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08-16-2001, 04:27 PM
One of the most powerful and consistent righthanded hitters of the dead-ball era, Lajoie is often rated the greatest second baseman in baseball history. Handsome, graceful, talented, and popular with both fans and teammates, he was an important figure in the launching of the AL and the survival of the Cleveland franchise. In 1937, he became the sixth player elected to the Hall of Fame. Lajoie joined the NL Phillies during the 1896 season and played first base in 39 games. The following year he became a regular, hit .363, and led the NL in slugging percentage (.578). He moved to second base in 1898 and led the league in RBI (127) and doubles (40). In 1901 he jumped across town to the new AL Athletics of Connie Mack, giving the fledgling league instant credibility. Although the young AL was not yet on a par with the established NL, Lajoie's batting marks were nevertheless exceptional. He led in hits (229), doubles (48), home runs (14), runs scored (145), and RBI (125). His .422 batting average still stands as a league record.
The next year the Phillies obtained an injunction forbidding Lajoie from playing in Pennsylvania. As a defense against unpredictable court proceedings, AL president Ban Johnson transferred Lajoie's contract to Cleveland, where his arrival instantly invigorated a moribund franchise. Although Lajoie led the AL in batting twice more, hitting .355 in 1903 and .381 in 1904, the race he lost to Ty Cobb in 1910 is a piece of baseball legend. The 1910 batting title was hotly contested, with a Chalmers automobile to go to the leading batter. Most of the baseball world rooted for the popular Lajoie and against the hotheaded Cobb, who had won the three previous titles. On the final day of the season, Lajoie bunted for seven infield hits and swung for a triple in a doubleheader at St. Louis. St. Louis manager Jack O'Connor was ultimately fired when it was revealed that he had ordered his third baseman to play deep against Lajoie. Lajoie finished second by a point despite the machinations but received an auto anyway. Later historical research by The Sporting News revealed Lajoie 's .384 average actually should have won the title. Cobb's official average of .385 was inflated because one of his games was inadvertently counted twice. In a dispute that rose to the highest baseball levels, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ruled in 1981 that the mistake would not be corrected.
Playing in the dead-ball era, Lajoie was not a home run hitter. He was, however, a powerful, righthanded pull hitter and his smashes down the left-field foul line were legendary. His 648 doubles rank tenth all-time and he hit ten or more triples in seven seasons. He finished his career with 3,251 hits. In the field, the 6'1" 195-lb Lajoie was known for his grace despite being considerably bigger than most infielders of his day. He had excellent speed and good hands. He managed the Cleveland team from 1905 to 1909 and during that time the club was called the Naps in his honor. He stepped down voluntarily because he believed his managing duties were hurting his play and ultimately hurting the team. His only sub-.300 batting marks (until his final three seasons) came while he was the Cleveland manager.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
» April 24th, 1897: Nap Lajoie has a big day with 2 singles, one double, 3 triples, and 3 errors in the Phillies' 12-4 win over New York.
» May 10th, 1897: Nap Lajoie slugs 2 HRs and a double to lead Philadelphia to a 13-1 rout of St. Louis.
» August 27th, 1897: At Philadelphia, Nap Lajoie shows up intoxicated for the game with Pittsburgh and is suspended.
» May 4th, 1898: Nap Lajoie of the Phillies goes 0-for-4 after 22 hits in the first 11 games.
» June 2nd, 1899: Nap Lajoie homers in the last of the 9th, as the Phillies beat Pittsburgh 4-3.
» July 24th, 1899: Nap Lajoie is confined to bed with water on the knee and will miss about 2 months of the season.
» May 31st, 1900: The Phillies' Nap Lajoie suffers a broken hand trying to punch teammate Elmer Flick. Nap is sidelined and suspended without pay for 5 weeks.
» July 12th, 1900: Frank "Noodles" Hahn of Cincinnati twirls a 4-0 no-hitter over Philadelphia. The Reds lefty gives up five walks to the visiting Quakers who are playing without Nap Lajoie.
