2010 Pride of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA October 22, 2010 – The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame has announced the 2009 Villanova football team, Conestoga High grad Mark Herzlich and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz as 2010 Pride of Philly award winners. They will be honored at the Hall of Fame’s upcoming Induction Ceremony and Reception November 11 at the Sheraton Society Hill.

The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame's Pride of Philadelphia Awards are given annually to deserving teams or individuals who exemplify the spirit and pride of Philadelphia sports. The award is not necessarily a 'team or player of the year', but a recognition of accomplishment by those who made Philadelphia sports fans proud of their town and its rich sports heritage. By definition, the Pride of Philly awards are presented to those "Having represented the Philadelphia area with dignity, determination and class through athletic achievement."

The 2009 Villanova football posted a 14-1 record on the way to defeating the University of Montana for the NCAA Division I Football Championship.   Mark Herzlich, of Boston College, a Conestoga High football star, overcame Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, to return to the team for his senior year at Boston College. 

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz led the 4-time National League East Champions in batting in 2010.  Throughout a season that saw numerous Phillies go down with injuries “Chooch“ was a steady force, delivering numerous clutch hits and playing superbly behind the plate to help guide the pitching staff to a team ERA of 3.68.

“Chooch energized the Phillies during their second-half rally from 7 games back to take the division title”, said Bob Cassidy, Vice President of Operations for the Hall. “The Villanova teams marked the first Division I football championship for an area school and Mark truly epitomizes the definition of Pride of Philly.”

For a complete listing of past Pride of Philadelphia winners visit:

http://www.phillyhall.org/prideofphila.asp

The three honorees will be represented at the Hall’s Class VII Induction Ceremony Thursday November 11, 2010 at the Sheraton Society Hill. Also in attendance will be inductees from the Hall’s first six classes as well as members of Inductee Class VII, who are to be inducted that evening.

Festivities include a gourmet dinner reception followed by the Induction proceedings. Attendees may also participate in the silent auction and view museum exhibits featuring items from the Hall of Fame’s unique collection of Philadelphia sports artifacts.

The cocktail reception begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Induction Ceremony. The event is open to the public.  Tickets can be purchased online at:

http://www.phillyhall.org/class7  or by calling (215) 923-5121 Ext. 1.

Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are still available. For details contact class7 @ phillyhall.net