Liam Hendriks hails his wife Kristi for being his "real hero" during Jimmy Valvano Award acceptance speech

As Liam Hendriks entered the stage to win the 2023 Jimmy V Award, he immediately stopped the applause from the audience to thank his wife, Kristi, at the ESPYs on Wednesday night.

White Sox fans are already familiar with Kristi because she and her husband have been making media appearances to spread awareness of adolescent and young adult cancer.

"Thank you guys for standing up for me," Kendricks said. "I appreciate it, but the real hero is that little lady down there, Kristi. She’s my rock. She's the best one here."

Kristi made a name for herself in the community with a long list of philanthropy projects and charitable donations, including founding the South Slydah Society. This meal delivery program has donated over 1,400 meals from local, minority-owned restaurants to frontline workers throughout the Chicago area, even before Hendriks' inspiring return to baseball from Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

She also actively participates in the White Sox's annual Pride Night at Guaranteed Rate Field as an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.

Liam Hendriks' comeback to the game

Liam Hendriks was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the first week of December, and his last round of treatment was completed in the first week of April. As part of his rehabilitation assignment, he participated in six games for Triple-A Charlotte . He recently published the video below proclaiming his readiness to return and play for the White Sox.

Liam Hendriks had played for the Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics. In 2020 and 2021, he was named the American League's Reliever of the Year. He also made the All-Star team three times.

On January 11, 2021, Hendriks and the Chicago White Sox agreed on a three-year, $54 million contract with a club option for an extra year. He received the AL Reliever of the Month honors in May and September while playing for Oakland.