One of the more memorable scenes from Sunday night’s St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner came when Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez accepted the J.G. Taylor Spink Award.
The 25-year-old pitching phenom, whom catcher Yadier Molina has called “one of the best young righthanded pitchers I’ve ever caught,” was named St. Louis baseball man of the year both for his athletic accomplishments and his impressive dedication to community service.
Before Martinez could make his way to the microphone, his teammates jumped from their chairs and formed a gantlet between the pitcher and the podium. They had disposable cups in their hands, just like the ones Martinez uses to splash water on any Cardinal who hits a home run.