Major League Baseball Triple Crown
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. When used without a modifier, the Triple Crown generally refers to a batter who has led either the National or American leagues in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI). The Triple Crown epitomizes three separate attributes of a good hitter: hitting for average, hitting for power, and producing runs. It has been accomplished 17 times, with Miguel Cabrera being the most recent to accomplish the feat in 2012, the first since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
The pitching Triple Crown is accomplished by a pitcher who has led the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average (ERA). The pitching Triple Crown has been accomplished 38 times, including 8 since 1997. Generally, the Triple Crown refers to leading a specific league such as the National League (NL) or the American League (AL) in these categories. However, if a player leads all of Major League Baseball in all three categories, he might be said to have captured a "Major League Triple Crown". Furthermore, it is not a requirement for a player to be the sole leader in each category; only a tie of first place in each category is needed in order to be eligible. Yastrzemski tied with Harmon Killebrew for the American League lead in home runs (44) when he won the Triple Crown in 1967.
Read more about Major League Baseball Triple Crown: Batting Triple Crown, Pitching Triple Crown, Records, Triple Crown Winners
Famous quotes containing the words major, league, baseball, triple and/or crown:
“Self-esteem evolves in kids primarily through the quality of our relationships with them. Because they can’t see themselves directly, children know themselves by reflection. For the first several years of their lives, you are their major influence. Later on, teachers and friends come into the picture. But especially at the beginning, you’re it with a capital I.”
—Stephanie Martson (20th century)
“Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
“Forward the Light Brigade!”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)
“How, in one short century, has this ersatz sport so strangled the consciousness of the country in the grip of its flabby tentacles that the mention of women’s baseball gets no reaction other than blank amazement?”
—Darlene Mehrer, As quoted in Women in Baseball. Ch. 6, by Gai Ingham Berlage (1994)
“Their martyred blood and ashes sow
O’er all the Italian fields where still doth sway
The triple tyrant; that from these may grow
A hundredfold, who, having learnt thy way,
Early may fly the Babylonian woe.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)
“The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”
—Bible: Hebrew Proverbs, 16:31.