Commissioner's Trophy (MLB)

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 current design of the Commissioner's Trophy (2004 World Series)

The Commissioner's Trophy is presented each year by the Commissioner of Baseball to the Major League Baseball 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] 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 four major sports in the United States that is not named after a particular person^[2] (contrasting with the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup,^[3] the National Football League's Vince Lombardi Trophy,^[4] and the National Basketball Association's Larry O'Brien Trophy).^[5]

History

See also: World Series

The trophy was first awarded in 1967, when the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox.^[6] A new Commissioner's Trophy is created each year, much like the Lombardi Trophy and the O'Brien Trophy; in contrast, the Stanley Cup is passed from champion to champion.^[7] 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.^[8] The New York Yankees have won the most Commissioner's Trophies (seven World Series wins since 1967).^[9] The St. Louis Cardinals hold the record for the most trophies won in the National League (four wins). and the New York Yankees have won the most in the American League.^[9] The latest trophy was awarded to the National League's St. Louis Cardinals, who won the 2011 World Series.

Design

The current trophy design, which was redesigned in 1999 for the 2000 World Series and made by Tiffany & Co., is worth approximately $15,000.^[10] The original trophy was designed by Lawrence Voegele, of Owatonna, Minnesota.^[7] 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)^[11] and is made of sterling silver. The trophy features 30 gold-plated flags, one for each of the Major League teams, which rise above a silver baseball covered with latitude and longitude lines that symbolize the world.^[7] The baseball also contains 24-karat vermeil baseball stitches.^[1] The base contains an inscription of the signature of the commissioner,^[1] as well as the words "Presented by the Commissioner of Baseball".^[11] The new design was presented for the first time at the conclusion of the 2000 World Series, won by the Yankees.^[9]

Trophy designs

• 

  The trophy from the 1983 World Series; this side-angle view shows the inscriptions on the team flags.

• 

  Note the pins in the base below the baseball signifying the two participating teams on the 1984 World Series Trophy.

• 

  The current design of the Commissioner's Trophy, won by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series

See also

• Chronicle-Telegraph Cup
• Temple Cup

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Phillies Announce World Series Trophy Tour Presented by Teva Pharmaceuticals and Comcast SportsNet". PR Newswire Association. January 9, 2009. http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01-09-2009/0004952249&EDATE=. Retrieved May 18, 2009. 
2. ^ Terwilliger, Wayne; Peterson, Nancy and Boehm, Peter (2006). Terwilliger Bunts One. Globe Pequot. p. 233. ISBN 0762743107. http://books.google.com/books?id=2v16rjj-r_oC&pg=PA232&dq=commissioner%27s+trophy&lr=. 
3. ^ Shea, Kevin. "Stanley Cup Journal". National Hockey League. http://www.hhof.com/html/exSCJ04_33.shtml. Retrieved May 18, 2009. 
4. ^ "Lombardi trophy on display". Central Florida News. January 25, 2009. http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/25/429949.html. Retrieved May 18, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "December 2004: Picture This". National Archives and Records Administration. http://www.archives.gov/calendar/features/2004/december/. Retrieved October 17, 2008. 
6. ^ Rhodes, Greg; Castellini, Robert (2007). Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Highlights. Clerisy Press. pp. 81. ISBN 1578603005. http://books.google.com/books?id=uLVOb_5q9uwC. Retrieved May 18, 2009. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} Scheiber, Dave (October 22, 2008). "Rays shots". St. Petersburg Times. http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article865537.ece. Retrieved May 18, 2009. 
8. ^ Zirin, David (August 18, 2004). "The MLB Strike - 25 Years in the Making". Buzzle editorials. http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/8-18-2004-58021.asp. Retrieved May 2, 2008. 
9. ^ ^{a b c} "Playoff and World Series Stats and Results". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/. Retrieved May 19, 2009. 
10. ^ "Phillies Fans Catch Glimpse Of World Series Trophy". CBS 3 Philadelphia. October 24, 2008. http://cbs3.com/local/world.series.trophy.2.847415.html. Retrieved May 18, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
11. ^ ^{a b} "World Series trophy profile". Phillies.MLB.com. Major League Baseball. December 5, 2008. http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081205&content_id=3703989&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi. Retrieved May 27, 2010.