Stephenson, who led Canada to a silver medal at the 2008 Women's Baseball World Cup, is the lone woman among 11 nominees for the 2008 Tip O'Neill Award, to be handed out by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
In the championship game, Stephenson was walked six times, scored seven runs and had nine RBI. She was named all-star third baseman as well as Baseball Canada's Women's National Team MVP.
That she'll be in tough for the Tip O'Neill is an understatement. Stephenson is up against the likes of Boston Red Sox slugger and B.C. native Jason Bay (who smashed 31 home runs while batting .286 last season), Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (who finished second in AL MVP voting), Los Angeles Dodgers all-star catcher Russell Martin and Matt Stairs, of the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies.
In the pitching department, B.C.'s Ryan Dempster won 17 games for the Chicago Cubs and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting, while teammate and 10-game-winner Rich Harden's 2.07 ERA was the best in baseball.
The Tip O'Neill Award is awarded to the Canadian baseball player "judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to the highest ideals of the game of baseball." It is named for Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer James "Tip" O'Neill, a Canadian left fielder in Major League Baseball in the late 19th century.
The 2008 Tip O'Neill winner will be announced Dec. 12, and the public is invited to vote by visiting http://www.baseballhalloffame.ca. Voters are encouraged to vote for five candidates, in order, and the results will be posted when the announcement is made.
Larry Walker won the award a record nine times over the course of his major league career.
jchin@mississauga.net
