5 Things You Didn't Know About The World Series Trophy
1. The 46 Trophies
There have only been 46 World Series trophies awarded in MLB history. "Prior to 1967, there was no official trophy awarded to the World Series victor in the 20th century. Championship teams would commonly award their players, coaching staff, and other employees, with a ring. That tradition dates back to at least the early 1900s." That quote comes from the MLB Hall of Fame history book. The World Series Trophy only became tradition beginning 1967. That was the year the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. The Red Sox, of course, have beaten the Cardinals twice since then. (Note: The trophy was not awarded in 1994 because of a strike.)
2. The Millennial Trophy Redesign
The trophy was redesigned in 2000. Since then, The Cardinals, Yankees and Giants have all won it twice. The Red Sox are the only team to have taken home three of the new-design trophies. The new version is a Tiffany & Co.-designed 30-inch trophy made of about 200 troy ounces of sterling silver. It features 30 gold-plated flags. The baseball on the trophy contains 24-karat vermeil baseball stitches. The baseball itself weighs over 10 pounds. The base contains an inscription and the signature of the commissioner. That all adds up to a weight of nearly 30 pounds and a value estimated at $15,000 (although, we're guessing it would sell for a lot more than that on Ebay). It takes about three months to make. One thing you should already know (because the Red Sox now have three of them); a new trophy is produced every year.
3. The Trophy PresentationFor the first twenty years, the trophy presentation took place in the winning team's clubhouse. It wasn't until 1997 that then-acting Commissioner Bud Selig decided that if the home team won, the ceremony would be moved out onto the field. The fan-friendly tradition has continued to this day.
4. A Foreign Concept
Despite baseball being 'America's greatest pastime,' there are two World Series trophies located outside of the United States. In 1992 and 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays won it all. Those are the only two years a non-U.S. team has won the Fall Classic. In 1994, the only other non-U.S. team in MLB history was a favorite to win what would have been their first World Series. But because of a strike, the Series was canceled and the trophy was not awarded that year. Associated Press writers actually dubbed the team as unofficial champions that year. That team, the Montreal Expos, has since moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals.
5. The Official Title
The official title of the World Series trophy was changed to The Commissioner's Trophy in 1985. From 1970-1985, the Commissioner's Trophy actually referred to the All-Star MVP. The words: "Presented by the Commissioner of Baseball" are engraved on the base of the trophy along with the signature of Baseball's Commissioner.
