World Series Most Valuable Player Award (The Babe Ruth Award / Variation)

The World Series Most Valuable Player Award was originally given by the editors of Sport Magazine and started in 1955. The award is now voted on during the final game of the World Series by a committee of reporters and officials in attendance. It is announced at the game and soon thereafter Chevy presents the winner with a new Corvette.

The World Series Most Valuable Player Award / Babe Ruth Award (variation) was developed by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in honor of Babe Ruth and first awarded one year after the Bambino's death. The chapter meets following the World Series and announces their award via the media. This "version" of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award was discontinued after the 2002 World Series making David Eckstein the final recipient.

Notes: Listed below in chronological order are all the recipients of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award / Babe Ruth Award (variation). Names may be clicked to view comprehensive player stats and columns include Year won, Quantity or times won, the position played when won, the League & Team played in by the winning recipient.

"Show me a guy who can't pitch inside and I'll show you a loser." - Hall of Fame Pitcher & World Series Most Valuable Player Award Winner (1963 & 1965) Sandy Koufax
World Series Most Valuable Player Award

Sport Magazine Award / Babe Ruth Award

Year

Name(s) (Quantity)

Position League Team
1949

Joe Page (1)

P AL

New York

1950

Jerry Coleman (1)

2B AL

New York

1951

Phil Rizzuto (1)

SS AL

New York

1952

Johnny Mize (1)

1B AL

New York

1953

Billy Martin (1)

2B AL

New York

1954

Dusty Rhodes (1)

OF NL

New York

1955

Johnny Podres (1)

P NL

Brooklyn

1956

Don Larsen (1)

P AL

New York

1957

Lew Burdette (1)

P NL

Milwaukee

1958

Elston Howard (1)

C AL

New York

1959

Larry Sherry (1)

P NL

Los Angeles

1960

Bill Mazeroski (1)

2B NL

Pittsburgh

1961

Whitey Ford (1)

P AL

New York

1962

Ralph Terry (1)

P AL

New York

1963

Sandy Koufax (1)

P NL

Los Angeles

1964

Bob Gibson (1)

P NL

St. Louis

1965

Sandy Koufax (2)

P NL

Los Angeles

1966

Frank Robinson (1)

OF AL

Baltimore

1967

Lou Brock (1)

OF NL

St. Louis

1968

Mickey Lolich (1)

P AL

Detroit

1969

Al Weis (1)

SS NL

New York

1970

Brooks Robinson (1)

3B AL

Baltimore

1971

Roberto Clemente (1)

OF NL

Pittsburgh

1972

Gene Tenace (1)

C AL

Oakland

1973

Bert Campaneris (1)

SS AL

Oakland

1974

Dick Green (1)

2B AL

Oakland

1975

Luis Tiant (1)

P AL

Boston

1976

Johnny Bench (1)

C NL

Cincinnati

1977

Reggie Jackson (1)

OF AL

New York

1978

Bucky Dent (1)

SS AL

New York

1979

Willie Stargell (1)

1B NL

Pittsburgh

1980

Tug McGraw (1)

P NL

Philadelphia

1981

Ron Cey (1)

3B NL

Los Angeles

1982

Bruce Sutter (1)

P NL

St. Louis

1983

Rick Dempsey (1)

C AL

Baltimore

1984

Jack Morris (1)

P AL

Detroit

1985

Bret Saberhagen (1)

P AL

Kansas City

1986

Ray Knight (1)

3B NL

New York

1987

Frank Viola (1)

P AL

Minnesota

1988

Orel Hershiser (1)

P NL

Los Angeles

1989

Dave Stewart (1)

P AL

Oakland

1990

Billy Hatcher (1)

OF NL

Cincinnati

1991

Jack Morris (2)

P AL

Minnesota

1992

Dave Winfield (1)

OF AL

Toronto

1993

Paul Molitor (1)

3B / DH AL

Toronto

1994

Strike Season

n/a n/a

n/a

1995

Tom Glavine (1)

P NL

Atlanta

1996

Cecil Fielder (1)

1B / DH AL

New York

1997

Moises Alou (1)

OF NL

Florida

1998

Scott Brosius (1)

3B AL

New York

1999

Mariano Rivera (1)

P AL

New York

2000

Derek Jeter (1)

SS AL

New York

2001

Randy Johnson (1)

P NL

Arizona

Curt Schilling (1)

P NL

Arizona

2002

David Eckstein (1)

SS AL

Anaheim

2003

Award Discontinued

n/a

n/a

n/a

Year

Name(s) (Quantity)

Position League Team

World Series Most Valuable Player Award



Luis Tiant (1975 World Series) is the only receipient who has won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award while playing on the losing team. If you include the Sport Magazine variation of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award then Bobby Richardson (1960 World Series) would also be part of the unique "club".

Did you know that 1958 was the first season where each version of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award went to a different player (Bob Turley there & Elston Howard here) and 1955 was the first season where one player, Johnny Podres of the Brooklyn Dodgers, won both versions of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award?

Sandy Koufax and Jack Morris are the only players to win the Babe Ruth Award twice while Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson and Sandy Koufax (again) are the only players to win the Sport Magazine Award twice.