Hickok Belt

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S. Rae Hickok
Professional Athlete of the Year
Phil Rizzuto, the first recipient of the award
Awarded forTop professional athlete
NicknameHickok Belt
Sponsored byRay and Alan Hickok (original)
CountryUnited States
Presented byNational Sports Media Association (current)
History
First award1950 (not awarded 1977–2011)
First winnerPhil Rizzuto
Most wins2, by Sandy Koufax, LeBron James, and Patrick Mahomes
Most recentNikola Jokić (2023)
Websitehickokbelt.com

The S. Rae Hickok Professional Athlete of the Year award, commonly known as the Hickok Belt, is a trophy awarded to the top professional athlete of the year in the United States. First awarded from 1950 to 1976, it was dormant until being revived in 2012, and continues to be awarded.

History[edit]

The award was created by Ray and Alan Hickok in honor of their father, Stephen Rae Hickok, who had died unexpectedly in December 1945.[1][2] Hickok had founded the Hickok Manufacturing Company of Rochester, New York, which made belts—hence the choice of a belt for the trophy.[3]

The trophy was an alligator-skin belt with a solid-gold buckle, an encrusted 4-carat (0.80 g) diamond, and 26 gem chips. It was valued at $10,000 in 1951 ($117,385 in 2023),[4] and its presentation was a major event in sporting news of the day.[5]

A group of 200 sportswriters throughout the U.S. selected monthly winners, with an annual winner (who received the belt) selected from those honorees.[4][a] For the first 21 years, from 1950 to 1970, the belt was awarded in Rochester at the annual Rochester Press-Radio Club dinner. After the Hickok company was taken over by the Tandy Corporation, the award was presented in larger cities such as Chicago or New York. After the 1976 annual award was presented, monthly awards were issued through October 1977 (naming a September winner), then halted.[7] The award remained dormant for a number of years.

During the first 27 years the annual award was presented, it was won 15 times by baseball players, five times by football players, four times by boxers, and three times by golfers. The only two-time winner was Sandy Koufax, in 1963 and 1965.

Revival[edit]

In 2010, Tony Liccione, the president of the Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame, announced plans to reinstate the Hickok Belt starting in 2012.[8] The mold for the belt used from 1951 onward[b] was found and planned to be used again.[8] Liccione invited the 18 surviving belt winners (except O. J. Simpson, who at the time was incarcerated in Nevada) to the Comeback Dinner, which was held on October 16, 2011, at St. John Fisher College.[8][9]

Since being re-established in 2012, the award has been based on a vote by the National Sports Media Association;[10] however, there have been no public award ceremonies or belt presentations.[11] A 20-member panel chooses one athlete each month, with the 12 monthly winners being eligible for the award at the end of the calendar year.[10]

From 2012 through the 2023 award, five winners have been basketball players, four have been baseball players, two have been football players, and one has been a swimmer. There have been two two-time winners: LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes.

Winners[edit]

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax was the award's only two-time winner prior to the award's revival in 2012
Rocky Marciano, the first non-baseball winner of the award

1950–1976[edit]

The following athletes won the award during its original term.[c] Contemporary newspaper reports indicate that monthly winners were also named,[12] only some of whom are included in this table.

Year Winner Sport Monthly winners
1950 Phil Rizzuto Baseball Ben Hogan, Johnny Longden, George Mikan,[d] Jimmy Demaret, Stan Musial, Ben Hogan,[14] Johnny Mize, Jim Konstanty, Ezzard Charles, George Ratterman & Phil Rizzuto (tie),[15] Joe Culmone,[16] Lou Groza[17]
1951 Allie Reynolds Baseball Babe Didrikson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Maurice Richard, Ben Hogan, Conn McCreary, Irish Bob Murphy, Jersey Joe Walcott, Bob Feller, Allie Reynolds,[18] Rocky Marciano,[19] Otto Graham,[20] Charlie Burr[21]
1952 Rocky Marciano Boxing George Mikan, Chico Vejar,[e] Willie Hoppe & Jackie Burke (tie), Sal Maglie, Bobby Shantz, Jersey Joe Walcott & Julius Boros (tie), Rocky Marciano, Virgil Trucks, Rocky Marciano, Mickey Mantle, Anthony DeSpirito,[23] Anthony DeSpirito[24]
1953 Ben Hogan Golf
1954 Willie Mays Baseball
1955 Otto Graham Football
1956 Mickey Mantle Baseball
1957 Carmen Basilio Boxing
1958 Bob Turley Baseball
1959 Ingemar Johansson Boxing
1960 Arnold Palmer Golf
1961 Roger Maris Baseball
1962 Maury Wills Baseball
1963 Sandy Koufax Baseball
1964 Jim Brown Football
1965 Sandy Koufax (2) Baseball
1966 Frank Robinson Baseball
1967 Carl Yastrzemski Baseball
1968 Joe Namath Football
1969 Tom Seaver Baseball
1970 Brooks Robinson Baseball
1971 Lee Trevino Golf
1972 Steve Carlton Baseball
1973 O. J. Simpson Football
1974 Muhammad Ali Boxing
1975 Pete Rose Baseball
1976 Ken Stabler Football
1977 not issued — Steve Cauthen, Steve Cauthen,[25] Jimmy Young, Tom Watson, A. J. Foyt, Bill Walton,[26] Tom Watson,[27] Lou Brock,[28] Guillermo Vilas,[29] not issued (Oct–Dec)

