This is an accepted version of this page
107-468: The Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Award is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award that is presented to the most outstanding player in each year's MLB All-Star Game . Awarded each season since 1962 (two games were held and an award was presented to each game winner in 1962), it was originally called the Arch Ward Memorial Award in honor of Arch Ward ,
214-944: A "Tiger killer" because of his statistics against the Tigers, which included a .346 batting average with four home runs that season. He led all rookies in most major batting categories for September, earning him a second Rookie of the Month award. Hosmer finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels and winner Jeremy Hellickson of the Tampa Bay Rays . He hit .293 with 19 home runs and 78 runs batted in (RBIs) in 128 games. Yost praised Hosmer, and another rookie, catcher Salvador Pérez , calling them " future perennial All-Star players ". On February 18, 2012,
321-625: A $ 6 million signing bonus , the largest given to a draft pick in Royals history. Soon after signing his contract, the Royals assigned Hosmer to Minor League Baseball with the Idaho Falls Chukars of the rookie level Pioneer League . Before reporting to the Chukars, Royals general manager Moore told reporters that Hosmer would not be "rushed" to reach the Majors, stating that he needed to advance though
428-462: A .400 batting average for the series. In the 2014 World Series , Hosmer batted .250, as the Royals lost to the San Francisco Giants in seven games. On February 18, 2015, Hosmer and the Royals agreed to a $ 13.9 million, two-year contract. He would earn $ 5.65 million during the 2015 season and $ 8.25 million during the 2016 season, and would be eligible for arbitration again in 2017. During
535-651: A batter could foul off any number of pitches with no strikes counted against him; this gave an enormous advantage to the batter. After the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, baseball was rocked by allegations of a game-fixing scheme known as the Black Sox Scandal . Eight players— "Shoeless" Joe Jackson , Eddie Cicotte , Claude "Lefty" Williams , George "Buck" Weaver , Arnold "Chick" Gandil , Fred McMullin , Charles "Swede" Risberg , and Oscar "Happy" Felsch —intentionally lost
642-543: A career-best .385 on-base percentage . He won his fourth career Gold Glove Award. After the season, Hosmer became a free agent for the first time of his career. On February 19, 2018, Hosmer signed an eight-year, $ 144 million contract with the San Diego Padres , the largest contract in Padres franchise history at the time. Hosmer changed his jersey to No. 30 in honor of former Royals teammate Yordano Ventura , who had died
749-406: A chance for recreation and for taking their minds off their work even more than before." With the approval of President Roosevelt, spring training began in 1942 with few repercussions. The war interrupted the careers of stars including Stan Musial , Bob Feller , Ted Williams , and Joe DiMaggio , but baseball clubs continued to field their teams. Branch Rickey, president and general manager of
856-536: A couple of state championships. He attended American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida . His parents selected American Heritage because of its rich baseball program, which was considered to be one of the best in the United States, despite the expensive tuition. By Hosmer's sophomore year, he grew eight inches in size, becoming a powerful prep prospect. In his senior year, Hosmer hit .470 with 11 home runs , as
963-498: A damn good one, too." By opening day, the Kansas City media was hyping Hosmer as the "face of the franchise", and the city's " next future sports star". He started at first base on opening day against the L.A. Angels, going 0-for-4. He hit a home run in a 6–3 victory the next day but later struggled, hitting below .200 for the first couple of weeks of the season as the Royals endured an 11-game losing streak entering April 24. He ended
1070-507: A downtown bar, the Power and Light District . Eventually, it was reported, "...(h)ordes showed up, and many of the fans ended up with free drinks as Hosmer...decided to help pay for an open bar for an hour. With several teammates, he also sprayed some champagne into the crowd." The Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles in the 2014 American League Championship Series , as Hosmer contributed with
1177-517: A game against the Minnesota Twins , he aggravated the injury on a checked swing in the fourth inning. X-rays revealed a displaced fracture of the third finger on his right hand. Hosmer missed four weeks due to the injury. He finished the season batting .270 with nine home runs and 58 RBIs. In the 2014 postseason, Hosmer helped lead the Royals to a record-setting run, winning three consecutive extra-inning games. After getting on base five times in
SECTION 10
#17328552426741284-645: A game-winning two-run home run against closer Matt Capps of the Minnesota Twins on July 16. The home run led the Twins to replace Capps with Joe Nathan as its closer the next day. In the month of July, Hosmer was named the American League (AL) Rookie of the Month . He had five hits, including a three-run home run against Brad Penny in a 10–2 win against the Detroit Tigers on September 20. The next day, sportswriter Ian Casselberry of MLive.com called Hosmer
1391-500: A grand jury in Pittsburgh related to cocaine trafficking. The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike from August 12, 1994, to April 25, 1995, caused the cancellation of over 900 games and the forfeit of the entire 1994 postseason. Routinely in the late 1990s and early 2000s, baseball players hit 40 or 50 home runs in a season, a feat that was considered rare even in the 1980s. It later became apparent that at least some of this power surge
