Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday received the Missouri Athletic Club’s Sports Personality of the Year award at the 43rd annual Jack Buck Awards dinner. Other award winners were Rams running back Steven Jackson, Detroit pitcher Max Scherzer and Fox broadcaster Joe Buck. Holliday is the 19th Cardinal to win the MAC’s honor.
Holliday hit .295 with 102 RBIs and took over as the team’s number three hitter with the departure of Albert Pujols. Not only did Holliday replace Pujols in the lineup, but he also took the lead when it came to hosting Pujols’ charity golf tournament over the summer.
Bob Gibson was the first Cardinals to win the honor. Pujols, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Lance Berkman (last year) were all teammates of Holliday to win the award.
Jackson received the Jack Buck Award for his “dedicated support of sports in St. Louis.” Jackson is rushing toward his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard season and 10,000 career rushing yards.
The Sports Personality of the Year award is decided upon in a vote of the MAC’s 2,600 members. Each year, members receive a ballot of suggesting candidates. There is only one rule, and it’s one that Buck insisted upon: The award must go to someone new every year.