| Melky Cabrera showing some hustle. (US Presswire) |
Next week the Heart & Hustle Award will be given out in New York to one of 30 nominees, one from each team.
So what is the Heart & Hustle Award?
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association's Heart & Hustle Award is voted on by Major League alumni and active players and is presented annually to a player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.
With that in mind, who would you think would be the representative of the world champion Giants? Maybe Tim Lincecum who moved to the bullpen to sacrifice for his team? How about Hunter Pence, whose pregame speeches helped lead the team? What about Buster Posey, coming back from a devastating injury? Ryan Vogelsong, who came back from Japan to be a key part of the team's rotation? Angel Pagan? Gregor Blanco? Jeremy Affeldt? No, no, no, no, no, no and no.
Would you believe Melky Cabrera "best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game?"
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association apparently does. Cabrera, who was suspended for 50 games for a failed drug test and subsequently created a fake website to try to cover it up, was the choice.
Fan voting, which comprises five percent of the total voting, ended Monday afternoon. All alumni and active big leaguers comprise the other 95 percent of voting.
H/T: Big League Stew
For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnBaseball on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed and "like" us on Facebook.