JAMES “TIP” O’NEILL Award

The James “Tip” O’Neill Award

Presented annually to the Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals.

James “Tip” O’Neill Career Began in 1883.

Tip started his Major League Baseball career as a pitcher in 1883.

He won the 1886 World Championship with St. Louis.

James “Tip” O’Neill was one of Major League baseball’s first legitimate stars. With the St. Louis Browns in 1887, O’Neill batted .492, SLG-.691, Hits-225, Doubles-52, Triples-19, Homeruns-14, Total Bases-357, Runs-167 (4th all-time for a single season), RBI-123.

Major League Record Holder from Woodstock, ON

The outfielder from Woodstock, Ontario set major league records in hits, doubles, slugging percentage, and total bases that season while compiling an astounding .492 batting average (walks were included as hits in 1887, but if his average was calculated by today’s standard, it was .435, the second highest in major league history to Hugh Duffy, .440).

Played 1052 games with a career .326 AVG and .851 OPS.

The former US Speaker of the House was named after the Canadian baseball icon.

Award Winner 

Once the season is completed the information on all the players are compiled and a committee discussion takes place to determine the award winner. Winner is announced early December.

2023 Award Winner

JOSH NAYLOR

Cleveland Guardians slugger Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) has been named the winner of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2023 Tip O’Neill Award.

Canada’s baseball shrine presents this honour annually to the Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals.

Naylor, who topped Canadian major leaguers in several offensive categories in 2023, is a first-time winner of the award. He staved off strong competition from fellow major leaguers Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.), Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) and Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) to secure the honour.

“Josh Naylor had his best major league season in 2023 and his energy and enthusiasm for the game of baseball make him so much fun to watch,” said Jeremy Diamond, chair of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s board of directors. “He has also become a wonderful role model through his work with the Ronald McDonald House and other charities. We’re proud to recognize him with this award.”

Despite missing more than a month with an oblique injury, Naylor topped all Canadian big leaguers in batting average (.308), slugging percentage (.489), OPS (.843), doubles (31), RBIs (97) and stolen bases (10). In all, in 121 games with the Guardians, he had 139 hits.

Courtesy of the Cleveland Guardians

His 97 RBIs were the eighth in the American League and he also ranked in the top 10 in the AL with seven sacrifice flies (seventh) and nine intentional walks (fourth). His .308 batting average was the sixth highest batting average in the major leagues for players who suited up for at least 120 games.

For the Guardians, Naylor led the team in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ (133) and RBIs. He also made major league history on July 14 when he and his younger brother, Bo, became the first brothers to belt home runs for the same team in the same inning. In the third inning of that contest against the Texas Rangers, after outfielder Myles Straw reached on a single to begin the inning, Bo hit a two-run home run to right field. Four batters later, Josh followed with a two-run homer of his own.

For his efforts in 2023, the older Naylor garnered a 10th place vote in the American League MVP voting, which made him the 22nd Canadian ever to receive a major league MVP vote.

The 2023 campaign was Naylor’s fourth with the Guardians. After honing his skills with the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team, Naylor was selected 12th overall by the Miami Marlins in the 2015 MLB draft. After tenures in the Marlins and San Diego Padres organizations, he was traded to the Guardians, along with fellow Canadian Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), on August 31, 2020.

Since joining the Guardians, Naylor has been a regular at charitable events. In 2023, he started the Cooking with Naylor program at the Ronald McDonald House which supplies baseball-themed boxed lunches to children and parents staying in the facilities and in Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in Cleveland-area hospitals.

In the off-season, Naylor has also supported the Shoe Box Project, which fills shoeboxes with gifts for women in emergency shelters and temporary housing in the Greater Toronto Area.

“Being on the same list as all those previous winners is an honour and what makes receiving this award even more special. The fact I was even nominated was an honour knowing who this award represents.” said Josh Naylor

Details about the presentation of the 2023 Tip O’Neill Award will be announced in the coming months.

To determine the winner of the Tip O’Neill Award, the Hall takes into account a number of criteria, including each candidate’s on-the-field performance, contributions to their team, community and charitable endeavors and their support in fan voting. The Hall also has a Tip O’Neill Award committee, consisting of a 23-person panel of Canadian baseball experts, that votes on the honour.

Previous Award Winners

2023 – Josh Naylor
2022
– Jordan Romano
2021
– Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2020
– Jamie Romak
2019 – Mike Soroka
2018 – James Paxton
2017 – Joey Votto
2016 – Joey Votto
2015 – Joey Votto
2014 – Justin Morneau
2013 – Joey Votto
2012 – Joey Votto
2011 – John Axford
2011 – Joey Votto
2010 – 
Joey Votto
2009 – Jason Bay
2008 – Justin Morneau
2007 – Russell Martin
2006 – Justin Morneau
2005 – Jason Bay
2004 – Jason Bay
2003 – 
Eric Gagné
2002 – Larry Walker
2002 – Eric Gagné
2001 – Larry Walker
2001 – Corey Koskie
2000 – Ryan Dempster
1999 – Jeff Zimmerman
1998 – Larry Walker
1997 – Larry Walker
1996 – Jason Dickson
1995 – Larry Walker
1994 – Larry Walker
1993 – Rob Butler
1992 – Larry Walker
1991 – Daniel Brabant
1990 – Larry Walker
1989 – Steve Wilson
1988 – Kevin Reimer
1987 – Larry Walker
1986 – Rob Ducey
1985 – Dave Shipanoff
1984 – Terry Puhl

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