Monday, June 10, 2019

Did you know that the Chalmers Car Company invented the MLB MVP award?


The First Most Valuable Player Award in Major League Baseball Since 1911, there have been three "most valuable player" awards in baseball. The Chalmers Award was the first of these three, and it was presented by Chalmers Automotive (a Detroit based automotive company) between 1911 and 1914.

The Chalmers Award was not brought back in 1915, mainly because the company would not allow the same player to win twice, and the public simply lost interest.

"I am glad that something besides medals and trophies is offered for the championship in batting. I think the offer of a Chalmers '30' is simply great and I hope to be lucky enough to own a new Chalmers next fall." - Ty Cobb (Chalmers Press Release, 1910)

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_chalm.shtml

Following the 1914 season – with the United States in a recession – the award was retired. In all, Hugh Chalmers awarded 10 cars to six future Hall of Famers. More importantly, he established a template for the Most Valuable Player Award that was resurrected by the two Major Leagues in the 1920s and then cemented by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 1931.

https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/chalmers-award-is-born

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