The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association announced the winners of their annual Heart and Hustle Award on Tuesday, and Cubs' first baseman Anthony Rizzo along with White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier made the list for the second straight year.
Rizzo has been named the Cubs' Heart and Hustle Award recipient for the second year in a row, while this is Frazier's first win as a member of the White Sox - he won the award in 2015 with the Cincinnati Reds.
The award, which is voted on by former players prior to the All-Star break, is given to one player on each of the 30 major league teams who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirits and traditions of the game. The MLBPAA formed 30 committees comprised of alumni players who choose each recipient based on their passion, desire and work ethic demonstrated both on and off the field.
Frazier's work ethic on the field has him leading the Sox with 26 HRs and 59 RBIs. The South Siders' slugger fell just short in his quest for back-to-back Home Run Derby titles last week, losing to Giancarlo Stanton in the final round of the 2016 derby.
Rizzo's hard work can be seen on the field, where he's currently batting .293 with 22 HRs and 68 RBIs, and off the field as well, most notably through the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation which raises money for cancer research and provides support to children and their families battling the disease. Rizzo battled Hodgkin's Lymphoma early in his MLB career and is now a role model for others fighting cancer.
MLB
Rizzo was the overall winner of the Heart and Hustle Award in 2015. This year's final winner will be announced Nov. 15, 2016 at the 17th annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York.