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Triple Crown (baseball)

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For other uses of this term, see Triple crown

In baseball, the Triple Crown refers to:

  1. A batter who (at season's end) leads the league in three major categories -- home runs, runs batted in, and batting average.
  2. A pitcher who (at season's end) leads the league in three major categories -- earned run average, wins, and strikeouts.

In the popular imagination, the Triple Crown is often thought of as the epitome of excellence in batting or pitching. The batting Triple Crown is less common, and has not been achieved since 1967. Usually, when the "Triple Crown" is referred to without specifying batting or pitching, the league batting Triple Crown is meant. Some players accomplish the "Major League Triple Crown" (see below).

Fast facts

Batting

  • Last American League Triple Crown Winner (led AL in all 3 categories): Carl Yastrzemski, BOS, 1967.
  • Last National League Triple Crown Winner (led NL in all 3 categories): Joe Medwick, STL, 1937.
  • Last Major League Triple Crown Winner (led in both leagues and in all 3 categories): Mickey Mantle, NYY, 1956.
  • Only Two-Time Winners: Rogers Hornsby, STL, 1922, 1925; Ted Williams, BOS, 1942, 1947.

Pitching

  • Last Triple Crown Winner, either league: Jake Peavy, SDP, 2007.
  • Last American League Triple Crown Winner (led AL in all 3 categories): Johan Santana, MIN, 2006.
  • Last National League Triple Crown Winner (led NL in all 3 categories): Jake Peavy, SDP, 2007.

Batting Triple Crown winners

National League

Year Batter Position Team HR RBI AVG
1878 Paul Hines CF Providence Grays 4 50 .358
1894 Hugh Duffy CF Boston Beaneaters 18 145 .440
1922 Rogers Hornsby 2B St. Louis Cardinals 42 152 .401
1925 Rogers Hornsby 2B St. Louis Cardinals 39 143 .403
1933 Chuck Klein CF Philadelphia Phillies 28 120 .368
1937 Joe Medwick LF St. Louis Cardinals 31 154 .374

American League

Year Batter Position Team HR RBI AVG
1901 Nap Lajoie 2B Philadelphia Athletics 14 125 .426
1909 Ty Cobb RF Detroit Tigers 9 107 .377
1933 Jimmie Foxx 1B Philadelphia Athletics 48 163 .356
1934 Lou Gehrig 1B New York Yankees 49 165 .363
1942 Ted Williams LF Boston Red Sox 36 137 .356
1947 Ted Williams LF Boston Red Sox 32 114 .343
1956 Mickey Mantle CF New York Yankees 52 130 .353
1966 Frank Robinson RF Baltimore Orioles 49 122 .316
1967 Carl Yastrzemski LF Boston Red Sox 44 121 .326

American Association

Year Batter Position Team HR RBI AVG
1887 Tip O'Neill LF St. Louis Browns 14 123 .435

Pitching Triple Crown winners

National League

Year Pitcher Team ERA Wins Ks
1877 Tommy Bond Boston Red Caps 2.11 40 170
1884 Charles Radbourn Providence Grays 1.38 60 441
1888 Tim Keefe New York Giants 1.74 35 335
1889 John Clarkson Boston Beaneaters 2.73 49 284
1894 Amos Rusie New York Giants 2.78 36 195
1905 Christy Mathewson New York Giants 1.27 31 206
1908 Christy Mathewson New York Giants 1.43 37 259
1915 Grover Alexander Philadelphia Phillies 1.22 31 241
1916 Grover Alexander Philadelphia Phillies 1.55 33 167
1918 Hippo Vaughn Chicago Cubs 1.74 22 148
1920 Grover Alexander Chicago Cubs 1.91 27 173
1924 Dazzy Vance Brooklyn Robins 2.16 28 262
1939 Bucky Walters Cincinnati Reds 2.29 27 137
1963 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers 1.88 25 306
1965 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers 2.04 26 382
1966 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers 1.73 27 317
1972 Steve Carlton Philadelphia Phillies 1.97 27 310
1985 Dwight Gooden New York Mets 1.53 24 268
2002 Randy Johnson Arizona Diamondbacks 2.32 24 334
2007 Jake Peavy San Diego Padres 2.54 19 240