1498-569: A grievance stating that Hosmer's contract was also signed past the deadline and that Major League Baseball extended the August 15 deadline without the association's permission. Both sides settled the claim a month later, allowing Hosmer and Álvarez to join their respective teams. Hosmer never disputed his original contract. Instead of heading back to the Chukars, Hosmer was sent to the Arizona Fall League to train. In Hosmer's first full season in
1605-633: A little better in subsequent campaigns—but in their eighth season (1969) the Mets became the first of the 1960s expansion teams to play in the postseason, culminating in a World Series title over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. In 1966, the major leagues moved to the "Deep South" when the Braves moved to Atlanta. In 1968, the Kansas City Athletics moved west to become the Oakland Athletics . In 1969,
1712-599: A man for many reasons. Color is not one of them." That year, Robinson won the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (separate NL and AL Rookie of the Year honors were not awarded until 1949). Less than three months later, Larry Doby became the first African-American to break the color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. The next year, a number of other black players entered
1819-413: A new National Agreement which tied independent contracts to the reserve-clause contracts. The agreement also set up a formal classification system for minor leagues, the forerunner of today's system that was refined by Branch Rickey . Several other early defunct baseball leagues are considered major leagues, and their statistics and records are included with those of the two modern major leagues. In 1969,
1926-431: A one-armed outfielder, got the chance to advance to the major leagues. However, MLB rosters did not include any black players through the end of the war. Black players, many of whom served in the war, were still restricted to playing Negro league baseball . Wartime blackout restrictions , designed to keep outdoor lighting at low levels, caused another problem for baseball. These rules limited traveling and night games to
2033-492: A rebellion by players against the hated "reserve clause", which restricted the free movement of players between clubs. Teams came and went; 1882 was the first season where the league's membership was the same as the preceding season's, and only four franchises survived to see 1900. Competitor leagues formed regularly and also disbanded regularly. The most successful was the American Association (1882–1891), sometimes called
2140-489: A record for the publication. Hosmer was ranked as the best prospect among first baseman in Major League Baseball prior to the 2011 season. He was also rated the eighth best overall prospect by Baseball America , and the top Royals prospect overall. With the Royals receiving attention for their bright future, the team's general manager Dayton Moore traded their best player, Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke , to
2247-534: A run scored, and two RBIs to help the Royals take a 7–1 win and a 2–0 series lead. On November 1 in Game 5, Hosmer took advantage of a scouting report on the Mets' Lucas Duda to score the tying run in the ninth inning: on a groundout to first, Hosmer broke from third to the plate and beat a throw which was offline. This eventually led to the Royals' win to clinch the Series. Hosmer won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award for
SECTION 20
#17328552426742354-411: A single-game MLB attendance record in their first home appearance with 78,672 fans. In 1961, the first Washington Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul to become the Minnesota Twins . Two new teams were added to the American League at the same time: the Los Angeles Angels (who soon moved from downtown L.A. to nearby Anaheim ) and a new Washington Senators franchise. The NL added
2461-477: A special player because he's got all the attributes to being a special player. –Kansas City manager Ned Yost discussing Hosmer's MLB debut. The Royals recalled Hosmer on May 5, 2011. Veteran catcher Jason Kendall was moved to the 60-day disabled list to make space for Hosmer on the 40-man roster. He made his MLB debut at first base the following day against Oakland Athletics starter Gio González , replacing Kila Ka'aihue . Prior to his debut, Hosmer
2568-534: A successful Baltimore chop, the batter hits the ball forcefully into the ground, causing it to bounce so high that the batter reaches first base before the ball can be fielded and thrown to the first baseman. The adoption of the foul strike rule—in the NL in 1901, in the AL two years later—quickly sent baseball from a high-scoring game to one where scoring runs became a struggle. Before this rule, foul balls were not counted as strikes:
2675-478: A year earlier. Hosmer's previous No. 35 was already retired by the Padres for Randy Jones . In his first season as a Padre, Hosmer hit .253 with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs. In 2019, Hosmer slashed .265/.310/.425 with 22 home runs and 99 RBI as the primary cleanup hitter for the Padres. He led all NL first basemen in errors, with 14. On August 20, 2020, Hosmer hit a grand slam against the Texas Rangers , making
2782-552: Is a nurse. His mother was born in Cuba and came to the United States at the age of seven with her family to escape Fidel Castro 's regime, growing up in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . His parents met in 1979 when Mike was assigned to duty at Coral Gables Hospital in Coral Gables, Florida , where Ileana worked. They married four years later. Their first son Mike Jr. was born in 1985, and Eric
2889-576: Is an American former professional baseball first baseman . He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals , San Diego Padres , Boston Red Sox , and Chicago Cubs . A highly touted prospect coming out of American Heritage High School in Florida, Hosmer was described as a "left-handed hitter with raw power" by scouts. The Royals selected him with third overall pick in
