On Aug. 3, Andrew Benintendi was voted the 2023 Chicago White Sox Heart and Hustle Award winner. Former Sox slugger Jim Thome presented the award to Benintendi before Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics.
The award "honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game."
Former players on committees serving under the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association vote on the award prior to the All-Star break. One player from each team is chosen, and an overall winner is named each November.
The timing of the White Sox' award presentation was rather unfortunate in hindsight. Benintendi committed two errors in the second inning of Friday's game, allowing Oakland to score five runs in the frame en route to a 12-4 thumping of the South Siders. It's just been that kind of year for the White Sox.
Nevertheless, Benintendi joins Jose Abreu (2022), Tim Anderson (2021), James McCann (2019), Yolmer Sanchez (2018), Avisail Garcia (2017), and Todd Frazier (2016) as winners of the White Sox Heart and Hustle Award. Frazier is the only White Sox player to win the overall award since its inception in 2005.
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