Nap Lajoie
| Nap Lajoie | |||
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| Second baseman / Manager | |||
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Born: September 5, 1874 Woonsocket, Rhode Island |
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Died: February 7, 1959 (aged 84) Daytona Beach, Florida |
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| MLB debut | |||
| August 12, 1896, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| August 26, 1916, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .339 | ||
| Hits | 3,252 | ||
| Home runs | 82 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,599 | ||
| Games managed | 700 | ||
| Win–loss record | 377–309 | ||
| Winning % | .550 | ||
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As player
As manager |
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Member of the National | |||
 Baseball Hall of Fame
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| Inducted | 1937 | ||
| Vote | 83.58% (second ballot) | ||
As player
As manager
Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie (/ˈlæʒəweɪ/; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie and nicknamed "The Frenchman", was an American professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics (twice), and Cleveland Naps between 1896 and 1916. He managed the Naps from 1905 through 1909.
Lajoie was signed to the National Leagues's (NL) Phillies in 1896. By the beginning of the twentieth century, however, the upstart American League (AL) was looking to rival the supremacy of the NL and in 1901, Lajoie and dozens of former National League players joined the American League. National League clubs contested the legality of contracts signed by players who jumped to the other league but eventually, Lajoie was allowed to play for Connie Mack's Athletics. During the season, Lajoie set the all-time American League single-season mark for the highest batting average (.426). One year later, Lajoie went to the Cleveland Bronchos where he would play until the 1915 season when he returned to play for Mack and the Athletics. While with Cleveland, Lajoie's popularity led to locals electing to change the club's team name from Bronchos to Napoleons ("Naps" for short), which remained until after Lajoie departed Cleveland and the name was changed to Indians (the team's present-day name).
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