» April 25th, 1901: Nap Lajoie has 3 hits in the Athletic' first game, and will have 3 in the 2nd game and 4 in the 3rd on the way to an AL-record .422 batting average.
» May 23rd, 1901: Philadelphia's Nap Lajoie is intentionally walked with the bases loaded by the White Stockings.
» August 10th, 1901: For the second game in a row, Nap Lajoie of the Athletics hits two HRs in a victory over Washington. He will lead the AL with 14. Added to 125 RBI and a .422 batting average, he earns the Triple Crown.
» April 21st, 1902: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, reversing a lower court's decision, grants a permanent injunction (effective only in Pennsylvania) barring jumpers Nap Lajoie, Chick Fraser, and Bill Bernhard from playing for the A's, or any team but the Phillies. Not mentioned, but covered by the decision, are: Elmer Flick, Monte Cross, and Bill Duggleby of the A's; Ed Delahanty, Al Orth, Harry Wolverton, and Jack Townsend of Washington; Ed McFarland (White Stockings) and Red Donahue (Browns).
» August 8th, 1903: Furious when an old black ball is put into play against Cleveland in the last of the 11th and his objections are ignored by umpire Tommy Connolly, Blues 2B Nap Lajoie hurls the ball over the grandstand, suffering the loss of the game to Detroit by forfeit.
» June 30th, 1905: Nap Lajoie is sidelined by blood poisoning from neglect of a spike wound. He will play in only 65 games, losing a chance to lead the AL in batting for the fifth straight year.
» September 4th, 1907: For his 32nd birthday tomorrow, Cleveland fans give manager Nap Lajoie a wagonload of gifts, including a live black sheep. Addie Joss pitches a one-hitter against Detroit.
» August 17th, 1909: Nap Lajoie resigns as Cleveland manager with the team in sixth place, but he remains as a player.
» October 9th, 1910: The battle for the AL batting title is decided on the final day, when Detroit's Ty Cobb edges Cleveland's Nap Lajoie .3850687 to .3840947. Neither man covers himself with glory. Lajoie goes 8-for-8 in a doubleheader with the Browns, accepting 6 "gift" hits on bunt singles on which Browns rookie 3B Red Corridon is purposely stationed too deep to field. The prejudiced St. Louis scorer also credits popular Nap with a "hit" on the Brownie SS's wild throw to 1B. Cobb, meanwhile, rather than risk his average, sits out the last 2 games. Ban Johnson investigates and clears everyone concerned, enabling Cobb to win the 3rd of 9 straight batting crowns. The embarrassed Chalmers Auto Company awards cars to both Ty and Nap. In 1981 The Sporting News uncovers an error that, if corrected, would give the championship to Lajoie. The commissioner's committee votes unanimously to leave history unchanged.
» May 24th, 1911: An abdominal ailment sidelines Nap Lajoie. He will get into only 90 games for the year and bat .365.
» September 27th, 1914: Cleveland 2B Nap Lajoie collects his 3,000th ML hit, as the Indians defeat the Yankees 5-3.
» January 5th, 1915: Thirteen years after a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision effectively banned him from playing for the Athletics, Nap Lajoie rejoins them. With Lajoie leaving Cleveland, a local newpaper will run a contest to rename the Naps. The winning nickname will be the Indians, after the late Lou Sockalexis, a Penobscot Indian who was a popular Cleveland player in the late 1890's.
» April 22nd, 1915: A's newly acquired 2B Nap Lajoie makes 5 errors in a 7-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He is the last of 7 players to boot that many in one game.
» August 26th, 1916: After being knocked out of the box in three innings yesterday against Cleveland, the A's Joe Bush gets revenge by no-hitting Cleveland 5-0 in Philadelphia. It is Nap Lajoie's last major-league game. He goes 1-for-3 with a triple, and hits just .280 for the year; his last at bat is a fly to RF.
» December 9th, 1925: Nap Lajoie is named commissioner of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League.
» January 19th, 1937: Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, and Cy Young are voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.
