The Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award is awarded by the Commissioner of Baseball, the chief executive of Major League Baseball (MLB), to a group or person who has made a "major impact on the sport" of baseball.[1] It is not an annual award; rather, the Commissioner presents it at his discretion. The trophy is a gold baseball sitting atop a cylindrical silver base,[2] created by Tiffany & Co.[3] The award has been presented sixteen times: thirteen times to players, once to a team, and twice to a non-player. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were the first to receive the award for their parts in the 1998 MLB home run record chase.[2] The most recent recipient is Shohei Ohtani, who was honored in 2021 for being the first player in MLB history to be an All-Star as both a starting pitcher and a lead-off hitter in the 2021 All-Star Game and for completing a two-way season as a hitter and as a pitcher. The 2001 Seattle Mariners won the award as a team for posting a 116–46 record. Roberto Clemente, the 2006 awardee, is the only player to receive the award posthumously; his award was accepted by his wife, Vera.[4]
Three years after McGwire and Sosa were honored, Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, both of whom retired after the 2001 season, received the award and were honored at the 2001 MLB All-Star Game; Ripken was elected to the American League All-Star team as a starter at third base, while Gwynn was later added as an honorary member of the National League team.[5] During the first inning of the game, Alex Rodriguez, who had been elected the starter at shortstop—the position at which Ripken played for most of his career—switched positions with Ripken for the first inning of the game as a tribute.[6] Including the presentation of the award to the Mariners following the season, the 2001 season's three awards are the most presented in a single year.
Barry Bonds received the award in 2002, becoming the third player so honored for breaking the single-season home run record. Bonds was the first of two players to receive the award that season, along with Rickey Henderson. The award was given in each year from 2004 until 2007: Roger Clemens was honored during the 2004 All-Star Game, and Ichiro Suzuki was presented with the award for breaking the single-season hits record in 2005. Rachel Robinson was honored in 2007, receiving the award for establishing the Jackie Robinson Foundation. She was the first woman and the first non-player to be thus honored. In 2014 Vin Scully became the second non-player to be honored.
Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards during his career (six at the time of the award presentation), posted six seasons in which he won 20 or more games (career-high 24 wins in 1986), and won 354 games in his career. Clemens is only the fourth pitcher to surpass 4,000 strikeouts and appeared in 10 All-Star Games in his 24-year career.
Clemente is the only posthumous recipient of the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award. He led the league in batting average four times in his career, notching his 3,000th hit in the 1972 season (September 30). Inducted into the Hall of Fame after his death at sea, Clemente was recognized not only for his statistical achievements over his 17 seasons, but for his humanitarian contributions.
Griffey was retired at the time of his award after having hit over 600 home runs, winning an MVP Award in 1997, and being named to the All-Century Team throughout his career. Commissioner Bud Selig described Griffey in a statement, saying he "was a gifted all-around player with a perfect swing, a brilliant glove, and a childlike joy for the game. From the time he was just 19, Ken represented MLB with excellence and grace, and he was one of our sport's greatest ambassadors not only in Seattle and Cincinnati but also around the world. I am most appreciative for all of Ken's contributions to our national pastime."
During his 25-season career, Henderson set numerous MLB records, including most runs scored, most unintentional walks, most stolen bases in a season and a career, and most leadoffhome runs in league history. Henderson began to play at the age of 20 with the 1979 Oakland Athletics, and continued through the 2003 season, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers at age 44. Henderson continued to play after his unofficial retirement from MLB, appearing for several independent league teams.
After a 20-season career with the New York Yankees, Jeter retired with the sixth-most career hits in MLB history. A five-time World Series champion, he set numerous MLB postseason career records, including most hits (200), most runs scored (111), most doubles (32), most extra-base hits (57) and most total bases (302). Jeter is also the Yankees' franchise leader in hits, games played, stolen bases, and at bats. Selig described Jeter as "one of the most accomplished shortstops of all-time" who "always represent[ed] the best of our National Pastime."
McGwire's name is linked with that of fellow 1998 award winner Sammy Sosa for their part in the MLB home run record chase of that season. McGwire ended the 1998 season with 70 home runs, the first player ever to reach the mark in a season and only the third player to break 60 home runs. McGwire finished his career with 583 home runs.
Ohtani was an unprecedented kind of player during his first four years in Major League Baseball, performing effectively both as a starting pitcher and as a designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2018 when he hit 22 home runs as a hitter and earned four wins in ten starts as a pitcher. He did not pitch in 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, but in 2021 he broke out with 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases offensively and recording nine wins and a 3.18 ERA on the mound. Ohtani was unanimously voted the American League Most Valuable Player, and was also the first player in MLB history to be an All-Star as both a starting pitcher and a lead-off hitter in the 2021 All-Star Game. This was the first time the award was presented by Rob Manfred.
Ripken broke one of baseball's "unbreakable" records[21] by playing in 2,131 consecutive games. His durability earned him the nickname "Iron Man", referencing Lou Gehrig (the "Iron Horse"), the player whose record he broke. Ripken would finish his career with 2,632 consecutive games played out of his 3,001 career games. He played for the Baltimore Orioles for 21 seasons, hitting 431 home runs and redefining the role of the shortstop in baseball.
Rivera retired as MLB's career leader in saves (652) and games finished (952) after a 19-year career with the New York Yankees, 17 of which were spent as the team's closer. A five-time World Series champion, Rivera set numerous postseason records, including most saves (42) and lowest earned run average (0.70). He was the final MLB player to wear the uniform number 42 following its league-wide retirement in honor of Jackie Robinson. Selig described Rivera as "a great ambassador of the game" who "represented his family, his country, the Yankees and all of Major League Baseball with the utmost class and dignity".
Robinson, the wife of pioneer Jackie Robinson, is the only woman and the first non-player to win the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award. In honor of her "contribution and sacrifice to the legacy of her husband", Selig presented the award to Robinson for her work with the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The Foundation has awarded more than $14 million in scholarships to students in need.
Scully is the second non-player and the first broadcaster to win the award. He was given the award during his 65th season broadcasting games for the Dodgers, with Commissioner Selig recognizing Scully's "lifetime of extraordinary service." Scully broadcast Dodgers games from 1950 to 2016. He was honored with the Ford Frick Award in 1982 and was inducted in the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.
Sosa and Mark McGwire's chase for the single-season home run record thrust the National League Central division into the spotlight, but Sosa's Chicago Cubs finished ahead of McGwire's St. Louis Cardinals in the division standings, second to the 102-win Houston Astros. Thus, Sosa was the recipient of the 1998 Most Valuable Player Award, though his 66 home runs placed him 4 behind McGwire's record of 70. Sosa went on to be the only player in MLB history to collect three 60-home-run seasons (1998, 1999, 2001).
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