Commissioner's Trophy (MLB)

The Commissioner's Trophy is a trophy presented each year by the Commissioner of Baseball to the MLB team that wins the World Series. Recent trophy designs contain flags representing each team in North America's top two leagues, the National League and the American League.[1][2] The two participating teams in that year's World Series were previously represented by two press pins set on the base of the trophy. It is the only championship trophy of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada in North America that is not named after a particular person[3] (contrasting with the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup,[4] Major League Soccer's Philip F. Anschutz Trophy,[5] the National Basketball Association's Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy,[6] and the National Football League's Vince Lombardi Trophy).[7]

This article is about Major League Baseball's championship trophy. For the award known as the Commissioner's Trophy from 1970 to 1984, see Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award. For a list of Commissioner's Trophy winners, see List of World Series champions. For the similarly named historical award, see Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award.

The 1969 trophy on display at Citi Field

Adam Eaton holds the 2019 trophy

History

See also: World Series

Although it was named in 1985, the trophy was first awarded in 1967, when the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox.[8]

The trophy was not without precedent in Major League baseball: the Dauvray Cup (named after actress Helen Dauvray) was awarded to the winner of the World Series between the National League and the American Association from 1887 to 1890, and when a solitary major league remained, to the winner of the National League pennant, from 1891 to 1893. The Dauvray Cup was to be held by the victorious team, and was to be relinquished the following year when (and if) a new champion team emerged.[9] The Dauvray Cup mysteriously vanished following the 1893 series and has never been located. From 1894 to 1897, the Temple Cup was awarded to the winner of a postseason contest between the two top National League clubs.[10]

A new Commissioner's Trophy is created each year, much like the Anschutz Trophy, the O'Brien Trophy and the Lombardi Trophy. In contrast, hockey's Stanley Cup is passed from champion to champion.[11] Before 1997, the trophy was presented in the winners locker room. Since then the presentation occurs on the field if the champion clinches the title in their home stadium.[12] Beginning in 2017, when the Houston Astros won the World Series at Dodger Stadium, the championship presentation occurs on the field even if the champion clinches the title on the road.[13]

Since its inception, the only year that the Commissioner's Trophy has not been awarded was 1994, when the players' strike ended the season on August 11, resulting in the cancellation of the entire post-season.[14] The New York Yankees have won the most Commissioner's Trophies, winning seven World Series since 1967.[15] The St. Louis Cardinals have won four trophies, a National League record.[15]

On October 31, 2018, during the parade celebrating the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series, the trophy was damaged by a beer can thrown by a spectator of the parade;[16] it was subsequently repaired.

In 2020, in discussing the punishments for the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal, commissioner Rob Manfred referred to the Commissioner's Trophy as "a piece of metal." Following criticism for the dismissive nature of the remark, Manfred issued a public apology.[17]

Design

The trophy is 24 inches (61 cm) tall, excluding the base, and has a diameter of 11 inches (28 cm).[1] It weighs approximately 30 pounds (14 kg)[18] and is composed of sterling silver. The trophy features 30 gold-plated flags, one for each Major League team. The flags rise above a silver baseball which is covered with latitude and longitude lines, symbolizing the world.,[11] and which features 24-karat vermeil stitching.[1] The base contains an inscription copy of the signature of the commissioner[1] and the words "Presented by the Commissioner of Baseball".[18]

The original 1967 trophy was designed by Balfour Jewelers of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and cost $2,500 (equivalent to $19,169 in 2019).[19] The trophy was redesigned by Tiffany & Co. and unveiled in 2000.[20]

By franchise

This table lists the teams that have won the Commissioner's Trophy since it was introduced in 1967. For a complete history of MLB championship teams, see List of World Series champions.

Team	Trophies	Seasons
New York Yankees	7	1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009
Boston Red Sox	4	2004, 2007, 2013, 2018
Oakland Athletics	4	1972, 1973, 1974, 1989
St. Louis Cardinals	4	1967, 1982, 2006, 2011
Cincinnati Reds	3	1975, 1976, 1990
San Francisco Giants	3	2010, 2012, 2014
Baltimore Orioles	2	1970, 1983
Detroit Tigers	2	1968, 1984
Kansas City Royals	2	1985, 2015
Los Angeles Dodgers	2	1981, 1988
Miami Marlins	2	1997, 2003
Minnesota Twins	2	1987, 1991
New York Mets	2	1969, 1986
Philadelphia Phillies	2	1980, 2008
Pittsburgh Pirates	2	1971, 1979
Toronto Blue Jays	2	1992, 1993
Arizona Diamondbacks	1	2001
Atlanta Braves	1	1995
Chicago White Sox	1	2005
Chicago Cubs	1	2016
Houston Astros	1	2017
Los Angeles Angels	1	2002
Washington Nationals	1	2019

See also

• Chronicle-Telegraph Cup

References

1. "Phillies Announce World Series Trophy Tour Presented by Teva Pharmaceuticals and Comcast SportsNet". PR Newswire Association. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
2. "Tiffany & Co. Sports Trophies". Tiffany & Co. September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
3. Terwilliger, Wayne; Peterson, Nancy and Boehm, Peter (2006). Terwilliger Bunts One. Globe Pequot. p. 233. ISBN 0-7627-4310-7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. Shea, Kevin (August 22, 2004). "Stanley Cup Journal". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
5. Boehm, Charles (December 3, 2017). "What's the Cup? Get to know the MLS Cup's Philip F Anschutz Trophy". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
6. "December 2004: Picture This". National Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original on September 29, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
7. "Vince Lombardi Trophy: A Tiffany Piece Money Can't Buy". ABC News. February 3, 2016.
8. Rhodes, Greg; Castellini, Robert (2007). Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Highlights. Clerisy Press. p. 81. ISBN 1-57860-300-5. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
9. Thorn, John, "Baseball’s Lost Chalice, Part 2", at MLB.com, November 3, 2011
10. Thorn, John, "Baseball’s Lost Chalice, Part 3", at MLB.com, November 4, 2011
11. Scheiber, Dave (October 22, 2008). "Rays shots". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
12. "5 Things You Didn't Know About The World Series Trophy". WBZ-TV. October 31, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
13. "Houston Astros World Series Trophy Presentation and Owner Speech". YouTube. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
14. Zirin, David (August 18, 2004). "The MLB Strike - 25 Years in the Making". Buzzle editorials. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2008.
15. "Playoff and World Series Stats and Results". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
16. Boren, Cindy, "The World Series trophy was broken when a beer can slammed into it", at washingtonpost.com, November 1, 2018
17. Gonzalez, Alden (19 February 2020). "Manfred: Mistake to call WS trophy 'piece of metal'". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
18. "World Series trophy profile". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. December 5, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
19. "Majors Award Series Trophy," The Portland Oregonian, October 10, 1967, sports section page 3, wire service report attributed to The New York News.
20. Dickson, Paul (2011). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third ed.). W. W. Norton & Company. p. 209. ISBN 9780393073492. Retrieved 1 November 2019.

External links