» June 12th, 1939: The greatest gathering of members and future inductees of the Baseball Hall of Fame assembles in Cooperstown, NY, for the dedication of the museum. A six-inning game at Doubleday Field presents lineups studded with players who will be elected in the future, as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Nap Lajoie, George Sisler, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, and Connie Mack accept their plaques.
CAREER STATS
G-2580
AB-9589
R-1504
H-3242
2B-657
3B-163
HR-83
RBI-1599
SB-380
CS-21
BB-516
SO-85
AVG-.338
The next year the Phillies obtained an injunction forbidding Lajoie from playing in Pennsylvania. As a defense against unpredictable court proceedings, AL president Ban Johnson transferred Lajoie's contract to Cleveland, where his arrival instantly invigorated a moribund franchise. Although Lajoie led the AL in batting twice more, hitting .355 in 1903 and .381 in 1904, the race he lost to Ty Cobb in 1910 is a piece of baseball legend. The 1910 batting title was hotly contested, with a Chalmers automobile to go to the leading batter. Most of the baseball world rooted for the popular Lajoie and against the hotheaded Cobb, who had won the three previous titles. On the final day of the season, Lajoie bunted for seven infield hits and swung for a triple in a doubleheader at St. Louis. St. Louis manager Jack O'Connor was ultimately fired when it was revealed that he had ordered his third baseman to play deep against Lajoie. Lajoie finished second by a point despite the machinations but received an auto anyway. Later historical research by The Sporting News revealed Lajoie 's .384 average actually should have won the title. Cobb's official average of .385 was inflated because one of his games was inadvertently counted twice. In a dispute that rose to the highest baseball levels, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ruled in 1981 that the mistake would not be corrected.
Playing in the dead-ball era, Lajoie was not a home run hitter. He was, however, a powerful, righthanded pull hitter and his smashes down the left-field foul line were legendary. His 648 doubles rank tenth all-time and he hit ten or more triples in seven seasons. He finished his career with 3,251 hits. In the field, the 6'1" 195-lb Lajoie was known for his grace despite being considerably bigger than most infielders of his day. He had excellent speed and good hands. He managed the Cleveland team from 1905 to 1909 and during that time the club was called the Naps in his honor. He stepped down voluntarily because he believed his managing duties were hurting his play and ultimately hurting the team. His only sub-.300 batting marks (until his final three seasons) came while he was the Cleveland manager.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
» April 24th, 1897: Nap Lajoie has a big day with 2 singles, one double, 3 triples, and 3 errors in the Phillies' 12-4 win over New York.
» May 10th, 1897: Nap Lajoie slugs 2 HRs and a double to lead Philadelphia to a 13-1 rout of St. Louis.
» August 27th, 1897: At Philadelphia, Nap Lajoie shows up intoxicated for the game with Pittsburgh and is suspended.
» May 4th, 1898: Nap Lajoie of the Phillies goes 0-for-4 after 22 hits in the first 11 games.
» June 2nd, 1899: Nap Lajoie homers in the last of the 9th, as the Phillies beat Pittsburgh 4-3.
» July 24th, 1899: Nap Lajoie is confined to bed with water on the knee and will miss about 2 months of the season.
» May 31st, 1900: The Phillies' Nap Lajoie suffers a broken hand trying to punch teammate Elmer Flick. Nap is sidelined and suspended without pay for 5 weeks.
» July 12th, 1900: Frank "Noodles" Hahn of Cincinnati twirls a 4-0 no-hitter over Philadelphia. The Reds lefty gives up five walks to the visiting Quakers who are playing without Nap Lajoie.
» April 25th, 1901: Nap Lajoie has 3 hits in the Athletic' first game, and will have 3 in the 2nd game and 4 in the 3rd on the way to an AL-record .422 batting average.
» May 23rd, 1901: Philadelphia's Nap Lajoie is intentionally walked with the bases loaded by the White Stockings.
» August 10th, 1901: For the second game in a row, Nap Lajoie of the Athletics hits two HRs in a victory over Washington. He will lead the AL with 14. Added to 125 RBI and a .422 batting average, he earns the Triple Crown.
