ST. MARYS, Ont. – Colorado Rockies slugger Justin Morneau was named the winner of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award on Wednesday.
Morneau, from New Westminster, B.C., won the National League batting title last season. The award is presented annually to the Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals.
He will be presented with the award in a ceremony at a Rockies home game during the 2015 season.
"I would like to start by saying thank you for being named the winner of the 2014 Tip O’Neill Award," Morneau said in a statement. "With the high quality of Canadian baseball and softball players that now hail from Canada, it is truly one of the great honours of my career. To be mentioned amongst the great Canadian players in 2014, and to ultimately win the Tip O’Neill award is very special. When you look at the list of past winners, it is truly humbling to be listed with them again.
"I would also like to thank the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for not only this award, but also for doing such a great job of promoting and developing the game of baseball in Canada."
Morneau, who also won in 2006 and 2008, is one of four players to have won the award at least three times. The others are Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker (a nine-time winner), Toronto native Joey Votto (four-time winner) and Trail, B.C., native Jason Bay (a three-time winner).
