MLB MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD

  

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MLB MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD

Specialty Definition: MLB Most Valuable Player award

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

In the game of baseball, both amateur and professional, it is tradition to annually recognize the one player in the league who has contributed the most to the success of the player's team.

In the United States, the awarding of the Most Valuable Player Award (or MVP) in Major League Baseball has changed hands several times but since the 1930s has been one of the better-implemented awards in baseball.

Chalmers Award (1911-1914)

The Chalmers Automobile Company awarded an automobile in 1910 to the batting average leader in each league. This led to a contoversy in the American League; Ty Cobb and Napoleon Lajoie entered the final day of the season neck-and-neck. St. Louis, playing Lajoie's Cleveland team, played their infield back, allowing Lajoie to beat out seven bunt singles in a doubleheader and win the title. In the ensuing debacle, Chalmers awarded automobiles to both players. (The question of who really won the batting title is still debated.)

For 1911, the Chalmers Company decided that batting average was too narrow a focus for an award. The Chalmers Award was the first attempt to recognize a player for overall contributions to his team's success — hence the designation Most Valuable rather than "player of the year", a distinction which remains today.

YearAmerican LeagueNational League
1911Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers, OF Wildfire Schulte, Chicago Cubs, OF
1912Tris Speaker, Boston Red Sox, OF Larry Doyle, New York Giants, 2B
1913Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P Jake Daubert, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1B
1914Eddie Collins, Philadelphia Athletics, 2B Johnny Evers, Boston Braves, 2B

League Awards (1922-1929)

In the 1920s the leagues awarded MVP titles, but limited the ballot options to one player per team, which led to there being no National League MVP in 1922 or 1923. A League Award could also be one by a player only once, leading to unusual results like Babe Ruth's 1927 (one of the greatest offensive seasons of all time) not being eligible for the award. The rule was changed in time for Rogers Hornsby to become the first man to win two MVP awards, in 1929.

YearAmerican LeagueNational League
1922George Sisler, St Louis Browns, 1B No winner
1923Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, OF No winner
1924Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Dodgers, P
1925Roger Peckinpaugh, Washington Senators, SS Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis Cardinals, 2B
1926George Burns, Cleveland Indians, 1B Bob O'Farrell, St. Louis Cardinals, C
1927Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees, 1B Paul Waner, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
1928Mickey Cochrane, Philadelphia Athletics, C Jim Bottomley, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B
1929No winner Rogers Hornsby, Chicago Cubs, 2B

BBWAA Awards (1931-present)

In 1931, the Baseball Writers Association of America began awarding the Most Valuable Player trophy.

In 1956 the Cy Young Award was first given to the best pitcher in each league. After that, the belief arose that the Most Valuable Player ought to be a position player, since pitchers had their own award. On occasion, though, pitchers still win the award, and the current rules for the MVP specifically state that pitchers are to be considered.

