John Hicks To Receive 2017 Bill MacAdam Tenth Man Award From The Detroit Baseball Society
DETROIT – Tigers catcher/first baseman John Hicks has been named winner of the 2017 Bill MacAdam Tenth Man Award, presented by the Detroit Baseball Society.
Hicks will be honored at the 17th Annual Detroit Baseball Dinner, set for 6:00 p.m., January 27 at the Polish American Cultural Center in Troy, MI. The Bill MacAdam Tenth Man Award, named for the Detroit Baseball Society's founder, has in the past been presented to Tigers players Andrew Romine (2016), Don Kelly (2011, 2013) and Quintin Berry (2012). The award is given annually to a Tigers player who, while not a regular, displays versatility and dependability in a variety of fill-in roles.
Hicks, 28, saw action in 60 games for the Tigers in 2017. He made 18 appearances behind the plate, 26 at first base and 16 as the designated hitter, batting .266 (46x173) with 25 runs scored, 12 doubles, six home runs and 22 RBI on the season.
He notched his first Major League home run and drove in a career-high five RBI on April 23 at Minnesota. That offensive performance was part of a career-high, nine-game hitting streak that spanned from April 22 to May 27, when he hit .371 (13x35) with seven runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI during the streak.
Hicks was originally selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 31st round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft, but did not sign. He played college baseball at the University of Virginia and earned First-Team All-ACC honors as a junior in 2011, and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round that same year. Hicks was claimed off waivers by the Tigers from Minnesota on April 23, 2016.
Additional information on The Detroit Baseball Dinner can be found at detroitbaseballdinner.com.