SAN FRANCISCO–The 2017 season is one of the toughest the San Francisco Giants have ever endured.
There weren’t many bright spots, but the play of Nick Hundley was undoubtedly one of them. And on Friday evening, Hundley was honored for his efforts, on and off the field.
As the final weekend of the season begins, the team gathered before the start of Friday night’s contest against the San Diego Padres to present Hundley with the 2017 Willie Mac Award.
“It’s somebody that inspires everybody, helps, it’s just an honor if you look at the players that have won it,” Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said before Friday’s ceremony. “They’ll tell you the same thing. It’s voted on by your teammates and staff so it’s player-voted and considered the most inspirational player for that year. It means a lot to them. How they come to the park, their attitude, how they play the game, the type of teammate that they are, it covers all of those things. It is, it’s a great honor.”
The Giants have honored a player with the Willie Mac Award every season since 1980, and Hundley is the first backup catcher in franchise history to receive the award.
“This is pretty overwhelming to be standing here with Giants legends and be standing here in the same company with Willie McCovey,” Hundley said.
At the outset of the season, the backup to star catcher Buster Posey wouldn’t have been a likely pick to earn the honor, but on Friday evening, Hundley will play in his 100th game of the year. With three games left to play, Hundley has hit .246 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs, and also delivered a pair of walkoff hits this season.
“This organization is first-class,” Hundley said. “They flew my family out for this. They’ve taken care of us better than any other place I’ve ever been, so to be mentioned in this company is incredible.”