He was the first Major League Baseball player to win the award twice, doing so in both the American and National leagues. He won it in 2010 while with the Twins in the American League. That season he re-emerged after three straight injury plagued seasons.
In 2013 he was coming off a season where he played for two different teams, and did so poorly. He rebounded to lead the Pirates into the postseason while winning 16 games himself.
2. Sergi Bruguera
Answer: Tennis
Bruguera was the first man to win Tennis' comeback player of the year award twice.
He won it in 1997 and in 2000.
Following an ankle injury in 1996 Bruguera rebounded to climb the world rankings to #8. He played through injuries and and age for the years after his rise in the rankings before having a late resurgence in 2000 to win the comeback player award again.
3. Tracy McGrady
Answer: Basketball
McGrady was the first NBA player to win the award and also went on to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
The NBA's award was renamed the "Most Improved Player" award. No player won the award twice in the first 30 seasons it was given out.
4. David Beckham
Answer: Soccer/Football
Beckham, one of the most well known players of his generation tore his ACL in 2010 and missed the entire Major League Soccer season that year. In 2011 he returned to the LA Galaxy and they won the MLS Cup.
5. Chad Pennington
Answer: American Football
Pennington won the award in 2006 and 20068 while playing for the Jets and Dolphins respectively.
After winning the award in 2006 he was benched when his team started 1-7 in 2007. He ended up playing just 9 total games that year.
In 2008 he signed a contract with Miami and bounced back to go 11-5 and win the award a second time.
6. Roberto Duran
Answer: Boxing
Duran won the Comeback Fighter of the Year Award from "Ring" magazine in both 1983 and again in 1989. Both awards came in years he won a championship in the division he was fighting in.
7. Steve Stricker
Answer: Golf
Stricker won the award in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007. He had lost his tour card in 2004 he played so poorly, only to bounce back in 2006 and placed in the top 10 four times while playing on sponsors exemptions.
In 2007 his comeback continued as he won a tournament and moved up to number 4 in the world, securing a second straight comeback player award.
8. Brent Frohoff
Answer: Beach Volleyball
Forhoff won the award in 1998. Ten years later he was elected to the professional beach volleyball hall of fame. Over the course of his career he won 19 tournaments.
9. Tony Stewart
Answer: NASCAR
Stewart won the award in 2016, his fulltime season in NASCAR. He bounced back from three straight seasons outside of the top 25 in points to finish 15th before retiring as a 3 time series champion.
10. Dominick Cruz
Answer: Mixed Martial Arts
Cruz was awarded the Comeback fighter of the year award in 2014 at the World MMA Awards.
His career had been sidelined after a serious injury in 2012 he returned with a reconstructed ACL and managed to win his weight division championship once again to earn the award.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor 1nn1 before going online.
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