Babe Ruth Award
Sport | Baseball |
---|---|
League | Major League Baseball |
Awarded for | Annual most valuable player of the MLB postseason |
Presented by | New York City chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America |
History | |
First award | 1949 |
Most recent | Randy Arozarena, (Tampa Bay Rays) |
The Babe Ruth Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to the MVP of the World Series, one year after Ruth's death. The award was created by the New York City chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). It continued to be awarded exclusively for performances in the World Series until 2007, when the New York chapter of the BBWAA changed the award to cover the entire postseason.[1][2] Though it is older than the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, which was not created until 1955 (as the "SPORT Magazine Award"), the Babe Ruth Award is considered less prestigious, because it is not sanctioned by MLB and is awarded several weeks after the World Series.[3][4]
MLB expanded its postseason to include the League Championship Series (LCS) in 1969, the League Division Series (LDS) in 1995, and the Wild Card round in 2012. The Wild Card round is a one-game playoff, the LDS follows a best-of-five playoff format, and the LCS and World Series follow a best-of-seven playoff format.[4][5] The most recent World Series champions are the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the 2020 World Series, but Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays was named winner of the Babe Ruth Award.[6]
Ruth was a noted slugger who batted .326 with 15 home runs and three wins in three games started as a pitcher during World Series play.[7] However, the Babe Ruth Award does not only go to sluggers or pitchers. Dick Green won the award for the 1974 World Series, in which he batted 0-for-13, but helped the Oakland Athletics win the series with his defense.[8][9]
Joe Page of the New York Yankees was the first winner of the Babe Ruth Award, and Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox was the first winner since the award criteria changed to cover the entire postseason. In all, members of the Yankees have won the award sixteen times. Luis Tiant and Randy Arozarena are the only winners of the Babe Ruth Award to play for the World Series–losing team. Two players, Sandy Koufax and Jack Morris, have won the award twice.[10]
Winners
Key to table
Year | Links to the article about that corresponding World Series |
---|---|
Player (X) | Denotes winning player and number of times they had won the award at that point (if more than one) |
^ | Indicates multiple award winners in the same year |
* | Indicates year where player did not win the World Series Most Valuable Player Award (1955–present)[11] |
† | Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame |
‡ | Denotes player who is still active |
§ | Indicates losing team in the series |
Table of winners
Image gallery
-
Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, a two-time winner
-
Reggie Jackson won the award in 1977.
-
Orel Hershiser won the award in 1988.
-
Derek Jeter (left) won the award in 2000, while Dave Winfield (right) won the award in 1992.
-
Paul Molitor won the award in 1993.
-
Tom Glavine won the award in 1995
-
Cole Hamels won the award in 2008.
-
Alex Rodriguez won the award in 2009.
-
David Ortiz won the award in 2013.
-
David Price won the award in 2018.
See also
- "This Year in Baseball Awards" Best Major Leaguer, Postseason
- List of Major League Baseball awards
- Baseball awards
- Conn Smythe Trophy, the National Hockey League's award for its postseason MVP
Notes
- ^ For 1949–2006, statistics are for the World Series only. As the award was changed in 2007 to encompass the entire postseason, statistics from 2007 through the present represent the entire postseason.
References
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- ^ a b "Rodriguez chokes up during speech". ESPN.com. ESPN. Associated Press. January 24, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- ^ Purdy, Dennis (2006). The Team-By-Team Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball. Workman Publishing. p. xv. ISBN 0-7611-3943-5.
- ^ a b Gammons, Peter (2006). The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 1656. ISBN 1-4027-3625-8.
- ^ Vass, George (January 1, 1994). "Major League Baseball Embarks on a New Era in '94". Baseball Digest. 53 (1): 40–45. ISSN 0005-609X. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
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- ^ a b Bock, Hal (February 3, 1975). "Brock Man of Year". Reading Eagle. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "Green a Hitless Wonder". The Beaver County Times. United Press International. October 18, 1974. p. B2. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
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- ^ "Babe Ruth Award Goes To Joe Page". The New London Day. January 20, 1950. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1949 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "1950 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Series Winners Honored". The Spokesman-Review. April 20, 1952. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1951 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "1952 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Martin To Receive Babe Ruth Award". Wilmington Sunday Star. United Press International. January 3, 1954. p. 28. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1953 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Mays Receives Mercer Award". The Miami News. Associated Press. January 9, 1955. p. 5D. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1954 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Baseball Writers To Honor Podres And Duke Snider". The Hartford Courant. January 8, 1956. p. C4. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
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- ^ Thisted, Red (January 27, 1958). "Champs or Not, Haney'll Crack Whip". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1957 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Elston Howard Earns Pay Raise, Babe Ruth Award". St. Joseph Gazette. Associated Press. February 3, 1959. p. 7. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1958 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Bums' Sherry Gets 'Babe Ruth' Award". Rome News-Tribune. United Press International. February 3, 1960. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1959 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Mazeroski Takes Babe Ruth Award". Sarasota Journal. Associated Press. January 18, 1961. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1960 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Ford Will Get Babe Ruth Prize". The Modesto Bee. Associated Press. January 22, 1961. Retrieved September 27, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "1961 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ^ "1962 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ^ "Koufax Wins 1963 Hickok Pro Award". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. January 21, 1963. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1963 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "1964 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Babe Ruth Award Presented to Sandy Koufax". The Windsor Star. Associated Press. June 4, 1966. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1965 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Robinson Honored". Beaver County Times. United Press International. May 15, 1967. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1966 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Honored in New York". Reading Eagle. United Press International. January 29, 1968. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1967 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
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- ^ Morris, Larry (February 2, 1970). "Mets Steal the Show at Baseball Frolic – Stengel Hailed for Playing Feats". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1969 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "1970 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Writers to Honor Robinson, Traynor". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. January 31, 1971. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1971 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Ruth Award to Clemente". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. January 6, 1972. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1972 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ Chass, Murray (January 29, 1973). "Baseball Is Saluted By Satire – Large Yankee Turnout Larsen Feat Honored Finley Is Satirized". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ Durso, Joseph (January 10, 1974). "Jackson Has Two Requests for Finley – Return of Williams, $140,000 Salary – Jackson Bid – Bring Back Williams". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1973 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Green is Hopeful of Quick Series". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. October 17, 1974. p. 37. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
- ^ "1974 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ Markusen, B. (1998). Baseball's Last Dynasty: Charlie Finley's Oakland A's. Masters Press. pp. 334–340. ISBN 978-1-57028-188-4.
- ^ "Morgan, Tiant To Get Awards in New York". Los Angeles Times. January 30, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1975 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "1976 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ Durso, Joseph (January 31, 1977). "Baseball Writers' Dinner – Satire, Song and Fidrych". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1977 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ Anderson, Dave (February 6, 1978). "Jackson Hopes for Nice, Quiet Season as One of the Boys". The Miami News. p. 1B. Retrieved September 27, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "1978 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Ralph Houk Honored". The Evening News. Associated Press. February 5, 1979. p. 8B. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1979 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Stargell to be Feted By New York Writers". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press International. January 12, 1980. p. D–11. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "Writers to Honor Brett, Winfield, McGraw". Bulletin Journal. United Press International. November 18, 1980. p. 9. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
- ^ "1980 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
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- ^ a b "2001 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
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