2996-664: Is the third-wealthiest professional sports league by revenue in the world after the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Baseball games are broadcast on television, radio, and the internet throughout North America and in several other countries. MLB has the highest total season attendance of any sports league in the world; in 2023, it drew more than 70.75 million spectators. MLB also oversees Minor League Baseball , which comprises lower-tier teams affiliated with
3103-642: The 2008 MLB draft , and he received a $ 6 million signing bonus. He advanced in Minor League Baseball before debuting in MLB during the 2011 season. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year balloting after the 2011 season after hitting .293 with 19 home runs in 128 games . Hosmer won consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2013 through 2015 and again in 2017, when he also won the Silver Slugger Award . He
3210-545: The 2015 season , Hosmer had his best year to that point, with a .297 batting average , 18 home runs and 93 RBIs. Hosmer also recorded the final putout of the AL Central and the American League Championship Series clinching games. On October 23, Hosmer tied George Brett for the most RBIs in the postseason (23) in Royals' franchise history when he singled Lorenzo Cain home from first base representing
3317-846: The Boston Braves became the Milwaukee Braves , the St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles , and the Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics . The 1958 Major League Baseball season began to turn Major League Baseball into a nationwide league. Walter O'Malley , owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and "perhaps the most influential owner of baseball's early expansion era," moved his team to Los Angeles, marking
Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-639: The Chicago White Sox , the Detroit Tigers , the Arizona Diamondbacks , the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals (aside from their predecessor the Montreal Expos ) have never had a player win the All-Star Game MVP award. Major League Baseball Major League Baseball ( MLB ) is a professional baseball league and the highest level of organized baseball in
3531-588: The Great Depression , baseball's popularity had begun a downward turn in the early 1930s. By 1932, only two MLB teams turned a profit. Attendance had fallen, due at least in part to a 10% federal amusement tax added to baseball ticket prices. Baseball owners cut their rosters from 25 men to 23, and even the best players took pay cuts. Team executives were innovative in their attempts to survive, creating night games, broadcasting games live by radio, and rolling out promotions such as free admission for women. Throughout
3638-653: The Houston Astros and the New York Mets in 1962. The Astros (known as the "Colt .45s" during their first three seasons) became the first southern major league franchise since the Louisville Colonels folded in 1899 and the first franchise to be located along the Gulf Coast . The Mets established a reputation for futility by going 40–120 during their first season of play in the nation's media capital—and by playing only
3745-761: The Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for four top prospects, putting even more emphasis on the team's future. Hosmer began the season with the Royals Class AAA affiliate, the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). When the Royals purchased Hosmer's contract on May 5, 2011, he was leading the minor leagues with a .439 batting average, and the PCL with 43 hits and a .525 on-base percentage . There's no question in my mind he won't end up being
3852-657: The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP). The NABBP existed as an amateur league for 12 years. By 1867, more than 400 clubs were members. Most of the strongest clubs remained those based in the Northeastern United States. For professional baseball 's founding year, MLB uses the year 1869—when the first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings , was established. A schism developed between professional and amateur ballplayers after
3959-543: The Texas Rangers . In 1977, baseball expanded again , adding a second Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays , as well as the Seattle Mariners . Subsequently, no new teams were added until the 1990s and no teams moved until 2005. By the late 1960s, the balance between pitching and hitting had swung in favor of the pitchers. In 1968—later nicknamed "the year of the pitcher" —Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski won
4066-780: The first and second Negro National Leagues (1920–1931 and 1933–1948), the Eastern Colored League (1923–1928), the American Negro League (1929), the East–West League (1932), the Negro Southern League (1932), and the Negro American League (1937–1948). In 2021, baseball reference website Baseball-Reference.com began to include statistics from those seven leagues into their major-league statistics. In May 2024, Major League Baseball announced that it
4173-642: The wildcard game against the Oakland A's , Hosmer also slammed a game-winning, two-run homer in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim . In doing so, he became the first player in MLB history to hit both a triple and a home run during extra innings in one year's postseason. In the early morning hours of October 6, after the Royals had completed their sweep of the Angels , Hosmer posted on Twitter , inviting Kansas City fans to come out and celebrate with him at
4280-442: The "beer and whiskey league" for its tolerance of the sale of alcoholic beverages to spectators. For several years, the NL and American Association champions met in a postseason championship series—the first attempt at a World Series . The two leagues merged in 1892 as a single 12-team NL, but the NL dropped four teams after the 1899 season. This led to the formation of the American League in 1901 under AL president Ban Johnson , and
