Touch Base Newsletter

The achievements of Major League Baseball teams and players are annually recognized with various awards and trophies. The most important team trophies are given to:

• The National League Champion - Warren C. Giles Trophy, named after the former National League President (1952-1969)
• The American League Champion - William Harridge Trophy, named after the former American League President (1931-1959)
• The World Series Champion – Commissioner’s Trophy

Most Valuable Player Awards:

The Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is given to one player in each league who contributed to the success of the player’s team. The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) vote on the winners at the end of the season and before the postseason begins. This recognition started in 1911, was not awarded between 1914 and 1921 resuming in various forms in 1922. The annual award as it is known today has been around since 1931.

Cy Young Awards:

Every year, the most outstanding pitcher in each league is honored with the Cy Young Award. From the first award in 1956 through1966, there was one winner across all of Major League Baseball. Beginning in 1967, a Cy Young was awarded to one pitcher in the American and one in the National League. The Baseball Writers Association of America votes on the Cy Young Award at the end of each season and before the postseason.

Rookie of the Year Awards:

The Rookie of the Year award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and one player on each team received the award. In 1947 the award became a national award (one winner only), and starting in 1949, the award was given to the most outstanding Rookie in each league.

Did You Know?

In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first national Rookie of the Year winner. The award was initially called the J. Louis Comiskey Memorial Award, after the Chicago White Sox owner of the 1930s. In 1987, the Rookie of the Year Award was renamed the Jackie Robinson Award, 40 years after Robinson broke baseball's color barrier.

Notable Alumni: Lorenzo "Piper" Davis, Lloyd "Pepper" Bassett, Nat Rogers, Willie Mays, and Ulysses Hollimon

During segregation, the Black Barons were an important part of the African-American community in Birmingham, Alabama. They were called "the gem of Southern black baseball." People who were not allowed to play in Major League Baseball could join the Black Barons and other Negro League teams. These men were heroes on the field and great examples for the people in the community who helped them. The legacy of the Black Barons, and all black baseball, is an important part of our "National Pastime."

In 1920, the Black Barons joined the Negro Southern League, which consisted of eight teams. Three years later, the Negro National League, the highest level of black baseball in the United States, gave Birmingham its first team. Over the next 20 years, the Black Barons developed into a competitive team and won three Negro League pennants in 1940, 1945, and 1948 and produced an outstanding athlete named Willie Mays.

Once Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, the most talented black baseball players began playing in Major League Baseball. The success of baseball integration led to the gradual decline of the black baseball and eventually the NL coming to an end. The Black Barons and Homestead Grays played in the last Negro League World Series in 1948, hoping to attract large crowds. Birmingham lost the series 4-1, but the league's shrinking fan base and small profits made clear the team's downfall.

Discover the life and career of baseball player, Willie Mays.

Willie Howard Mays, Jr.
Nickname: Say Hey Kid

Teams:
New York /San Francisco Giants
1951-1957/1958-1972

New York Mets
1972-1973

Primary position:
Center Fielder

Hall of Fame Induction:
1979

At age 16, Willie Mays joined the Birmingham Barons of the Negro American League. The New York Giants purchased his contract in 1950, and the following year, at the age of 20, he was the team’s centerfielder. Mays started slowly but got on track and won the NL Rookie of the Year award, helping the Giants erase a 13-game deficit to tie the Dodgers at the end of the 1951 regular season.

He spent most of 1952 and all of 1953 in the Army. Upon returning in 1954, Mays led the league with a .345 batting average and 13 triples while blasting 41 homers and ringing up 110 RBI helping his team win the pennant.

The Giants faced the Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series. With Game 1 tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth, runners on first and second, and no outs, Vic Wertz hit a towering drive to center field that would have been a home run in most parks. Mays, playing shallow, took off and ran with his back to the ball and caught it over his shoulder an estimated 460 feet from the plate. Many consider "The Catch" one of the greatest defensive plays in history. The Giants went on to win the game and sweep the Series.

Mays played 21 seasons with the Giants and finished his career with the Mets in 1972 and 1973. He hit over .300 ten times, had a career .302 batting average, and finished with 3,293 hits.
He was a two-time NL MVP (1954, 965), a 24-time All-Star (he won the All-Star Game MVP in 1963 and 1968), and won 12 Gold Glove Awards as a centerfielder.

Here's what you need to know about Nats shortstop, CJ Abrams.

CJ Abrams #5

Born: 10/3/2000 (Alpharetta, GA)
Position: Shortstop

Drafted: 2019, San Diego Padres, Round 1
MLB Debut: April 8, 2022 (with the Padres)

• Favorite Food: Steak
• Favorite Color: Blue
• Family: Chris (Father) and Ruth( Mother)
• Pets: Dog, Labrador mix named Margo
• Favorite Hobby: Video games
• Advice for Youth Players: Consistency is key

C.J. Abrams was dealt to the Nationals in exchange for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. Abrams is the first of the Nationals' prospects acquired from San Diego to be called up. He is now the Nats' youngest player.