Jul 02, 2018 | jfinlay | 1250 views
Player of the Week
Each week, The London West Tincaps Major Rookie team will select an MLB player of the week. This may be a current player on a hot streak, a former baseball great or someone we want to recognize and learn about.
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award is this weeks topic. The award, originally called the Arch Ward Memorial Award, was briefly called the Commissioner's Trophy. In 2002, it was changed to the name that is used today, the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award.
As of 2017, National League players have won the award 27 times (including one award shared by two players), and American League players have won 29 times. Baltimore Orioles players have won 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). 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.). Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim became the first player ever to win the MVP award in back-to-back years in the 86-year history of the MLB All-Star Game when he accomplished the feat in both 2014 and 2015.
This years All-Star game is being held at Nationals Park in Washington D.C on Tuesday July 17th and will be preceded by the Home Run Derby on Monday July 16th. If you haven't already, you can vote for your favorite players at mlb.com/all-star!