4387-588: The 1870s. In 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (later known as the National League or NL) was established after the NA proved ineffective. The league placed its emphasis on clubs rather than on players. Clubs could now enforce player contracts, preventing players from jumping to higher-paying clubs. Clubs were required to play the full schedule of games instead of forfeiting scheduled games when
Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-528: The 1950s and 1960s. The AL and NL added eight clubs in the 1960s: two in 1961, two in 1962, and four in 1969. Player discontent with established labor practices, especially the reserve clause, led to the organization of the Major League Baseball Players Association to collectively bargain with the owners, which in turn led to the introduction of free agency in baseball. Modern stadiums with artificial turf surfaces began to change
4601-557: The 1960s and 1970s, as baseball expanded, NFL football had been surging in popularity, making it economical for many of these cities to build multi-purpose stadiums instead of single-purpose baseball fields. Because of climate and economic issues, many of these facilities had playing surfaces made from artificial turf , as well as the oval designs characteristic of stadiums designed to house both baseball and football. This often resulted in baseball fields with relatively more foul territory than older stadiums. These characteristics changed
4708-458: The 1990s. During the 1980s, baseball experienced a number of significant changes the game had not seen in years. Home runs were on the decline throughout the decade, with players hitting 40 home runs just 13 times and no one hitting more than 50 home runs in a season for the first time since the Dead-ball era (1900–1919). The 1981 Major League Baseball strike from June 12 until July 31 forced
4815-608: The 2015 season. Hosmer was named the 2016 MLB All-Star Game MVP , played in San Diego on July 12. In the second inning of the All-Star Game , he hit a game-tying home run off of former teammate Johnny Cueto . In 158 games of 2016, Hosmer finished with a .266 batting average, a career-high 25 home runs, and 104 RBI. In 2017, Hosmer played all 162 regular season games, finishing with a career-high .318 batting average while tying his personal best 25 home runs. He added 94 RBI along with
4922-486: The American League batting title with an average of just .301, the lowest in the history of Major League Baseball. Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain won 31 games, making him the only pitcher to win 30 games in a season since Dizzy Dean in 1934. St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Bob Gibson achieved an equally remarkable feat by allowing an ERA of just 1.12. Following these pitching performances, in December 1968
5029-636: The American and National Leagues both added two expansion franchises . The American League added the Seattle Pilots (who became the Milwaukee Brewers after one disastrous season in Seattle) and the Kansas City Royals . The NL added the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos , as well as the San Diego Padres . In 1972, the second Washington Senators moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to become
5136-409: The Brooklyn Dodgers, began making efforts to introduce a black baseball player to the previously all-white professional baseball leagues in the mid-1940s. He selected Jackie Robinson from a list of promising Negro league players. After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to any racial antagonism directed at him, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $ 600 a month. In what
5243-711: The Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning the Negro league teams that they had followed exclusively. Robinson's promotion met a generally positive, although mixed, reception among newspaper writers and white major league players. Manager Leo Durocher informed his team, "I don't care if he is yellow or black or has stripes like a fucking zebra. I'm his manager and I say he plays." After a strike threat by some players, NL President Ford C. Frick and Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler let it be known that any striking players would be suspended. Robinson received significant encouragement from several major-league players, including Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese who said, "You can hate
5350-513: The Great Depression, no MLB teams moved or folded. The onset of World War II created a shortage of professional baseball players, as more than 500 men left MLB teams to serve in the military. Many of them played on service baseball teams that entertained military personnel in the US or in the Pacific. MLB teams of this time largely consisted of young men, older players, and those with a military classification of 4F , indicating mental, physical, or moral unsuitability for service. Men like Pete Gray ,
5457-415: The MLB Playing Rules Committee voted to reduce the strike zone from knees to shoulders to top of knees to armpits and lower the pitcher's mound from 15 to 10 inches, beginning in the 1969 season. In 1973, the American League, which had been suffering from much lower attendance than the National League, sought to increase scoring even further by initiating the designated hitter (DH) rule. Throughout
SECTION 50
#17328552426745564-494: The MVP award at a game played in their home ballpark (Sandy Alomar Jr. in 1997 , Pedro Martínez in 1999 , and Shane Bieber in 2019 ). Derek Jeter is the only player to win the All-Star Game MVP and World Series MVP in the same season, doing so in 2000. Among prior MVP winners who are no longer active players, only five won the award in what turned out to be their only All-Star Game appearance; LaMarr Hoyt , Bo Jackson , J. D. Drew , Melky Cabrera , and Eric Hosmer . Only
5671-448: The Minor League hierarchy in his "own natural pace". Hosmer played a handful of games with the Chukars before a contract dispute with another Boras client, Pittsburgh Pirates second overall pick Pedro Álvarez , delayed Hosmer from playing with the team. Boras had claimed that Álvarez signed his contract after the August 15 deadline had passed; thus, he would not report to the Pirates. The Major League Baseball Players Association filed
