Hickok Belt#Revived belt

{{infobox sports award

| name = S. Rae Hickok
Professional Athlete of the Year

| nickname = Hickok Belt

| image = Phil Rizzuto 1950.png

| imagesize = 200px

| alt =

| caption = Phil Rizzuto, the first recipient of the award

| description = Top professional athlete

| country = United States

| sponsor = Ray and Alan Hickok (original)

| presenter = National Sports Media Association (current)

| first = 1950 (not awarded 1977–2011)

| firstwinner = Phil Rizzuto

| mostrecent = Shohei Ohtani (2024)

| mostwins = 2, by Sandy Koufax, LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and Shohei Ohtani

| url = {{URL|hickokbelt.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

The award was created by Ray and Alan Hickok in honor of their father, Stephen Rae Hickok, who had died unexpectedly in December 1945.{{cite web|title=The Storied History of the Award that Made Sports History: The Backstory on the Hickok Belt, the Crown Jewel of the Sports World |publisher=Liccione Enterprises |work=HickokBelt.com |url=https://www.hickokbelt.com/about/history/ |access-date=January 11, 2017}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-hickok-shops-to-c/145817205/ |title=Hickok Shops to Close on Funeral Day |newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |location=Rochester, New York |pages=2–15 |date=December 11, 1945 |accessdate=April 21, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} Hickok had founded the Hickok Manufacturing Company of Rochester, New York, which made belts—hence the choice of a belt for the trophy.{{cite news|last1=Morrell |first1=Alan |title=Whatever Happened To ... the Hickok Belt |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/10/22/whatever-happened-hickok-belt/92570050/ |access-date=October 24, 2016 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |publisher=Gannet Company |date=October 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023034637/https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/10/22/whatever-happened-hickok-belt/92570050/ |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |location=Rochester, New York |pages=8A–9A |url-status=dead }}

The trophy was an alligator-skin belt with a solid-gold buckle, an encrusted {{convert|4|carat|adj=on}} diamond, and 26 gem chips. It was valued at $10,000 in 1951 {{USDCY|10000|1951}}, and its presentation was a major event in sporting news of the day.{{cite news|last=Matthews |first=Bob |title=Hickok Belt is returning to Rochester |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20101011/SPORTS/101011018/Hickok-Belt-Dinner-returning-to-Rochester |access-date=October 14, 2010 |newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |date=October 12, 2010 |agency=Gannett Company |archive-url=https://archive.today/20101015013129/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20101011/SPORTS/101011018/Hickok-Belt-Dinner-returning-to-Rochester |archive-date=October 15, 2010 |location=Rochester, New York |pages=1A,4A |url-status=dead }}

A group of 200 sportswriters throughout the U.S. selected monthly winners, with an annual winner (who received the belt) selected from those honorees.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-hickok-belt-is-on/145821370/ |title=Hickok Belt Is On Display in Charlotte |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |location=Charlotte, North Carolina |page=1-B |date=December 29, 1951 |accessdate=April 21, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{efn|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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-globe-democrat-reynolds-wins-h/145826592/ |title=Reynolds Wins Hickok Award |agency=AP |newspaper=St. Louis Globe-Democrat |page=4C |date=January 29, 1952 |accessdate=April 21, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-no-hickok-award-th/145829399/ |title=No Hickok Award This Year |agency=UPI |newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal |location=Winston-Salem, North Carolina |page=11 |date=December 23, 1977 |accessdate=April 21, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} 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=

In 2010, Tony Liccione, the president of the Rochester Boxing Hall of Fame, announced plans to reinstate the Hickok Belt starting in 2012.{{cite news|last=Bradley |first=Steve |title=Hickok Belt mold to be used again |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20101013/SPORTS/10130353/Hickok-Belt-mold-to-be-used-again |access-date=October 14, 2010 |newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |date=October 13, 2010 |agency=Gannett Company |archive-url=https://archive.today/20101015012417/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20101013/SPORTS/10130353/Hickok-Belt-mold-to-be-used-again |archive-date=October 15, 2010 |location=Rochester, New York |pages=1D,2D |url-status=dead }} The mold for the belt used from 1951 onward{{efn|The first belt, in 1950, misspelled S. Rae Hickok as S. Ray Hickok.}} was found and planned to be used again. 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.{{cite web|title=The Belt is Back.|url=https://hickokbelt.com/history-ceremonies/#award-ceremonies |website=Hickok Belt official website|publisher=Liccione Enterprises|access-date=December 26, 2017}}