American League

Year Pitcher Team ERA Wins Ks
1901 Cy Young Boston Americans 1.62 33 158
1905 Rube Waddell Philadelphia Athletics 1.48 27 287
1913 Walter Johnson Washington Senators 1.14 36 243
1918 Walter Johnson Washington Senators 1.27 23 162
1924 Walter Johnson Washington Senators 2.72 23 158
1930 Lefty Grove Philadelphia Athletics 2.54 28 209
1931 Lefty Grove Philadelphia Athletics 2.06 31 175
1934 Lefty Gómez New York Yankees 2.33 26 158
1937 Lefty Gómez New York Yankees 2.33 21 194
1940 Bob Feller Cleveland Indians 2.61 27 261
1945 Hal Newhouser Detroit Tigers 1.81 25 212
1997 Roger Clemens Toronto Blue Jays 2.05 21 292
1998 Roger Clemens Toronto Blue Jays 2.65 20 271
1999 Pedro Martínez Boston Red Sox 2.07 23 313
2006 Johan Santana Minnesota Twins 2.77 19 245

American Association

Year Pitcher Team ERA Wins Ks
1884 Guy Hecker Louisville Colonels 1.80 52 385

Major League Triple Crown

In general, when one refers to a player as having won a Triple Crown, it is meant that the player led his own league in the three categories. A less frequent circumstance is the "Major League Triple Crown", where a player leads both major leagues, not just his own league, in each of the three categories. Since the birth of the American League in 1901, five hitters and eight pitchers have accomplished this feat, although Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and Lefty Grove have done it twice for pitching, and Sandy Koufax has done it three times. The most recent Major League Triple Crown Winners were Mickey Mantle in 1956 for hitting, and Johan Santana in 2006 for pitching.

Major League Winners - batting

Year Batter Position Team League HR RBI AVG
1909 Ty Cobb RF Detroit Tigers AL 9 107 .377
1925 Rogers Hornsby 2B St. Louis Cardinals NL 39 143 .403
1934 Lou Gehrig 1B New York Yankees AL 49 165 .363
1942 Ted Williams LF Boston Red Sox AL 36 137 .356
1956 Mickey Mantle CF New York Yankees AL 52 130 .353

Major League Winners - pitching

Year Pitcher Team League ERA Wins Ks
1913 Walter Johnson Washington Senators AL 1.14 36 243
1915 Grover Alexander Philadelphia Phillies NL 1.22 31 241
1918 Walter Johnson Washington Senators AL 1.27 23 162
1924 Dazzy Vance Brooklyn Robins NL 2.16 28 262
1930 Lefty Grove Philadelphia Athletics AL 2.54 28 209
1931 Lefty Grove Philadelphia Athletics AL 2.06 31 175
1945 Hal Newhouser Detroit Tigers AL 1.81 25 212
1963 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers NL 1.88 25 306
1965 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers NL 2.04 26 382
1966 Sandy Koufax Los Angeles Dodgers NL 1.73 27 317
1985 Dwight Gooden New York Mets NL 1.53 24 268
2006 Johan Santana Minnesota Twins AL 2.77 19 245

Batting "Triple Crown losers"

"Triple Crown loser" is a term recently invented by SABR to describe a player who finishes last in each of the three batting Triple Crown categories in his league.[1] To be considered, the player must meet the same qualifications required for the league batting title. There has been a Triple Crown loser only twelve times, with one player, Freddie Maguire, accomplishing this feat twice. One, Ozzie Smith, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

American League

Year Batter Team HR RBI AVG
1914 George McBride Washington Senators 0 24 .203
1956 Willy Miranda Baltimore Orioles 2 32 .217
1970 Mark Belanger Baltimore Orioles 1 36 .218
2003 Ramón Santiago Detroit Tigers 2 29 .225

National League

Year Batter Team HR RBI AVG
1915 Herbie Moran Boston Braves 0 21 .200
1919 Jack Smith St. Louis Cardinals 0 15 .223
1929 Freddie Maguire Boston Braves 0 41 .252
1931 Freddie Maguire Boston Braves 0 26 .223
1945 Woodie W. Williams Cincinnati Reds 0 27 .237
1971 Enzo Hernandez San Diego Padres 0 12 .222
1979 Ozzie Smith San Diego Padres 0 27 .211
1981 Ivan DeJesus Chicago Cubs 0 13 .194

See also

References

  1. ^ The SABR Baseball List and Record Book: Baseball's Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statistics. Society for American Baseball Research. 2007. p. 141. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Gammons, Peter; Gillette, Gary; Palmer, Pete. The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, Fourth Edition (Espn Baseball Encyclopedia). Sterling. ISBN 978-1-4027-4771-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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