5778-413: The National Agreement of 1903, in which AL and NL agreed to respect each other's player contracts, including the contentious reserve clause . The period before 1920 was the dead-ball era , when home runs were rarely hit. Professional baseball was rocked by the Black Sox Scandal , a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series . Baseball survived the scandal, albeit with major changes in its governance as
5885-472: The Padres the first team in MLB history to hit a grand slam in four consecutive games, following grand slams by Fernando Tatís Jr. , Wil Myers and Manny Machado . Hosmer finished the shortened 2020 season slashing .287/.333/.517 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs in 38 games. During the 2021 season, Hosmer played in 151 games for the Padres, posting a .269/.337/.395 slash line with 12 home runs and 65 RBIs. In 2022, he appeared in 90 games for San Diego through
5992-402: The Royals general manager Dayton Moore and Boras, operating as Hosmer's agent, negotiated a deal. During negotiations, Hosmer helped lead his team, based in Cincinnati , to a second-place finish at the American Amateur Baseball Congress Connie Mack World Series. The two sides agreed to a contract ten minutes before the signing deadline for drafted players on August 15, 2008. Hosmer received
6099-402: The Royals announced they had signed Hosmer to a one-year contract for the 2012 season. No financial terms of the deal were released. During spring training, Hosmer led all players with 29 RBIs and had a slugging percentage of .714. Discussing Hosmer's spring training, Royals Hall of Famer George Brett said, "He's a baseball player... He acts like a baseball player. And boy, he's going to be
6206-607: The Special Baseball Records Committee of Major League Baseball officially recognized six major leagues: the National League, American League, American Association, Union Association (1884), Players' League (1890), and Federal League (1914–1915). The status of the National Association as a major league has been a point of dispute among baseball researchers; while its statistics are not recognized by Major League Baseball, its statistics are included with those of other major leagues by some baseball reference websites, such as Retrosheet . Some researchers, including Nate Silver , dispute
6313-402: The Texas League championship. The Royals' farm system was ranked number one in baseball entering the 2011 season, led by Hosmer and another top prospect, third baseman Mike Moustakas . Most baseball critics agreed that the Royals, a team known for mediocrity the past two decades, would be a contender within a couple of years; they had nine prospects in Baseball America ' s top 100,
6420-404: The United States and Canada . One of the "Big Four" major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada , MLB comprises 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. Formed in 1876 and 1901, respectively, the NL and AL cemented their cooperation with the National Agreement in 1903, making MLB
6527-486: The World Series in exchange for a ring worth $ 100,000 ($ 1,712,780.35 in 2022 dollars). Despite being acquitted, all were permanently banned from Major League Baseball. Baseball's popularity increased in the 1920s and 1930s. The 1920 season was notable for the death of Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians . Chapman, who was struck in the head by a pitch and died a few hours later, became the only MLB player to die of an on-field injury. Both leagues quickly began to require
SECTION 60
#17328552426746634-436: The Year twice by the Miami Herald , a member of the Rawlings High School Gold Glove team and the American Amateur Baseball Congress Connie Mack MVP award. Hosmer was offered a baseball scholarship to Arizona State University . Hosmer planned to attend Arizona State if negotiations with an MLB team did not go through. He was named as one of the top five prep baseball players in the country by several scouting agencies by
6741-454: The award in back-to-back years). The award has been shared by multiple players once; Bill Madlock and Jon Matlack shared the award in 1975 . Two players have won the award for a game in which their league lost: Brooks Robinson in 1966 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970 . One pair of awardees were father and son ( Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. ), and another were brothers ( Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr. ). Three players have won
6848-474: The cancellation of 713 total games and resulted in a split-season format. In 1985, Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb 's all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit, and in 1989 Rose received a lifetime ban from baseball as a result of betting on baseball games while manager of the Cincinnati Reds . Rose was the first person to receive a lifetime ban from baseball since 1943. 1985 also saw the Pittsburgh drug trials which involved players who were called to testify before
6955-403: The center field fence, and the Huntington Avenue Grounds of the Boston Red Sox , which was 635 feet (194 m) to the center field fence, thus home runs were rare, and "small ball" tactics such as singles , bunts , stolen bases , and the hit-and-run play dominated the strategies of the time. Hitting methods like the Baltimore chop were used to increase the number of infield singles. On
7062-443: The club was no longer in the running for the league championship, which happened frequently under the NA. A concerted effort was made to curb gambling on games, which was leaving the validity of results in doubt. The first game in the NL—on Saturday, April 22, 1876 (at Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia )—is often pointed to as the beginning of MLB. The early years of the NL were tumultuous, with threats from rival leagues and