Since being re-established in 2012, the award has been based on a vote by the National Sports Media Association;{{cite news|last=Adams |first=Thomas |title=Efforts underway to bring back the Hickok Belt |url=http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=188794 |access-date=September 19, 2011 |newspaper=Rochester Business Journal |date=September 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320191336/http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=188794 |archive-date=March 20, 2012 |location=Rochester, New York |url-status=dead }} however, there have been no public award ceremonies or belt presentations.{{cite web|last1=Morrell|first1=Alan|title=Whatever Happened To ... the Hickok Belt|url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2016/10/22/whatever-happened-hickok-belt/92570050/?showmenu=true|website=commercial appeal|publisher=commercialappeal.com|access-date=December 26, 2017}} 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.

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 three two-time winners: LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and Shohei Ohtani.

Winners

File:Sandy Koufax.jpg was the award's only two-time winner prior to the award's revival in 2012]]

File:Rocky Marciano Postcard 1953.jpg, the first non-baseball winner of the award]]

=1950–1976=

The following athletes won the award during its original term.{{efn|For a biographical sketch of each winner from 1950 to 1976, see section further reading.}} Contemporary newspaper reports indicate that monthly winners were also named,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-despirito-repeats-in-athlete/145812944/ |title=DeSpirito Repeats In Athlete Poll |newspaper=Daily News |location=New York City |page=75 |date=January 14, 1953 |accessdate=April 21, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} only some of whom are included in this table.

