Crawford, Lopez honored

In a year that has been so trying, the Giants needed more than one source of inspiration in their clubhouse. They found two.

For the third time in the 26-season history of the Willie Mac Award, the voting ended in a tie and two players, shortstop Brandon Crawford and reliever Javier Lopez, shared the award. Willie McCovey announced the winners in a ceremony before Friday night’s Giants-Dodgers game, first Lopez, then “my favorite shortstop.”

“It’s a huge honor for me winning this award, growing up a Giants fan,” Crawford told the crowd after receiving his trophy. “To win it with one of the best teammates I’ve played with, Javy, makes it very special for me.”

Lopez thanked his wife and family for supporting him for so many years.

The Willie Mac Award is coveted in the clubhouse because the winner is selected in a vote of teammates, coaches, trainers and clubhouse personnel. Fans who completed online ballots collectively got one vote, which had an impact in this year’s balloting. McCovey gets a vote, too.

Crawford earned votes for playing every day at a position that is physically demanding while sustaining his Gold Glove defense and leading the team in RBIs.

Lopez has not had a great year on the mound but has been a steadying presence in a clubhouse that has not been all smiles and giggles through the Giants’ rough second half.

Lopez’s possible departure as a free agent after the season might have played into the sentiment.

Hours before the winners were announced, Crawford said Lopez has been inspiration throughout his tenure in San Francisco.

“The whole time he’s been here, he’s been a veteran presence that I think has been undervalued throughout baseball,” Crawford said. “He's a guy who’s always in a good mood, always joking around, keeping everybody loose, and has been around the game. There's a good reason why he’s been on four World Serieswinning teams.” Crawford and Lopez join Matt Cain (2009), Buster Posey (2012), Hunter Pence (2013) and Madison Bumgarner (2014) as current Giants players who have won the Willie Mac Award. Matt Duffy won last year. The other ties occurred in 1995 (Mark Carreon, Mark Leiter) and 2001 (Mark Gardner, Benito Santiago). No award was given in 1994, the strike year.