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).

Contents 1 Fast facts 1.1 Batting 1.2 Pitching 2 Batting Triple Crown winners 2.1 National League 2.2 American League 2.3 American Association 3 Pitching Triple Crown winners 3.1 National League 3.2 American League 3.3 American Association 4 Major League Triple Crown 4.1 Major League Winners - batting 4.2 Major League Winners - pitching 5 Batting "Triple Crown losers" 5.1 American League 5.2 National League 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Fast facts

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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).

[edit] Batting Triple Crown winners

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] American Association

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

[edit] Pitching Triple Crown winners

[edit] 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

[edit] 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
1978	Ron Guidry	New York Yankees	1.74	25	248
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

[edit] American Association

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

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] 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

[edit] References

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

[edit] External links

• List of Triple Crown Winners at Baseball Reference

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