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left" ! Year !! Winner !! Sport !! class=unsortable\|Monthly winners
1950	{{sortname\|Phil\|Rizzuto}}	Baseball	Ben Hogan, Johnny Longden, George Mikan,{{efn\|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."{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-mikan-named-march/145827318/ \|title=Mikan Named March Tops on Hickok Award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle \|location=Rochester, New York \|page=41 \|date=April 21, 1950 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}}}} Jimmy Demaret, Stan Musial, Ben Hogan,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-hogan-wins-voti/145820929/ \|title=Hogan Wins Voting For Hickok Award \|newspaper=Brooklyn Eagle \|page=20 \|date=July 19, 1950 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Johnny Mize, Jim Konstanty, Ezzard Charles, George Ratterman & Phil Rizzuto (tie),{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer-ratterman-rizzuto-tie-f/145826031/ \|title=Ratterman, Rizzuto Tie for Hickok Award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=Ledger-Enquirer \|location=Columbus, Georgia \|page=17 \|date=November 15, 1950 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Joe Culmone,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lexington-herald-culmone-wins-hickok/145820245/ \|title=Culmone Wins Hickok Award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=The Lexington Herald \|location=Lexington, Kentucky \|page=8 \|date=December 12, 1950 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Lou Groza{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle-the-toe-is-vote-pro/145825886/ \|title='The Toe' Is Vote Pro of the Month \|agency=AP \|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle \|location=Spokane, Washington \|page=1 \|date=January 15, 1951 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}}
1951	{{sortname\|Allie\|Reynolds}}	Baseball	Babe Didrikson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Maurice Richard, Ben Hogan, Conn McCreary, Irish Bob Murphy, Jersey Joe Walcott, Bob Feller, Allie Reynolds,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-second-annual-hickok/145825053/ \|title=Second Annual Hickok Award Is Wide Open \|newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman \|location=Oklahoma City \|page=34-A \|date=October 28, 1951 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Rocky Marciano,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-marciano-honored/145825263/ \|title=Marciano Honored With Hickok Award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer \|page=17 \|date=November 13, 1951 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Otto Graham,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-roanoke-times-otto-graham-given-hick/145825445/ \|title=Otto Graham Given Hickok Award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=The Roanoke Times \|location=Roanoke, Virginia \|page=16 \|date=December 18, 1951 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Charlie Burr{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-parsons-sun-hickok-award-to-ark-city/145825672/ \|title=Hickok Award to Ark City Jockey \|agency=AP \|newspaper=The Parsons Sun \|location=Parsons, Kansas \|page=2 \|date=January 14, 1952 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}}
1952	{{sortname\|Rocky\|Marciano}}	Boxing	George Mikan, Chico Vejar,{{efn\|Chico Vejar was a welterweight boxer.{{cite web \|url=https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/10917 \|title=Chico Vejar \|website=BoxRec \|accessdate=April 21, 2024}}}} 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,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-marciano-despi/145827951/ \|title=Marciano, DeSpirito Waging Close Race for Hickok Award \|first=Steve \|last=Snider \|agency=UP \|newspaper=The Atlanta Constitution \|page=5 \|date=January 6, 1953 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Anthony DeSpirito{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-globe-democrat-jockey-despirit/145828544/ \|title=Jockey Despirito Voted December Hickok Award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=St. Louis Globe-Democrat \|page=3B \|date=January 15, 1953 \|accessdate=April 21, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}}
1953	{{sortname\|Ben\|Hogan}}	Golf
1954	{{sortname\|Willie\|Mays}}	Baseball
1955	{{sortname\|Otto\|Graham}}	Football
1956	{{sortname\|Mickey\|Mantle}}	Baseball
1957	{{sortname\|Carmen\|Basilio}}	Boxing
1958	{{sortname\|Bob\|Turley}}	Baseball
1959	{{nowrap\|{{sortname\|Ingemar\|Johansson}}}}	Boxing
1960	{{sortname\|Arnold\|Palmer}}	Golf
1961	{{sortname\|Roger\|Maris}}	Baseball
1962	{{sortname\|Maury\|Wills}}	Baseball
1963	{{sortname\|Sandy\|Koufax}}	Baseball
1964	{{sortname\|Jim\|Brown}}	Football
1965	{{sortname\|Sandy\|Koufax}} (2)	Baseball
1966	{{sortname\|Frank\|Robinson}}	Baseball
1967	{{sortname\|Carl\|Yastrzemski}}	Baseball
1968	{{sortname\|Joe\|Namath}}	Football
1969	{{sortname\|Tom\|Seaver}}	Baseball
1970	{{sortname\|Brooks\|Robinson}}	Baseball
1971	{{sortname\|Lee\|Trevino}}	Golf
1972	{{sortname\|Steve\|Carlton}}	Baseball	Gene Tenace (Oct){{Cite news \|date=1972-11-17 \|title=Tenace Tops Hickok Poll \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/17/archives/tenace-tops-hickok-poll.html \|access-date=2025-04-27 \|work=The New York Times \|language=en-US \|issn=0362-4331}}
1973	{{sortname\|O. J.\|Simpson}}	Football
1974	{{sortname\|Muhammad\|Ali}}	Boxing
1975	{{sortname\|Pete\|Rose}}	Baseball
1976	{{sortname\|Ken\|Stabler}}	Football
1977	{{sort\|zzz\|not issued}}	{{sort\|zzz\|{{mdash}}}}	Steve Cauthen, Steve Cauthen,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-hickok-award-to-ca/145830228/ \|title=Hickok Award to Cauthen \|agency=AP \|newspaper=Bangor Daily News \|location=Bangor, Maine \|page=19 \|date=March 23, 1977 \|accessdate=April 22, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Jimmy Young, Tom Watson, A. J. Foyt, Bill Walton,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-idaho-statesman-walton-wins-hickok-a/145830000/ \|title=Walton Wins Hickok Award \|newspaper=Idaho Statesman \|location=Boise, Idaho \|page=6B \|date=July 21, 1977 \|accessdate=April 22, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Tom Watson,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-tom-watson-wins-july-hi/145829902/ \|title=Tom Watson Wins July Hickok Award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=Hartford Courant \|location=Hartford, Connecticut \|page=56 \|date=August 26, 1977 \|accessdate=April 22, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Lou Brock,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-brock-august-win/145829825/ \|title=Brock August Winner In Hickok Award Poll \|agency=AP \|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch \|page=10C \|date=September 25, 1977 \|accessdate=April 22, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} Guillermo Vilas,{{cite news \|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-vilas-monthly-winner-f/145829712/ \|title=Vilas monthly winner, for Hickok award \|agency=AP \|newspaper=The Arizona Republic \|location=Phoenix, Arizona \|page=D-2 \|date=October 29, 1977 \|accessdate=April 22, 2024 \|via=newspapers.com}} not issued (Oct–Dec)