Honoring the Life and Legacy of Rhode Island and Major League Baseball All-Time Great, Hall of Famer Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie

WHEREAS, Napoleon Lajoie, better known at Nap Lajoie, was born on September 5, 1874, in Woonsocket, to Jean-Baptiste and Celina Guertin Lajoie. Lajoie's father was a French- Canadian immigrant who immigrated to the United States, first to Vermont, and later to Woonsocket, where Nap Lajoie was born; and

WHEREAS, When Nap's father died, he and his siblings were forced to leave school and work to support the family. Nap worked in textile mills and in his free time, played semi- professional baseball, where word of his prowess on the baseball diamond rapidly spread. Nap played center field, first base, and catcher for the New England League's Fall River Indians, leading the team in batting average, doubles, triples, home runs and hits; and

WHEREAS, Lajoie's contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies and he made his Major League debut on August 12, 1896, against the Washington Senators, playing first base and recording a single. Lajoe moved to second base later in the season, and in 39 games, batted an outstanding .326 in his short rookie season. He promptly followed his auspicious start with a stellar second season, batting .363 and leading the National League in doubles and RBIs. He batted .324 in 1898, and during injury-shortened seasons, Lajoie batted .378 in 1899 and .337 in 1900; and

WHEREAS, In 1901, Lajoie moved to the Philadelphia Athletics in the new American League, and, in his prime at the age of 26, proceeded to put on a display of baseball greatness, batting .426, the highest batting average ever recorded by an American League player, and led the majors in batting average, doubles, hits, runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total bases. Lajoie also led the American League in home runs and runs batted in, and won the American League Triple Crown, compiling one of the greatest seasons in Major League Baseball history; and

WHEREAS, The notoriously frugal Connie Mack, owner of the Athletics, sold Lajoie to Cleveland rather than pay the salary he was worth. In his injury-shortened first season in Cleveland, Lajoie batted .379, and then proceeded in the 1903 and 1904 seasons, to lead the American League in batting average. The Cleveland fans were so enthralled with Lajoie that the club decided in 1903 to change its name to the Cleveland Naps, the team's nickname through the 1914 season; and

WHEREAS, Lajoie remained with Cleveland until the 1914 season and continued to play standout baseball, including leading the American League in batting average once again in 1910 with a .383 average. He played his final two seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, retiring after the 1916 season. Lajoie was also widely considered to be an excellent defensive second baseman; and

WHEREAS, Lajoie's baseball statistics are astounding to consider. He had a career .338 batting average and compiled 3,243 hits, 657 doubles, 1,599 runs batted in, 1,504 runs scored, and a .380 on-base percentage. He led the American League in batting average 5 times, while winning the Triple Crown in 1901. Modern statistical analysis further confirms his greatness with the Wins Above Replacement metric indicating that Lajoie was the best everyday position player in the American League 7 times: 1901, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1910; and

WHEREAS, Nap Lajoie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, the second group to be inducted. He received more Hall of Fame votes than both Tris Speaker and Cy Young. Nap Lajoie had the great honor of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame the year it opened in 1939 with other baseball greats including Babe Ruth. Lajoie is also included in the famous baseball history poem by Ogden Nash, "Line-Up for Yesterday", published in Sport Magazine in January of 1949, which states, in part, "L is for Lajoie, Whom Clevelanders love, Napoleon himself, with glue in his glove"; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby honors the life and legacy of baseball great and Rhode Island and Woonsocket native, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Dr. Gregory Rubano, Chairman of the Unearthing Our Treasure: Napoleon Lajoie campaign.