1989 Steve Wilson Pitcher Chicago Cubs
1990 Larry Walker (2) Outfielder Montreal Expos
1991 Daniel Brabant Pitcher Canada national baseball team
1992 Larry Walker (3) Outfielder Montreal Expos
1993 Rob Butler Outfielder Toronto Blue Jays
1994 Larry Walker (4) Outfielder Colorado Rockies
1995 Larry Walker (5) Outfielder Colorado Rockies
1996 Jason Dickson Pitcher California Angels
1997 Larry Walker (6) Outfielder Colorado Rockies
1998 Larry Walker (7) Outfielder Colorado Rockies
1999 Jeff Zimmerman Pitcher Texas Rangers
2000 Ryan Dempster Pitcher Florida Marlins
2001^ Corey Koskie Third baseman Minnesota Twins
2001^ Larry Walker (8) Outfielder Colorado Rockies
2002^ Éric Gagné Pitcher Los Angeles Dodgers
2002^ Larry Walker (9) Outfielder Colorado Rockies
2003 Éric Gagné (2) Pitcher Los Angeles Dodgers
2004 Jason Bay Outfielder Pittsburgh Pirates
2005 Jason Bay (2) Outfielder Pittsburgh Pirates
2006 Justin Morneau First baseman Minnesota Twins
2007 Russell Martin Catcher Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Justin Morneau (2) First baseman Minnesota Twins
2009 Jason Bay (3) Outfielder Boston Red Sox
2010 Joey Votto First baseman Cincinnati Reds
2011^ John Axford Pitcher Milwaukee Brewers
2011^ Joey Votto (2) First baseman Cincinnati Reds
2012 Joey Votto (3) First baseman Cincinnati Reds
2013 Joey Votto (4) First baseman Cincinnati Reds
2014 Justin Morneau (3) First baseman Colorado Rockies
2015 Joey Votto (5) First baseman Cincinnati Reds
2016 Joey Votto (6) First baseman Cincinnati Reds
2017 Joey Votto (7) First baseman Cincinnati Reds
2018 James Paxton Pitcher Seattle Mariners
2019 Mike Soroka Pitcher Atlanta Braves
2020 Jamie Romak First baseman SK Wyverns
2021 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. First baseman Toronto Blue Jays
2022 Jordan Romano Pitcher Toronto Blue Jays
2023 Josh Naylor First baseman Cleveland Guardians

See also