7169-573: The condition of the baseball itself. The baseball used American rather than the modern Australian wool yarn and was not wound as tightly, affecting the distance that it would travel. More significantly, balls were kept in play until they were mangled, soft and sometimes lopsided. During this era, a baseball cost three dollars, equal to $ 52.72 today (in inflation-adjusted USD ), and owners were reluctant to purchase new balls. Fans were expected to throw back fouls and (rare) home runs. Baseballs also became stained with tobacco juice, grass, and mud, and sometimes
7276-403: The creation of his own media company, MoonBall Media. Although he had opportunities to continue playing, Hosmer felt that both his focus and physical abilities were not where they should be to justify continuing his playing career. Hosmer played for Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic . He hit the go-ahead home run in a second-round comeback win over the team from Venezuela. Following
7383-422: The deal. Upon joining the Red Sox, Hosmer played as the team's primary first baseman. He was placed on the injured list on August 23, due to low back inflammation, and reactivated on October 3 for the final series of the season. In 14 games for Boston, Hosmer batted .244/.320/.311 with four RBIs. On December 16, he was designated for assignment by the Red Sox following the acquisition of Wyatt Mills . Hosmer
7490-404: The first major league franchise on the West Coast. O'Malley also helped persuade the rival New York Giants to move west to become the San Francisco Giants. Giants owner Horace Stoneham had been contemplating a move to Minnesota amid slumping attendance at the aging Polo Grounds ballpark when O'Malley invited him to meet San Francisco Mayor George Christopher in New York. After Stoneham
7597-428: The first week of April. Six teams in each league then advance to a four-round postseason tournament in October, culminating in the World Series , a best-of-seven championship series between the two league champions first played in 1903. The New York Yankees have the most championships with 27. The reigning champions are the Los Angeles Dodgers , who defeated the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series . MLB
7704-570: The founding of the Cincinnati club. The NABBP split into an amateur organization and a professional organization. The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , often known as the National Association (NA), was formed in 1871. Its amateur counterpart disappeared after only a few years. The modern Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves franchises trace their histories back to the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in
7811-510: The game in the 1970s and 1980s. Home runs dominated the game during the 1990s. In the mid-2000s, media reports disclosed the use of anabolic steroids among MLB players; a 2006–07 investigation produced the Mitchell Report , which found that many players had used steroids and other performance-enhancing substances , including at least one player from each team. Each team plays 162 games per season, with Opening Day traditionally held during
7918-508: The go-ahead run in Game 6 of the ALCS . In Game 1 of the 2015 World Series , Hosmer overtook Brett's record for the most RBIs in the postseason with a walk-off sacrifice fly to bring in Alcides Escobar in the 14th inning, representing Hosmer's 25th postseason RBI and helping atone for an eighth-inning error that helped the Mets take a one-run lead. Hosmer starred again in Game 2 with two hits,
8025-429: The hole " between the corner and middle infielders. Starting pitchers were no longer expected to throw complete games ; it was enough for a starter to pitch 6–7 innings and turn the game over to the team's closer , a position which grew in importance over these decades. As stolen bases increased, home run totals dropped. After Willie Mays hit 52 home runs in 1965, only one player ( George Foster ) reached that mark until
8132-515: The juice of licorice, which some players would chew for the purpose of discoloring the ball. Also, pitchers could manipulate the ball through the use of the spitball (In 1921, use of this pitch was restricted to a few pitchers with a grandfather clause ). Additionally, many ballparks had large dimensions, such as the West Side Grounds of the Chicago Cubs, which was 560 feet (170 m) to
8239-592: The major league clubs, and the MLB Draft League , a hybrid amateur-professional showcase league. MLB and the World Baseball Softball Confederation jointly manage the international World Baseball Classic tournament. In the 1860s, aided by soldiers playing the game in camp during the Civil War , "New York"-style baseball expanded into a national game and spawned baseball's first governing body,
8346-641: The major leagues. Satchel Paige was signed by the Indians and the Dodgers added star catcher Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe , who was later the first winner of the Cy Young Award for his outstanding pitching. MLB banned the signing of women to contracts in 1952, but that ban was lifted in 1992. There have been no female MLB players since then. From 1903 to 1952, the major leagues consisted of two eight-team leagues whose 16 teams were located in ten cities, all in
8453-557: The major-league status of the Union Association by pointing out that franchises came and went and that the St. Louis club was deliberately "stacked"; the St. Louis club was owned by the league's president and it was the only club that was close to major-league caliber. In December 2020, Major League Baseball announced its recognition of seven leagues within Negro league baseball as major leagues:
8560-673: The man who conceived of the All-Star Game in 1933. The award's name was changed to the Commissioner's Trophy in 1970, but this name change was reversed in 1985 when the World Series Trophy was renamed the Commissioner's Trophy . Finally, the trophy was renamed the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award in 2002, in honor of former Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams , who had died earlier that year. No award
