Paxton to be presented with Tip O'Neill Award on Tuesday
James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) will be presented with the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2018 Tip O’Neill Award prior to Tuesday’s game at Yankee Stadium. Photo: Kim Klement/USA Today Sports
May 12, 2019
Official Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Press Release
St. Marys, Ont. – Ladner, B.C. native James Paxton will be presented with the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2018 Tip O’Neill Award in a ceremony prior to the New York Yankees game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 14
Paxton is a first-time winner of this award that the Hall presents annually to the Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals.
To determine the winner, 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 support in fan voting.
Paxton, who was traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Yankees on November 19, staved off strong competition from Cincinnati Reds slugger and seven-time winner Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.), current Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) and St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) to secure the honour.
"James Paxton had an outstanding season in 2018," said Scott Crawford, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s director of operations. "Not only did he make history when he became the first Canadian to throw a major league no-hitter on Canadian soil, but he also struck out batters at a near-record rate over the course of the season. He’s definitely a worthy recipient of the award."
Nicknamed "Big Maple" by Mariners fans, the 6-foot-4 southpaw became the first Canadian pitcher to throw a major league no-hitter on Canadian soil when he held the Blue Jays hitless on May 8 at Rogers Centre. That performance came just six days after he had set a Canadian record by striking out 16 batters on May 2 in a start against the Oakland A’s.
In all, the 30-year-old Paxton had eight starts in which he struck out at least 10 batters and went 11-6 with a 3.76 ERA and fanned 208 batters in 160 1/3 innings. His 208 strikeouts are the second-most by a Canadian left-hander in a major league season and he became one of only two pitchers in big league history to notch 200 strikeouts in a season in 161 or fewer innings.
Among American League pitchers with at least 160 innings pitched in 2018, Paxton finished third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.68), fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.95), seventh in WHIP (1.10) and ninth in opponents’ batting average against (.224).
Paxton is also off to an excellent start with the Yankees this season. Through seven starts, he is 3-2 with a 3.11 ERA and has fanned 52 batters in 37 2/3 innings.
On top of his strong on-the-field performance, Paxton has also been active in charitable and community endeavors in the greater Vancouver area. He has donated signed memorabilia and game tickets to various charities and has volunteered to provide pitching lessons to youth in the region.
"I am extremely honoured to have been named the Tip O’Neill Award winner for 2018. I am proud to be representing Canada in Major League Baseball and try to do so to the best of my ability," said Paxton. "I will continue to give everything I have to be the best baseball player and person I can be. Thank you so much to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for recognizing my efforts.
The Hall’s Tip O’Neill Award is named after Woodstock, Ont., native James "Tip" O’Neill, who was one of Major League Baseball’s first legitimate stars. With the American Association’s St. Louis Browns in 1887, O’Neill set big league records in hits, doubles, slugging percentage and total bases, while compiling a major league record .492 batting average. Walks were counted as hits in 1887, but if O’Neill’s average was calculated by today’s standards, it would be .435, the second-highest in big league history to Hugh Duffy who hit .440 in 1894.
Past winners of the James "Tip" O’Neill Award:
1984 –Terry Puhl
1985 –Dave Shipanoff
1986 –Rob Ducey
1987 –Larry Walker
1988 –Kevin Reimer
1989 –Steve Wilson
1990 –Larry Walker
1991 –Daniel Brabant
1992 –Larry Walker
1993 –Rob Butler
1994 –Larry Walker
1995 –Larry Walker
1996 –Jason Dickson
1997 –Larry Walker
1998 –Larry Walker
1999 –Jeff Zimmerman
2000 –Ryan Dempster
2001 –Corey Koskie
2001 –Larry Walker
2002 –Eric Gagné
2002 –Larry Walker
2003 –Eric Gagné
2004 – Jason Bay
2005 – Jason Bay
2006 –Justin Morneau
2007 –Russell Martin
2008 –Justin Morneau
2009 – Jason Bay
2010 –Joey Votto
2011 –Joey Votto
2011 –John Axford
2012 –Joey Votto
2013 –Joey Votto
2014 –Justin Morneau
2015 –Joey Votto
2016 –Joey Votto
2017 –Joey Votto
2018 – James Paxton