Introduction to the Triple Crown in Baseball
The Triple Crown in baseball is an accomplishment that any professional baseball player aspires to achieve in their career. It is an accomplishment that is celebrated in baseball and is seen as a great honor to win. The Triple Crown is an award given to a player who leads the league in three important batting categories: home runs, runs batted in (RBIs), and batting average. Many have strived to win the Triple Crown but few have been able to accomplish this feat.
History of the Triple Crown
The concept of the Triple Crown was first proposed in 1878 by the New York Clipper, a newspaper. At the time, the award was only given to the player who led the league in home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage. The award was not given out every year, and only when the leader in all three categories had the same team. It was not until 1967 that the award was given out yearly to the player who led the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.
The first player to win the modern version of the Triple Crown was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. He was also the most recent player to win the award when he accomplished the feat in 1967. The Triple Crown was not won again until 2012 when Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers won the award.
Players Who Have Won the Triple Crown
There have been 13 players in the history of Major League Baseball who have won the Triple Crown. The players who have won the Triple Crown are listed below:
- Carl Yastrzemski (1967)
- Frank Robinson (1966)
- Mickey Mantle (1956)
- Ted Williams (1941 and 1947)
- Lou Gehrig (1934)
- Chuck Klein (1933)
- Jimmie Foxx (1933)
- Rogers Hornsby (1922 and 1925)
- Heinie Manush (1933)
- Hal Trosky (1934)
- Lefty O’Doul (1929)
- Nap Lajoie (1901)
- Ty Cobb (1909)
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski is the most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1967. Yastrzemski was a member of the Boston Red Sox and led the American League in batting average (.326), home runs (44), and RBIs (121). Yastrzemski was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson is the second most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1966. Robinson was a member of the Baltimore Orioles and led the American League in home runs (49), RBIs (122), and batting average (.316). Robinson was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle is the third most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1956. Mantle was a member of the New York Yankees and led the American League in home runs (52), RBIs (130), and batting average (.353). Mantle was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
Ted Williams
Ted Williams is the fourth most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat twice, in 1941 and 1947. Williams was a member of the Boston Red Sox and led the American League in batting average both years, in 1941 (.406) and 1947 (.343). He also led the American League in home runs in 1941 (37) and in 1947 (32) and in RBIs in 1941 (120) and in 1947 (114). Williams was also the American League MVP in 1941 and 1947 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.
Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig is the fifth most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1934. Gehrig was a member of the New York Yankees and led the American League in home runs (49), RBIs (165), and batting average (.363). Gehrig was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
Chuck Klein
Chuck Klein is the sixth most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1933. Klein was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and led the National League in home runs (28), RBIs (120), and batting average (.368). Klein was also the National League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.
Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx is the seventh most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1933. Foxx was a member of the Philadelphia Athletics and led the American League in home runs (48), RBIs (163), and batting average (.356). Foxx was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby is the eighth most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat twice, in 1922 and 1925. Hornsby was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals and led the National League in batting average in 1922 (.401) and 1925 (.403). He also led the National League in home runs in 1922 (42) and 1925 (39) and in RBIs in 1922 (152) and 1925 (143). Hornsby was also the National League MVP in both 1922 and 1925 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1942.
Heinie Manush
Heinie Manush is the ninth most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1933. Manush was a member of the Detroit Tigers and led the American League in home runs (19), RBIs (133), and batting average (.336). Manush was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
Hal Trosky
Hal Trosky is the tenth most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1934. Trosky was a member of the Cleveland Indians and led the American League in home runs (34), RBIs (142), and batting average (.343). Trosky was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Lefty O’Doul
Lefty O’Doul is the eleventh most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1929. O’Doul was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and led the National League in home runs (29), RBIs (122), and batting average (.398). O’Doul was also the National League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.
Nap Lajoie
Nap Lajoie is the twelfth most recent player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1901. Lajoie was a member of the Philadelphia Athletics and led the American League in home runs (14), RBIs (125), and batting average (.426). Lajoie was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb is the thirteenth and oldest player to win the Triple Crown and he accomplished the feat in 1909. Cobb was a member of the Detroit Tigers and led the American League in home runs (9), RBIs (107), and batting average (.377). Cobb was also the American League MVP that year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Conclusion
The Triple Crown in baseball is an accomplishment that any professional baseball player aspires to achieve in their career. In the history of Major League Baseball, only thirteen players have been able to win the Triple Crown, and the most recent player to accomplish this feat was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Winning the Triple Crown is a great honor and is celebrated in baseball.