Source:[30]

2012–present[edit]

LeBron James – a two-time Hickok Belt winner since the award's revival
Mahomes smiling
Patrick Mahomes, the second two-time winner
Year Winner Sport Monthly winners
2012 LeBron James Basketball
2013 LeBron James (2) Basketball
2014 Madison Bumgarner Baseball
2015 Stephen Curry Basketball
2016 Michael Phelps Swimming
2017 José Altuve Baseball
2018 Patrick Mahomes Football
2019 Kawhi Leonard Basketball
2020 Patrick Mahomes (2) Football
2021 Shohei Ohtani Baseball
2022 Aaron Judge Baseball
2023 Nikola Jokić Basketball
2024

Source:[30]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Annual voting does not appear to have been strictly limited to monthly winners, as 1951 annual voting included Bobby Thomson, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, and Terry Sawchuk, none of whom were a monthly winner during 1951.[6]
  2. ^ The first belt, in 1950, misspelled S. Rae Hickok as S. Ray Hickok.
  3. ^ For a biographical sketch of each winner from 1950 to 1976, see section further reading.
  4. ^ Top vote-getter for March 1950 was college basketball coach Nat Holman, who had guided the CCNY Beavers to the NCAA title, but he was ruled ineligible "because he could not be classed as a professional athlete."[13]
  5. ^ Chico Vejar was a welterweight boxer.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Storied History of the Award that Made Sports History: The Backstory on the Hickok Belt, the Crown Jewel of the Sports World". HickokBelt.com. Liccione Enterprises. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "Hickok Shops to Close on Funeral Day". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. December 11, 1945. p. 2-15. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Morrell, Alan (October 23, 2016). "Whatever Happened To ... the Hickok Belt". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York: Gannet Company. pp. 8A–9A. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Hickok Belt Is On Display in Charlotte". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. December 29, 1951. p. 1-B. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Matthews, Bob (October 12, 2010). "Hickok Belt is returning to Rochester". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. Gannett Company. pp. 1A, 4A. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  6. ^ "Reynolds Wins Hickok Award". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. AP. January 29, 1952. p. 4C. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "No Hickok Award This Year". Winston-Salem Journal. Winston-Salem, North Carolina. UPI. December 23, 1977. p. 11. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c Bradley, Steve (October 13, 2010). "Hickok Belt mold to be used again". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. Gannett Company. pp. 1D, 2D. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  9. ^ "The Belt is Back". Hickok Belt official website. Liccione Enterprises. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Adams, Thomas (September 19, 2011). "Efforts underway to bring back the Hickok Belt". Rochester Business Journal. Rochester, New York. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  11. ^ Morrell, Alan. "Whatever Happened To ... the Hickok Belt". commercial appeal. commercialappeal.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  12. ^ "DeSpirito Repeats In Athlete Poll". Daily News. New York City. January 14, 1953. p. 75. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Mikan Named March Tops on Hickok Award". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. AP. April 21, 1950. p. 41. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Hogan Wins Voting For Hickok Award". Brooklyn Eagle. July 19, 1950. p. 20. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Ratterman, Rizzuto Tie for Hickok Award". Ledger-Enquirer. Columbus, Georgia. AP. November 15, 1950. p. 17. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Culmone Wins Hickok Award". The Lexington Herald. Lexington, Kentucky. AP. December 12, 1950. p. 8. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "'The Toe' Is Vote Pro of the Month". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Spokane, Washington. AP. January 15, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Second Annual Hickok Award Is Wide Open". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City. October 28, 1951. p. 34-A. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Marciano Honored With Hickok Award". The Cincinnati Enquirer. AP. November 13, 1951. p. 17. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Otto Graham Given Hickok Award". The Roanoke Times. Roanoke, Virginia. AP. December 18, 1951. p. 16. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Hickok Award to Ark City Jockey". The Parsons Sun. Parsons, Kansas. AP. January 14, 1952. p. 2. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Chico Vejar". BoxRec. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  23. ^ Snider, Steve (January 6, 1953). "Marciano, DeSpirito Waging Close Race for Hickok Award". The Atlanta Constitution. UP. p. 5. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Jockey Despirito Voted December Hickok Award". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. AP. January 15, 1953. p. 3B. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Hickok Award to Cauthen". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. AP. March 23, 1977. p. 19. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Walton Wins Hickok Award". Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. July 21, 1977. p. 6B. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Tom Watson Wins July Hickok Award". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. AP. August 26, 1977. p. 56. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Brock August Winner In Hickok Award Poll". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. AP. September 25, 1977. p. 10C. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Vilas monthly winner, for Hickok award". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. AP. October 29, 1977. p. D-2. Retrieved April 22, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  30. ^ a b "Winners". hickokbelt.com. Retrieved April 21, 2024.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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