How Many People Have Won The Triple Crown in Baseball?

How many people have won the Triple Crown in baseball? The answer may surprise you.

Introduction

Since 1878, only two dozen players have won baseball’s Triple Crown--leading their league in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in during the same season. It’s one of the most revered achievements in all of sports, and it’s also one of the rarest. Winning the Triple Crown is so tough, in fact, that it hasn’t been done since 1967, when Boston Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat. That’s more than 50 years ago! So how many people have won the Triple Crown in baseball? We’ll take a look at that question in this article.

Players Who Have Won The Triple Crown

The Triple Crown in baseball is a feat that has only been accomplished 14 times in the history of the sport. The Triple Crown is awarded to a hitter who lead his league in three specific statistical categories. Those categories are batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. The first player to ever win the Triple Crown was Hall of Famer Ty Cobb.

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth is not only one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but he’s also one of only 17 players in the history of the sport to have won the Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown is awarded to a hitter who, in a single season, finishes first in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI). It’s one of the rarest achievements in baseball, and Ruth’s 1927 season was truly special. That year, he hit a staggering 60 home runs (a then-single season record), drove in 164 RBI (also a record at the time), and hit for a batting average of .359. He was the first player to ever win 30 homers and bat .350 in the same season.

Ruth’s Triple Crown wasn’t just impressive because of the numbers he put up; it was also historic because he didn’t just lead the league in all three categories, he did so by a considerable margin. In home runs, he finished 12 ahead of his nearest competitor; in batting average, he was 43 points ahead; and in RBI, he was an astonishing 69 ahead of second place. To this day, Ruth’s 1927 Triple Crown is considered one of the most dominant performances in baseball history.

Rogers Hornsby

Rogers Hornsby is the most recent player to have won the Triple Crown. He accomplished the feat in 1922 while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. That year, Hornsby led the National League in batting average (.372), home runs (42) and RBIs (152).

Lou Gehrig

As one of the most renowned and celebrated athletes of his time, Gehrig’s accomplishments on the baseball field speak for themselves. In addition to being a two-time World Series champion, Gehrig was also a six-time MLB All-Star and won the Triple Crown in 1934. That year, he helped lead the Yankees to a record-setting win streak of 21 games, and finished the season with a batting average of .363, 49 home runs, and 165 RBIs.

Jimmie Foxx

Jimmie Foxx was the first player in MLB history to win the Triple Crown twice, accomplishing the feat in 1933 with the Philadelphia Athletics and again in 1938 with the Boston Red Sox. He is also one of only four players to have won the Triple Crown in both the American League and the National League, along with Alex Rodriguez, Chuck Klein, and Stan Musial.

Ted Williams

Ted Williams is the last player to win baseball’s Triple Crown, achieving the feat in the 1941 season. He led the American League in home runs (37), batting average (.406), and runs batted in (120). Williams’ batting average that year was the last time a Major League player has hit over .400 for an entire season.

Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees as a center fielder and first baseman, from 1951 to 1968. Mantle is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Mantle was a switch-hitter and is one of only four Players in MLB history to win the Triple Crown, leading the league in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in (RBIs) during the same season. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson became the first African American manager in baseball history when he was named player-manager of the Cleveland Indians on October 3, 1974. He led the team to a record of 81-80, good for second place in the American League West.

Robinson was named Manager of the Year by The Sporting News, becoming the first black manager so honored. The following year, he guided the Indians to a record of 79-83, again good for second place in the AL West. After being fired by the Indians following the 1976 season, Robinson was hired as manager of the San Francisco Giants.

In his two seasons with the Giants, Robinson compiled a record of 174-158, leading the team to a second-place finish in 1977 and a first-place finish in 1978. He was named National League Manager of the Year by both The Sporting News and UPI in 1978. Robinson was hired as manager of the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 1988 season.

He led the Orioles to a record of 87-75, good for second place in the AL East. After being fired by the Orioles following the 1991 season, Robinson returned to Cleveland to manage the Indians for one season (1992). He then managedthe NL expansion Colorado Rockies for two seasons (1993-1994), before being hired as manager ofthe Oakland Athletics prior to the 1997 season.

In his three seasons with Oakland, Robinson compiled a record of 251-236, leading the team to acontinental Division title in 1998 and back-to-back appearances in the AL Championship Series(1998-1999). After being fired by Oakland following the 1999 season, Robinson served as an assistantto Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and then as special advisor to Commissioner Fay Vincent.

Carl Yastrzemski

Carl Yastrzemski is an American former professional baseball player who was an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.

Yastrzemski is an 18-time All-Star, the possessor of three Gold Glove Awards, a member of the 3,000 hit club, and a member of the 400 home run club. He is fourth on the all-time list for games played, and recorded the most total bases in Red Sox history. He is second on both the Red Sox’s all-time home run list behind Ted Williams and the team’s all-time RBI list behind Jim Rice.

Yastrzemski was born in Southampton, New York to Polish American parents. He grew up in Connecticut where he attended Notre Dame High School. Yastrzemski received interest from numerous Major League Baseball teams but chose to play collegiate baseball at Michigan State University where he stayed for two years before being drafted by Boston as its 20th overall pick in 1963 amateur draft.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there have only been three winners of the coveted Triple Crown in baseball history. Although it is a rare feat, it is one that is achievable with dedication and skill. If you are a fan of baseball, then you should definitely root for a Triple Crown winner!