Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
![A man wearing a baseball hat, which has an "S" and an "F" sewn onto it, smiles.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Willie_Mays_cropped.jpg/200px-Willie_Mays_cropped.jpg)
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to the most outstanding player in each year's MLB All-Star Game. Awarded each season since 1962, it was originally called the "Arch Ward Memorial Award" in honor of Arch Ward, the man who conceived of the All-Star Game. The award's name was changed to the "Commissioner's Trophy" in 1970, but this name change was reversed in 1985 when the World Series Trophy was renamed the Commissioner's Trophy. Finally, the trophy was renamed the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award in 2002, in honor of former Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams, who had died earlier that year.[1] No award was presented for the 2002 All-Star Game, which ended in a tie.[2] Thus, the Anaheim Angels' Garret Anderson was the first recipient of the newly named Ted Williams Award in 2003.
As of 2009[update], a National League player has won the award 24 times (including one award shared by two players), and American League players have won 24 times. Baltimore Orioles players have won the most awards for a single franchise (with six); players from the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants are tied for the most in the National League with five each. Four players have won the award twice: Willie Mays (1963, 1968), Steve Garvey (1974, 1978), Gary Carter (1981, 1984), and Cal Ripken, Jr. (1991, 2001). The award has been shared by multiple players once; Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack shared the award in 1975.[3] Two players have won the award for a game in which their league lost: Brooks Robinson in 1966 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.[4][5] One pair of awardees were father and son (Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.),[6] and another were brothers (Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar, Jr.).[7] Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays is the most recent winner.[8]
Award winners
![A man wearing a baseball cap](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Brooks_Robinson_1955.jpg)
![A baseball player wearing a uniform inscribed with the word "Atlanta" has swung a baseball bat and is running. The catcher is partially visible.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/MG_3983_Garret_Anderson_%28cropped%29.jpg/200px-MG_3983_Garret_Anderson_%28cropped%29.jpg)
![Head and shoulders of a baseball player wearing a uniform with the word "RAYS" on the jersey and the letters "T" and "B" on the helmet.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Carl_Crawford_on_May_12%2C_2009.jpg/200px-Carl_Crawford_on_May_12%2C_2009.jpg)
Year | Links to the article about the corresponding Major League Baseball All-Star Game |
Player (X) | Denotes winning player and number of times they had won the award at that point |
† | Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |
^ | Denotes player who is still active |
* | Denotes year in which the award was shared |
Notes
- a b Two All-Star games were played in 1962.[1]
- [3] The 1975 award was shared by two players.
- d Ripken was elected as an American League All-Star at third base in 2001 but had spent the vast majority of his career at shortstop. Ripken had announced earlier that year that he would retire and Alex Rodriguez, the American League's starting shortstop, switched fielding positions with Ripken in the first inning as homage.[9]
- e A winner was not chosen in 2002, when the game ended in a tie.[2]
See also
References
- General
- "All-Star MVPs". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- "Post-Season Awards & All-Star Game MVP Award Winners". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- Specific
- ^ a b "All Star Game Most Valuable Player Award". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ a b Adam McCalvy (2002-07-09). "All-Star Game finishes in tie". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "Jul 12, 1966, AL All-Stars at NL All-Stars Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "Jul 14, 1970, AL All-Stars at NL All-Stars Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "Ken Griffey Sr." and "Ken Griffey Jr". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "Roberto Alomar" and "Sandy Alomar, Jr". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ Matthew Leach (2009-07-15). "AL beats NL, keeps All-Star streak alive". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- ^ Anthony McCarron (2008-07-14). "Alex Rodriguez fondly recalls 2001 All-Star tribute to Cal Ripken Jr". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-08-31.