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Latinos sweep the 2003 Hank Aaron Award -
Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez. Second
time in 4-years, Latinos sweep the award.
October 21, 2003 -- For the second time in its four
year existence, Latinos sweep the prestigious Hank Aaron Award.
Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals and Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers have been named recipients of the 2003 Hank Aaron Award presented by CENTURY 21®, it was announced today. Pujols is a first-time winner for the National League, while 2003 marks the third consecutive year that Rodriguez has received the American League award.
In 1999, the first year the Hank Aaron Award was introduced, Sammy Sosa
and Manny Ramirez won the award
The Hank Aaron Award presented by CENTURY 21 recognizes the best overall hitter in each League for a particular season. This is the first year that CENTURY 21 has been the presenting sponsor of the award.
In 1999, winners were determined by assigning a pre-determined number of points for each hit, home run and RBI. From 2000-2002, play-by-play broadcasters and color analysts from Club radio and television rightsholders voted for the winners. This season, fan balloting on
MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, and century21.com, the official Web site of Century 21 Real Estate Corporation, comprised 30 percent of the overall vote, while votes from the Club play-by-play broadcasters accounted for the remaining 70 percent.
Pujols is the only player in Major League history to bat .300 or better with at least 30 home runs, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI in his first three Major League seasons. In 2003, the Cardinals' outfielder led all Major League players in batting average (.359), and also enjoyed the longest hitting streak (30 games) of the 2003 season. Pujols led the National League in hits (212) and multi-hit games (63), and ranked among the top 10 in home runs (T4th - 43), RBI (T4th - 124), on base percentage (3rd - .439), slugging percentage (2nd - .667), average with runners in scoring position (5th - .374), RBI ratio (6th - RBI per 4.8 AB) and HR ratio (6th - HR per 13.7 AB.)
 This season Rodriguez became one of only three players in Major League Baseball history to hit 40 or more home runs in at least six straight seasons. The only other players to accomplish the feat were Babe Ruth, who hit 40 or more home runs in seven consecutive seasons (1926-32), and Sammy Sosa, who also reached the distinction this year. For the season, the
Rangers shortstop led the American League in home runs (47), runs scored (124), slugging percentage (.600), and HR ratio (HR per 12.1 AB), and was among the League leaders in RBI (2nd - 118), total bases (2nd,
364) extra-base hits (3rd - 83), RBI ratio (T6th - RBI per 5.1 AB), on-base percentage (8th - .396) and walks (8th - 87).
CENTURY 21 has been the "Official Real Estate Organization" of Major League Baseball since 1999. For the past five years, CENTURY 21 has been the title sponsor of the CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby. competition, a major attraction of Major League Baseball All-Star Week. In conjunction with the CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby, CENTURY 21 offers consumers the chance to win $250,000 toward the purchase of a new home through the CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby All-Star Sweepstakes.
This year CENTURY 21 further leveraged its partnership with Major League Baseball by becoming the presenting sponsor of the Hank Aaron Award.
Source: Latinosportslegends.com, MLB.
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