Triple Crown

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 Triple Crown winner, either league: Carl Yastrzemski, BOS, 1967.

• 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 both leagues 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.

• Last Major League Triple Crown Winner (led both leagues in all 3 categories): Johan Santana, MIN, 2006.
• Most Triple Crowns: Grover Cleveland Alexander, 3 (PHI, 1915, 1916; CHI, 1920); Walter Johnson, 3 (WSH, 1913, 1918, 1924); Sandy Koufax, 3 (LAD, 1963, 1965, 1966).

Batting Triple Crown winners

National League

American League

American Association

Pitching Triple Crown winners

National League

American League

American Association

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

Major League Winners - pitching

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

National League

See also

• MLB Most Valuable Player Award
• Cy Young Award
• Players Choice Awards (Player of the Year in MLB and Outstanding Player in each league)
• The Sporting News Player of the Year
• Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award
• Players Choice Awards (Outstanding Pitcher)
• TSN Pitcher of the Year
• Hank Aaron Award: given to the best offensive performer.
• Silver Slugger Award: given to the best offensive player at each position.
• Edgar Martinez Award: given to the best designated hitter (DH) (American League).
• This Year in Baseball Awards (including Hitter and Starting Pitcher)
• MLB All-Century Team (1999)
• MLB All-Time Team (1997; Baseball Writers Association of America)
• Baseball awards
• List of MLB awards

References

• Gammons, Peter; Gillette, Gary; Palmer, Pete. The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, Fourth Edition (Espn Baseball Encyclopedia). Sterling. ISBN 978-1-4027-4771-7. 

External links

• List of Triple Crown Winners at Baseball Reference

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