Triple Crowns
Leading the league in any category takes skill. Leading in multiple stats is even tougher. A "triple crown" is when you lead the league in three specific and related stats. Usually they make you the no doubt pick for MVP/Cy Young. For the regular Triple Crown, those stats are Home Runs, RBIs and Batting Average. For the Pitching Triple Crown, there is Wins, ERA and Strikeouts. There is also the seldom known Running Triple Crown, which showcases Batting Average (again), Runs and Stolen Bases.
Ty Cobb had a monster 1909 season. He not only took home the Hitting Triple Crown, but he also ran his way to the Running Triple Crown as well. No MVP award existed back then. However, in 1911 he won the "Chalmers Award" which was the earliest version of an MVP. Some of his numbers that season would make it hard to pull that feat off nowadays, but the other numbers would put his right in the heat of any MVP race.
For the deadball era, needing just 1 bonus to a natural 20 roll would make you a slugger and a speed of 27 gives you the green light to steal against almost anyone automatically. A 12 on-base is an easy start in any lineup.
1909: 9 HR, 107 RBI, .377 AVG, 115 R, 76 SB
For the deadball era, needing just 1 bonus to a natural 20 roll would make you a slugger and a speed of 27 gives you the green light to steal against almost anyone automatically. A 12 on-base is an easy start in any lineup.
1909: 9 HR, 107 RBI, .377 AVG, 115 R, 76 SB
Lefty Gomez did it multiple times. Both times makes him a must have at the top of most rotations. Here I just wanted to highlight that between 1934 and 1937, the Yankees added the iconic logo to the front of their jersey.
1934: 26 W, 2.33 ERA, 158 K
1937: 21 W, 2.33 ERA, 194 K
1934: 26 W, 2.33 ERA, 158 K
1937: 21 W, 2.33 ERA, 194 K
Anyway, in 2012, Cabrera was the favorite pick for MVP, but a lot of new-age sabermetric minded people thought Mike Trout should get MVP despite the inferior numbers. Trout obviously was faster and a better defender, but WAR is an inferior statistic to actual counting stats. Trout's a great player, but Triple Crown trumps any good player on a crappy team. Remember both times Williams didn't win MVP despite his Triple Crowns? One of those years, the Red Sox were barely a .500 team and both times he lost out to a Yankee player who helped his team win the pennant. It's Most VALUABLE Player, and while a Triple Crown indicated value, winning the pennant means more. 2012, Mike Trout and the Angels finished 3rd (out of 4) in the AL West and Cabrera helped the Tigers go to the World Series.
Cabrera the card features a very tempting 9 on-base 17+ homer chart.
2012: 44 HR, 139 RBI, .330 AVG, MVP
In 2011, both Kershaw and Verlander took home their respective leagues Pitching Triple Crown. It happened before in 1905, 1919 and 1924. It also happened in 1884 if you count the American Association. Both near identical cards feature the usual dominance and pinpoint control. The big difference between the two in 2011 was that Verlander was able to torment the Chicago White Sox en route to the MVP award as well as Cy Young.
2011:
Verlander: 24 W, 2.40 ERA, 250 K, Cy Young, MVP
Kershaw: 21 W (tied), 2.28 ERA, 248 K, Cy Young
Verlander: 24 W, 2.40 ERA, 250 K, Cy Young, MVP
Kershaw: 21 W (tied), 2.28 ERA, 248 K, Cy Young
Gooden has a card I love. 8 innings of a control of 5 and no easy extra base hits allowed? Sign me up.
1985: 24 W, 1.53 ERA, 268 K, Cy Young
1985: 24 W, 1.53 ERA, 268 K, Cy Young
Snuffy Stirnweiss may not be a Hall of Famer, and you'll never confuse him for Ricky Henderson...but he did accomplish one thing Ricky never could-he pulled off the Running Triple Crown. Snuffy had more hits, runs and stolen bases in 1944, but he didn't clinch the batting title that year, and his lone All Star selection wasn't until 1946, so for the three year stretch he was the top tier running man in baseball. A sweet bonus to his card is that perfect +5 defense at 2nd base. Snuffy is a low key elite 2nd baseman.
1945: .309 AVG, 107 R, 33 SB
