Nap Lajoie
Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, born on September 5, 1874, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, was a prominent figure in early American baseball, celebrated as one of the top second basemen in the sport's history. Growing up in a working-class family, he began working at a textile mill at a young age, but his passion for baseball dominated his youth. Lajoie's talent as a batter quickly became evident, leading him from local amateur teams to a professional career. He made a significant impact in Major League Baseball while playing for teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Athletics, where he famously won the Triple Crown in 1901 with a remarkable .426 batting average.
Lajoie earned the nickname "Larry" due to a teammate's mispronunciation of his last name. His career was marked by numerous achievements, including leading the American League in batting average and fielding at second base multiple times. He also managed teams later in his career, although this affected his playing performance. Lajoie retired as a player in 1916 but continued to influence the game through coaching. In 1937, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, solidifying his legacy in the sport. Lajoie passed away on February 7, 1959, in Florida, leaving behind a rich legacy as an exceptional athlete and beloved player.
Nap Lajoie
Baseball Player
- Born: September 5, 1874
- Birthplace: Woonsocket, Rhode Island
- Died: February 7, 1959
- Place of death: Daytona Beach, Florida
Sport: Baseball
Early Life
Napolean “Nap” Lajoie was born on September 5, 1874, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He was the eighth and youngest child of Jean Baptiste and Celina Lajoie, who had moved south from Canada ten years earlier in search of better jobs.
Before he was eleven years old, Nap worked as a sweeper in a textile mill. With the death of his father in 1881, Nap’s job at the mill provided a welcome paycheck at the Lajoie household. It appeared that the youngest Lajoie’s fate was sealed as a mill worker. When he was not working, Nap played baseball in the streets with his friends. His mother disapproved, for she feared that her son might be hit by passing horse-drawn wagons. In order to fool her, Nap’s friends nicknamed him “Sandy.” His mother never suspected that the cries of “Sandy” were directed at her dark-haired son playing ball right outside her home.
The Road to Excellence
Nap played for local amateur teams and joined the semiprofessional Woonsockets in his late teens. He generally played catcher, and, while he was not a standout behind the plate, he soon earned a reputation as a standout at the plate. Batting was something at which Nap always excelled. Newspaper articles at the time often cited his outstanding offensive performances, his long hits, or his multiple-hit games. It seemed that it would only be a matter of time before Nap would be offered a professional contract. After a two-year stint with the Woonsockets, that time came.
Prior to the 1896 New England League season, the Fall River baseball club was short of an outfielder. Fred Woodcock, a former major-league pitcher who had played against Nap in semiprofessional ball, suggested to Fall River manager Charlie Marston that he consider the twenty-one-year-old. Marston went to Woonsocket and offered Nap a contract, and he eagerly accepted. He would earn one hundred dollars a month, more than three times his current salary at a nearby livery.
Nap quickly made good with his new club, hitting an even .500 over his first eleven games. In late spring, he had an exceptional fourteen-game hitting streak in which he batted more than .500. Newspapers began spreading the word about the unstoppable hitter. It appeared that another step up in baseball was imminent for Nap. This time it would be the final step—to the major leagues. In early August, Manager Marston accepted the National League (NL) Philadelphia Phillies’ offer of fifteen hundred dollars for Nap and teammate Shorty Geier.
The Emerging Champion
Nap had no trouble with big-league pitching, and in his four years with the Phillies, he averaged .351. In 1898, the Phillies converted Nap into a second baseman, the position for which he is best remembered today. He led league second basemen in fielding average six times in his career. During these years, Nap gained the nickname “Larry.” It seems that a teammate of Nap’s had difficulty pronouncing his last name (“lah-zhwah,” although most people said “lá-zhway”), and could at best come up with “Larry.”
During the winter before the 1901 season, the newly formed American League (AL), in an effort to establish itself as a second major league, began to lure National Leaguers away from their current clubs by offering lucrative contracts. Many NL players “jumped” to the rival league, but the biggest star to join the American League was Nap, who signed with the Philadelphia Athletics for an annual salary of between four to six thousand dollars.
Nap had a record-setting first year in the American League. By leading the league in home runs, RBI, and batting average, Nap became the third player to win the triple crown. His 1901 batting average of .426 remains the highest single-season batting average in AL history.
Continuing the Story
Soon after Nap signed with the Athletics, the National League gained a court injunction stating that he must return to the Phillies. Although he played in the season opener in Baltimore, Nap sat out the next two months of the season as the American League and National League battled. When it became evident that the court’s injunction only affected games in Pennsylvania, the Athletics begrudgingly traded Nap to the AL club in Cleveland. At least he would remain an AL “drawing card,” even if he would have to skip all the team’s games in Philadelphia. Finally, in 1903, the war between the leagues ended, the Phillies had the injunction rescinded, and Nap was free to accompany his team to Philadelphia without fear of arrest.
In 1903 and 1904, Nap was the leading batsman in the American League. Then, in 1905, he became a different kind of leader: team manager. As a manager, Nap developed a career won-lost record of 377-309, but managing weakened him as a player. Prior to managing, Nap’s lifetime batting average was .365, but from 1905 to 1909, his average dropped to .319. In 1908, Cleveland made a valiant run at the pennant but fell short by half a game to the Detroit Tigers. Near the end of the next season, Nap resigned as manager.
In 1910, with the managerial burden removed, Nap’s batting average soared to .384. The batting race between Nap and Ty Cobb was so close that year that the champion was not announced until long after the season ended. Finally, the official league statistics were released, and Cobb was announced as champion batsman with a .385 average. Nap would never again come as close to a batting championship.
Over the next few seasons, Nap continued his excellent all-around play. During his career, he was occasionally sidelined by injuries, but he always returned to play top-notch ball. By 1914, however, Nap’s age had caused his play to falter. The next year, he returned to Philadelphia to play with the Athletics; after the 1916 season, he decided to retire from Major League Baseball.
In 1917, as player-manager of the minor-league Toronto Maple Leafs, Nap finally played for a pennant-winning team. By season’s end, Nap was forty-three years old, yet he led the league in batting with a .380 average. The following year, Nap managed Indianapolis of the American Association. After the 1919 season, he retired from baseball. Eighteen years later, Nap became only the sixth player ever voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1943, Nap and his wife Myrtle moved from their home near Cleveland to the sunny climate of Florida. On February 7, 1959, Nap died of pneumonia in a hospital at Daytona Beach.
Summary
Nap Lajoie was always a crowd favorite at home and on the road. He was an exciting batter, a graceful fielder, and, with close to four hundred lifetime stolen bases, an excellent base runner.
Before the 1903 season, a Cleveland newspaper held a contest. Fans were to submit ideas for a new team name. It came as little surprise that, in appreciation of Nap’s leadership, great talent, and friendly demeanor, the winning entry was the “Naps.” Not until Nap joined Philadelphia thirteen years later did the team change its name to the now-familiar “Indians.”
Bibliography
Kuenster, John. The Best of Baseball Digest: The Greatest Players, the Greatest Games, the Greatest Writers from Baseball’s Most Exciting Years. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2006.
Morris, Peter. A Game of Inches: The Stories Behind the Innovations that Shaped Baseball—The Game on the Field. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2006.
Shatzkin, Mike, Stephen Holtje, and Jane Charlton, eds. The Ballplayers: Baseball’s Ultimate Biographical Reference. New York: Ideal Logic Press, 1999.