This day in baseball: First MVPs
Posted: April 4, 2017 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Frank Schulte, history, Hugh Chalmers, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, MLB, sports, Ty Cobb 4 CommentsThe Most Valuable Player award was introduced April 4, 1911, sponsored by automobile manufacturer Hugh Chalmers. The first winners of the MVP award would be Ty Cobb of the Tigers and Frank “Wildfire” Schulte of the Cubs.
Frank Schulte (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: And the winner is…
Posted: March 25, 2015 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Ban Johnson, Baseball, Chalmers Motor Car Company, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, history, Hugh Chalmers, Major League Baseball, MLB, Nap Lajoie, sports, Ty Cobb 3 CommentsOn March 25, 1910, Hugh Chalmers, president of Chalmers Motor Car Company in Detroit, announced that one of the company’s Model 30 automobiles would be awarded to the ballplayer with the highest batting average for the season. On the last day of the season, however, Cleveland’s Nap Lajoie put down seven bunts, going 8-for-9 in a double header against a Browns infield that was intentionally playing deep. The performance raised Lajoie’s average to .384, and Ty Cobb, who was also in the running for the batting title, complained about the circumstances to American League President Ban Johnson. In the end, Chalmers awarded cars to both Lajoie and Cobb, and the true winner of the 1910 AL batting title remains disputed.
Nap Lajoie (Library of Congress)