YearAmerican LeagueNational League
1931 Lefty Grove, Philadelphia Athletics, P Frankie Frisch, St. Louis Cardinals, 2B
1932 Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1B Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies, OF
1933 Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1B Carl Hubbell, New York Giants, P
1934 Mickey Cochrane, Detroit Tigers, C Dizzy Dean, St Louis Cardinals, P
1935 Hank Greenberg†, Detroit Tigers, 1B Gabby Hartnett, Chicago Cubs, C
1936 Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees, 1B Carl Hubbell, New York Giants, P
1937 Charlie Gehringer, Detroit Tigers, 2B Joe Medwick, St Louis Cardinals, OF
1938 Jimmie Foxx, Boston Red Sox, 1B Ernie Lombardi, Cincinnati Reds, C
1939 Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds, P
1940 Hank Greenberg, Detroit Tigers, OF Frank McCormick, Cincinnati Reds, 1B
1941 Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF Dolph Camilli, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1B
1942 Joe Gordon, New York Yankees, 2B Mort Cooper, St Louis Cardinals, P
1943 Spud Chandler, New York Yankees, P Stan Musial, St Louis Cardinals, OF
1944 Hal Newhouser, Detroit Tigers, P Marty Marion, St Louis Cardinals, SS
1945 Hal Newhouser, Detroit Tigers, P Phil Cavarretta, Chicago Cubs, 1B
1946 Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox, OF Stan Musial, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B
1947 Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF Bob Elliot, Boston Braves, 3B
1948 Lou Boudreau, Cleveland Indians, SS Stan Musial, St. Louis Cardinals, OF
1949 Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox, OF Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers, 2B
1950 Phil Rizzuto, New York Yankees, SS Jim Konstanty, Philadelphia Phillies, P
1951 Yogi Berra, New York Yankees, C Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers, C
1952 Bobby Shantz, Philadelphia Athletics, P Hank Sauer, Chicago Cubs, OF
1953 Al Rosen†, Cleveland Indians, 3B Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers, C
1954 Yogi Berra, New York Yankees, C Willie Mays, New York Giants, OF
1955 Yogi Berra, New York Yankees, C Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers, C
1956 Mickey Mantle†, New York Yankees, OF Don Newcombe, Brooklyn Dodgers, P
1957 Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees, OF Hank Aaron, Milwaukee Braves, OF
1958 Jackie Jensen, Boston Red Sox, OF Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs, SS
1959 Nellie Fox, Chicago White Sox, 2B Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs, SS
1960 Roger Maris, New York Yankees, OF Dick Groat, Pittsburgh Pirates, SS
1961 Roger Maris, New York Yankees, OF Frank Robinson, Cincinnati Reds, OF
1962 Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees, OF Maury Wills, Los Angeles Dodgers, SS
1963 Elston Howard, New York Yankees, C Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers, P
1964 Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, 3B Ken Boyer, St Louis Cardinals, 3B
1965 Zoilo Versalles, Minnesota Twins, SS Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants, OF
1966 Frank Robinson†, Baltimore Orioles, OF Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
1967 Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox, OF Orlando Cepeda†, St Louis Cardinals, 1B
1968 Denny McLain†, Detroit Tigers, P Bob Gibson, St Louis Cardinals, P
1969 Harmon Killebrew, Minnesota Twins, 3B Willie McCovey, San Francisco Giants, 1B
1970 Boog Powell, Baltimore Orioles, 1B Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds, C
1971 Vida Blue, Oakland Athletics, P Joe Torre, St Louis Cardinals, 3B
1972 Dick Allen, Chicago White Sox, 1B Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds, C
1973 Reggie Jackson†, Oakland Athletics, OF Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds, OF
1974 Jeff Burroughs, Texas Rangers, OF Steve Garvey, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1B
1975 Fred Lynn, Boston Red Sox, OF Joe Morgan, Cincinnati Reds, 2B
1976 Thurman Munson, New York Yankees, C Joe Morgan, Cincinnati Reds, 2B
1977 Rod Carew, Minnesota Twins, 1B George Foster, Cincinnati Reds, OF
1978 Jim Rice, Boston Red Sox, OF Dave Parker, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
1979 Don Baylor, California Angels, DH Keith Hernandez, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B
Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1B
1980 George Brett, Kansas City Royals, 3B Mike Schmidt†, Philadelphia Phillies, 3B
1981 Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee Brewers, P Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, 3B
1982 Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers, SS Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves, OF
1983 Cal Ripken, Jr, Baltimore Orioles, SS Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves, OF
1984 Willie Hernandez, Detroit Tigers, P Ryne Sandberg, Chicago Cubs, 2B
1985 Don Mattingly, New York Yankees, 1B Willie McGee, St. Louis Cardinals, OF
1986 Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox, P Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, 3B
1987 George Bell, Toronto Blue Jays, OF Andre Dawson, Chicago Cubs, OF
1988 Jose Canseco†, Oakland Athletics, OF Kirk Gibson, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF
1989 Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers, OF Kevin Mitchell, San Francisco Giants, OF
1990 Rickey Henderson, Oakland Athletics, OF Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
1991 Cal Ripken, Jr, Baltimore Orioles, SS Terry Pendleton, Atlanta Braves, 3B
1992 Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics, P Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh Pirates, OF
1993 Frank Thomas†, Chicago White Sox, 1B Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, OF
1994 Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox, 1B Jeff Bagwell†, Houston Astros, 1B
1995 Mo Vaughn, Boston Red Sox, 1B Barry Larkin, Cincinnati Reds, SS
1996 Juan Gonzalez, Texas Rangers, OF Ken Caminiti†, San Diego Padres, 3B
1997 Ken Griffey, Jr†, Seattle Mariners, OF Larry Walker, Colorado Rockies, OF
1998 Juan Gonzalez, Texas Rangers, OF Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs, OF
1999 Ivan Rodriguez, Texas Rangers, C Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves, 3B
2000 Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics, 1B Jeff Kent, San Francisco Giants, 2B
2001Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners, OF Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, OF
2002Miguel Tejada, Oakland Athletics, SS Barry Bonds†, San Francisco Giants, OF
2003Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers, SS Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, OF

†Denotes unanimous decision.

Source: the above text is adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "MLB Most Valuable Player award."

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Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.