Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award on Baseball Almanac

Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award

The Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award is presented annually by the New York Baseball Writers Association to a person judged to baseball personalities forever linked in history.

In New York, three legends once roamed the outfield for all three teams, Willie, Mickey and the Duke. Willie Mays, with the New York Giants; Mickey Mantle, with the New York Yankees; and Duke Snider, with the Brooklyn Dodgers - a legendary trio of baseball personalities who are forever linked in baseball history.

"I'm talkin' baseball! Like Reggie, Quisenberry. Talkin' baseball! Carew and Gaylord Perry, Seaver, Garvey, Schmidt and Vida Blue, If Cooperstown is calling, it's no fluke. They'll be with Willie, Mickey, and the Duke." - Terry Cashman (Lyrics to Willie, Mickey & The Duke, 1981, PKM Music)

Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award By The New York Baseball Writers Association
Year	Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award^{(Brief Description)}
1995	Willie Mays^{(New York Giants Outfielder)}
	Mickey Mantle^{(New York Yankees Outfielder)}
	Duke Snider^{(Brooklyn Dodgers Outfielder)}
1996	Phil Rizzuto^{(New York Yankees Shortstop)}
	Pee Wee Reese^{(Brooklyn Dodgers Shortstop)}
	Al Dark^{(New York Giants Shortstop)}
1997	Cleon Jones^{(New York Mets Outfielder)}
	Tommie Agee^{(New York Mets Outfielder)}
	Ron Swoboda^{(New York Mets Outfielder)}
1998	Warren Spahn^{(Braves Pitcher / Spahn & Sain)}
1998	Johnny Sain^{(Braves Pitcher / Spahn & Sain)}
1999	Tom Seaver^{(New York Mets Pitcher)}
1999	Jerry Koosman^{(New York Mets Pitcher)}
2000	Don Larsen^{(Perfect Game Pitcher)}
	David Wells^{(Perfect Game Pitcher)}
	David Cone^{(Perfect Game Pitcher)}
2001	Bobby Thomson^{(The Shot Heard Round the World)}
2001	Ralph Branca^{(The Shot Heard Round the World)}
2002	Joe Torre^{(New York Yankees Manager)}
	Don Zimmer^{(New York Yankees Coach)}
	Mel Stottlemyre^{(New York Yankees Coach)}
2003	Bucky Dent^{(Bucky "Fucking" Dent Home Run)}
2003	Mike Torrez^{(Bucky "Fucking" Dent Home Run)}
2004	Keith Hernandez^{(New York Mets First Baseman)}
2004	Don Mattingly^{(New York Yankees First Baseman)}
2005	The 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers^{(The Boys of Summer)}
2006	Bill Buckner^{(1986 World Series / Game 6)}
2006	Mookie Wilson^{(1986 World Series / Game 6)}
2007	Reggie Jackson^{(1977 World Series / Game 6)}
2007	Charlie Hough^{(1977 World Series / Game 6)}
2008	Bob Gibson^{(Summer of '68)}
	Denny McLain^{(Summer of '68)}
	Luis Tiant^{(Summer of '68)}
2009	Ed Kranepool^{(Career Mets Player, Fan Favorite)}
2009	Bernie Williams^{(Career Yankees Player, Fan Favorite)}
2010	Derek Jeter^{(Longtime Yankees Teammates)}
	Mariano Rivera^{(Longtime Yankees Teammates)}
	Andy Pettitte^{(Longtime Yankees Teammates)}
	Jorge Posada^{(Longtime Yankees Teammates)}
2011	Joe Torre^{(Longtime Career Manager)}
	Bobby Cox^{(Longtime Career Manager)}
	Lou Piniella^{(Longtime Career Manager)}
2012	The 1962 New York Mets^{(The Miracle Mets)}
2013	Not Yet Announced ^(xxxxxx)
Year	Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award^{(Brief Description)}
Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award

CBS 2, New York, covered the 2011 New York Baseball Writers Association Dinner Gala and shared this story of the winners on stage:

Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Lou Piniella stood together behind the podium, a trio of retiring managers honored for a combined 81 years leading major league clubs. "Played the game for 16 years and then had an opportunity to manager five different ballclubs, very special teams," Torre said. "But you know when you managed five teams that means you’ve been fired a few times." The hotel ballroom audience laughed. The three were presented the Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s New York chapter on Saturday night, introduced by Yankees manager Joe Girardi to cap the annual dinner.

Source: CBS 2, New York, January 22, 2011, 'Torre, Cox, Piniella Honored by BBWAA, Link.

The "brief description" added to each Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award winners simply does not do any set with their true measure of greatness. Share stories, learn more, and ask questions about any of the winners on Baseball Fever.

Did you notice which receipient won the Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award more than once? It's happened only once to date (2002 & 2011).

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