8667-525: The minor leagues, he was assigned to the Burlington Bees in the Class A Midwest League . At Burlington, Hosmer struggled at the plate. By June 1, he had hit only one home run in 31 games while leading the team in strikeouts. He missed some time with a left pinkie finger injury. At the end of the season, Hosmer hit .241 with six home runs. He later referred to the 2009 season as "a tough year". In 2010, Hosmer
8774-477: The most awards for a single franchise (with six); players from the Cincinnati Reds , Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are tied for the most in the NL with five each. Five players have won the award twice: Willie Mays ( 1963 , 1968 ), Steve Garvey ( 1974 , 1978 ), Gary Carter ( 1981 , 1984 ), Cal Ripken Jr. ( 1991 , 2001 ), and Mike Trout ( 2014 , 2015 , becoming the only player to win
8881-471: The nature of professional baseball, putting a higher premium on speed and defense over home-run hitting power since the fields were often too big for teams to expect to hit many home runs and foul balls hit in the air could more easily be caught for outs. Teams began to be built around pitching—particularly their bullpens—and speed on the basepaths. Artificial surfaces meant balls traveled quicker and bounced higher, so it became easier to hit ground balls " in
8988-527: The northeastern and mid-western United States: New York City had three teams and Boston , Chicago, Philadelphia , and St. Louis each had two teams. St. Louis was the southernmost and westernmost city with a major league team. The longest possible road trip, from Boston to St. Louis, took about 24 hours by railroad. After a half-century of stability, starting in the 1950s, teams began to move out of cities with multiple teams into cities that had not had them before. From 1953 to 1955, three teams moved to new cities:
9095-578: The oldest major professional sports league in the world. They remained legally separate entities until 2000, when they merged into a single organization led by the commissioner of baseball . MLB is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan . Baseball's first all-professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings , was founded in 1869. The first few decades of professional baseball saw rivalries between leagues, and players often jumped from one team or league to another. These practices were essentially ended by
9202-515: The point that the 1942 season was nearly canceled. On January 14, 1942, MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt , pleading for the continuation of baseball during the war. Roosevelt responded, "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before. And that means that they ought to have
9309-518: The relatively weak National Commission was replaced with a powerful commissioner of baseball with near-unlimited authority over the sport. MLB rose in popularity in the decade following the Black Sox Scandal, and unlike major leagues in other sports it endured the Great Depression and World War II without any of its teams folding. Shortly after the war, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier . Some teams moved to different cities in
9416-522: The resulting bidding war for players led to widespread contract-breaking and legal disputes. The war between the AL and NL caused shock waves throughout the baseball world. At a meeting at the Leland Hotel in Chicago in 1901, the other baseball leagues negotiated a plan to maintain their independence. A new National Association was formed to oversee these minor leagues. After 1902, the NL, AL, and NA signed
9523-489: The season with a .232/.304/.359 slash line to go along with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs. In 2013, Hosmer's defense earned him his first Gold Glove Award . He finished the year with a .302 batting average, 17 home runs, and 79 RBI. On July 20, 2014, in a game against the Boston Red Sox , Hosmer was hit in the hand by a pitch from Jon Lester . At first, he was only day-to-day with a bruised hand. However, on July 31, in
9630-460: The season. On May 11 at Yankee Stadium , Hosmer started as the cleanup hitter for the Royals; he hit his first MLB home run off Yankees pitcher A. J. Burnett . In his first month with the Royals, he hit .283 with five home runs, and was named the Royals Player of the Month. His batting average fell 14 points by the end of June, with manager Ned Yost citing "impatience at the plate". He hit
9737-440: The start of August, batting .272 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs. On August 2, 2022, Hosmer and two minor-league players ( Max Ferguson and Corey Rosier) plus cash considerations were traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor-league pitcher Jay Groome . Hosmer was originally slated to be included in a blockbuster trade to the Washington Nationals for Juan Soto ; however, Hosmer exercised his no-trade clause against
9844-539: The state, and as far as Cooperstown, New York , home of the Baseball Hall of Fame , to play in baseball tournaments. At home, Hosmer watched Florida Marlins games to study the hitting techniques of the team's players in order to improve his skills. His father helped him with batting practice after finishing long shifts at work, while his mother helped with his homework and recorded every baseball game to evaluate Hosmer's baseball ability and further hone his skills. By
9951-534: The team was in the top 10 in USA Today ' s Super 25 rankings for most of the year and won a state championship. He attracted twenty or more MLB and college scouts who evaluated Hosmer's every move. Several of his amateur home runs had popularity in YouTube , which caught the attention of sports agent Scott Boras . He received many achievements while in high school including being named as Florida's Baseball Player of