» April 21st, 1902: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, reversing a lower court's decision, grants a permanent injunction (effective only in Pennsylvania) barring jumpers Nap Lajoie, Chick Fraser, and Bill Bernhard from playing for the A's, or any team but the Phillies. Not mentioned, but covered by the decision, are: Elmer Flick, Monte Cross, and Bill Duggleby of the A's; Ed Delahanty, Al Orth, Harry Wolverton, and Jack Townsend of Washington; Ed McFarland (White Stockings) and Red Donahue (Browns).
» August 8th, 1903: Furious when an old black ball is put into play against Cleveland in the last of the 11th and his objections are ignored by umpire Tommy Connolly, Blues 2B Nap Lajoie hurls the ball over the grandstand, suffering the loss of the game to Detroit by forfeit.
» June 30th, 1905: Nap Lajoie is sidelined by blood poisoning from neglect of a spike wound. He will play in only 65 games, losing a chance to lead the AL in batting for the fifth straight year.
» September 4th, 1907: For his 32nd birthday tomorrow, Cleveland fans give manager Nap Lajoie a wagonload of gifts, including a live black sheep. Addie Joss pitches a one-hitter against Detroit.
» August 17th, 1909: Nap Lajoie resigns as Cleveland manager with the team in sixth place, but he remains as a player.
» October 9th, 1910: The battle for the AL batting title is decided on the final day, when Detroit's Ty Cobb edges Cleveland's Nap Lajoie .3850687 to .3840947. Neither man covers himself with glory. Lajoie goes 8-for-8 in a doubleheader with the Browns, accepting 6 "gift" hits on bunt singles on which Browns rookie 3B Red Corridon is purposely stationed too deep to field. The prejudiced St. Louis scorer also credits popular Nap with a "hit" on the Brownie SS's wild throw to 1B. Cobb, meanwhile, rather than risk his average, sits out the last 2 games. Ban Johnson investigates and clears everyone concerned, enabling Cobb to win the 3rd of 9 straight batting crowns. The embarrassed Chalmers Auto Company awards cars to both Ty and Nap. In 1981 The Sporting News uncovers an error that, if corrected, would give the championship to Lajoie. The commissioner's committee votes unanimously to leave history unchanged.
» May 24th, 1911: An abdominal ailment sidelines Nap Lajoie. He will get into only 90 games for the year and bat .365.
» September 27th, 1914: Cleveland 2B Nap Lajoie collects his 3,000th ML hit, as the Indians defeat the Yankees 5-3.
» January 5th, 1915: Thirteen years after a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision effectively banned him from playing for the Athletics, Nap Lajoie rejoins them. With Lajoie leaving Cleveland, a local newpaper will run a contest to rename the Naps. The winning nickname will be the Indians, after the late Lou Sockalexis, a Penobscot Indian who was a popular Cleveland player in the late 1890's.
» April 22nd, 1915: A's newly acquired 2B Nap Lajoie makes 5 errors in a 7-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He is the last of 7 players to boot that many in one game.
» August 26th, 1916: After being knocked out of the box in three innings yesterday against Cleveland, the A's Joe Bush gets revenge by no-hitting Cleveland 5-0 in Philadelphia. It is Nap Lajoie's last major-league game. He goes 1-for-3 with a triple, and hits just .280 for the year; his last at bat is a fly to RF.
» December 9th, 1925: Nap Lajoie is named commissioner of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League.
» January 19th, 1937: Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, and Cy Young are voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.
» June 12th, 1939: The greatest gathering of members and future inductees of the Baseball Hall of Fame assembles in Cooperstown, NY, for the dedication of the museum. A six-inning game at Doubleday Field presents lineups studded with players who will be elected in the future, as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Nap Lajoie, George Sisler, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, and Connie Mack accept their plaques.
CAREER STATS
G-2580
AB-9589
R-1504
H-3242
2B-657
3B-163
HR-83
RBI-1599
SB-380
CS-21
BB-516
SO-85
AVG-.338