10058-405: The time Hosmer reached high school, he worked out "close to seven hours a day" and mainly ate protein, which helped form his muscular build. Hosmer's family hired Bladimir Marrero, a highly regarded hitting instructor, to help with their son's skills. Hosmer grew up a New York Yankees fan. By the time Hosmer was a teenager, he was a member of several Little League baseball squads that won
10165-399: The time he graduated in 2008, including number two by Rivals.com and third by both RISE Magazine and Sports Illustrated . As "one of high school baseball top power hitters" by scouts , and a consensus top 10 pick, Hosmer was chosen by the Kansas City Royals in the first round (third overall selection) of the 2008 MLB draft . Hosmer remained unsigned for most of the summer while
10272-512: The use of new, white baseballs whenever a ball became scuffed or dirty, helping bring the "dead-ball" era to an end. The following year, the New York Yankees made their first World Series appearance. By the end of the 1930s, the team had appeared in 11 World Series, winning eight of them. Yankees slugger Babe Ruth had set the single-season home run record in 1927, hitting 60 home runs; breaking his own record of 29 home runs. Afflicted by
10379-399: Was "absorbing the available Negro Leagues numbers into the official historical record." The period between 1900 and 1919 is commonly referred to as the "dead-ball era". Games of this era tended to be low-scoring and were often dominated by pitchers, such as Walter Johnson , Cy Young , Christy Mathewson , Mordecai Brown , and Grover Cleveland Alexander . The term also accurately describes
10486-841: Was a result of players using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs . In 1993, the National League added the Florida Marlins in Miami and the Colorado Rockies in Denver . In 1998, the Brewers switched leagues by joining the National League, and two new teams were added: the National League's Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix and the American League's Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Tampa Bay . Eric Hosmer Eric John Hosmer (born October 24, 1989)
10593-421: Was being touted by journalists as a "super-prospect" and the "most-hyped" rookie to debut for the Royals since Bo Jackson . The Royals promoted Hosmer before a mid-June deadline in which the Royals could have avoided salary arbitration for an extra year. Hosmer went hitless in two at-bats, striking out twice. He also walked twice and stole a base in a 3–2 loss as the Royals had the second biggest crowd of
10700-576: Was born four years later in Miami. Growing up in Cooper City , Hosmer credited his family for helping him succeed as a baseball player. He began playing baseball at an early age, using a Tony Gwynn teeball hitter to take practice swings. His father volunteered to work 48-hour shifts in a firehouse in Liberty City to focus on his son's baseball games, which he usually coached. The Hosmers traveled all over
10807-585: Was hitting .388 with a .571 slugging percentage . He played in the 2010 All-Star Futures Game , and had four hits and two RBI in a 9–1 victory. For his efforts, Hosmer was promoted to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the Class AA Texas League on July 17, where he homered in his first at-bat. During the playoffs Hosmer hit six home runs, the second highest total by a player in a single Texas League playoff series. The team went on to win
10914-603: Was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment", Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s, joining the Dodgers' farm club, the Montreal Royals , for the 1946 season. The following year, the Dodgers called up Robinson to the major leagues. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. Black baseball fans began flocking to see
11021-621: Was named the seventh best first base prospect by Scout.com. He started the season with the Royals' Class A-Advanced affiliate, the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Carolina League . where his struggles continued. He was soon diagnosed with astigmatism , an eye condition, and had laser surgery to correct the problem. Hosmer returned to the Blue Rocks a week later; with the eye issue addressed, his hitting immediately improved. By May 23 he
11128-449: Was persuaded to move to California, Time magazine put O'Malley on its cover. MLB Commissioner Ford C. Frick had opposed the meeting, but the dual moves proved successful for both franchises—and for MLB. Had the Dodgers moved out west alone, the St. Louis Cardinals —1,600 mi (2,575 km) away —would have been the closest NL team. Instead, the joint move made West Coast road trips economical for visiting teams. The Dodgers set
11235-505: Was presented for the 2002 All-Star Game , which ended in a tie. Thus, the Anaheim Angels ' Garret Anderson was the first recipient of the newly named Ted Williams Award in 2003 . The All-Star Game Most Valuable Player also receives a Chevrolet vehicle. As of 2023, NL players have won the award 28 times (including one award shared by two players), and American League (AL) players have won 33 times. Baltimore Orioles players have won
11342-513: Was released on December 22. On January 13, 2023, Hosmer signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs . He played in 31 games for the Cubs, with a .234 batting average, two home runs and 14 RBI before he was designated for assignment on May 19. Hosmer was released by the Cubs on May 25. On February 21, 2024, Hosmer announced his retirement from playing in an Instagram post while also announcing
11449-536: Was the MVP of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game , and was a member of the 2015 World Series champion Royals. After the 2017 season, Hosmer became a free agent , and signed an eight-year contract with the Padres. During the 2022 season, the Padres traded him to the Red Sox. The Red Sox released him after the season, and he signed a one-year contract with the Cubs. Hosmer's father, Mike, is a retired firefighter, and his mother, Ileana,
#673326