King of Baseball
SportBaseball
LeagueMinor League Baseball
Awarded forLongtime dedication and service to professional baseball
CountryUnited States
Canada
Mexico
Presented byMinor League Baseball
History
First awardPants Rowland (1951)
Final awardBob Lozinak (2019)

King of Baseball was a ceremonial title awarded annually from 1951 to 2019 by Minor League Baseball to recognize an individual for their longtime dedication and service to professional baseball.[1] It was awarded during baseball's Winter Meetings and usually presented along with a crown and robe.[2]

The title originated in a beauty pageant held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Minor League Baseball in 1951. The first king was selected to accompany the winner, "Miss Golden Anniversary". The pageant was discarded after 1954, but crowning a king continued.[3] The title was not issued in 2020 after the cancellation of the minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] In 2021, Major League Baseball assumed control of the minor leagues.[5] Subsequently, the committee responsible for the award chose to discontinue the honor.[6]

Winners

A man in a dark suit and hat
Pants Rowland was selected as the first King of Baseball in 1951.
A man in a light baseball uniform and cap
Donie Bush was chosen as 1963's King of Baseball.
A man in a dark and light plaid suit jacket
Billy Hitchcock selected as the King of Baseball in 1980.
A man in a light baseball uniform and dark cap holding several baseball bats as if ready to swing
Max Patkin, the "Clown Prince of Baseball," was chosen as King of Baseball in 1988.
A man in a light baseball uniform and dark cap
Don Mincher was selected as 2010's King of Baseball.
A man in a black shirt and suspenders and gray pants
Bill Valentine was chosen as the 2014 King of Baseball.
Winners
Year Winner Winter Meetings site Ref(s).
1951 Pants Rowland Columbus, Ohio [1]
1952 J. Alvin Gardner Phoenix, Arizona [1]
1953 Frank Shaughnessy Atlanta, Georgia [1]
1954 Shelby Pease Houston, Texas [1]
1955 Herman White Columbus, Ohio [1]
1956 Tommy Richardson Jacksonville, Florida [1]
1957 Charles Hurth Colorado Springs, Colorado [1]
1958 None selected Washington, D.C. [1]
1959 Bonneau Peters St. Petersburg, Florida [1]
1960 Joe Engel Louisville, Kentucky [1]
1961 Rosy Ryan Tampa, Florida [1]
1962 Phil Howser Rochester, New York [1]
1963 Donie Bush San Diego, California [1]
1964 Eddie Mulligan Houston, Texas [1]
1965 Ray Winder Fort Lauderdale, Florida [1]
1966 Eddie Leishman Columbus, Ohio [1]
1967 Alejo Peralta Mexico City, Mexico [1]
1968 Dewey Soriano San Francisco, California [1]
1969 Chauncey DeVault Fort Lauderdale, Florida [1]
1970 George MacDonald Sr. Los Angeles, California [1]
1971 Phil Piton Phoenix, Arizona [1]
1972 Vince McNamara Honolulu, Hawaii [1]
1973 Ray Johnston Houston, Texas [1]
1974 Fred Haney New Orleans, Louisiana [1]
1975 Joe Buzas Hollywood, Florida [1]
1976 Don Avery Los Angeles, California [1]
1977 Bill Weiss Honolulu, Hawaii [1]
1978 Zinn Beck Orlando, Florida [1]
1979 Harry Simmons Toronto, Ontario, Canada [1]
1980 Billy Hitchcock Dallas, Texas [1]
1981 Jack Schwarz Hollywood, Florida [1]
1982 Sy Berger Honolulu, Hawaii [1]
1983 Oscar Roettger Nashville, Tennessee [1]
1984 Donald Davidson Houston, Texas [1]
1985 Stan Wasiak San Diego, California [1]
1986 Lefty Gomez Hollywood, Florida [1]
1987 Bill Schweppe Dallas, Texas [1]
1988 Max Patkin Atlanta, Georgia [1]
1989 George Sisler Jr. Nashville, Tennessee [1]
1990 John Henry Moss Los Angeles, California [1]
1991 George Pfister Miami Beach, Florida [1]
1992 Johnny Lipon Louisville, Kentucky [1]
1993 George Kissell Atlanta, Georgia [1]
1994 Jim Bragan Dallas, Texas [1]
1995 Gene DaCosse Los Angeles, California [1]
1996 Sheldon "Chief" Bender Boston, Massachusetts [1]
1997 Max Schumacher New Orleans, Louisiana [1]
1998 Leo Pinckney Nashville, Tennessee [1]
1999 Tom Saffell Anaheim, California [1]
2000 P. Patrick McKernan Dallas, Texas [1]
2001 Roland Hemond Boston, Massachusetts [1]
2002 George Zuraw Nashville, Tennessee [1]
2003 Bob Wilson New Orleans, Louisiana [1]
2004 Dave Rosenfield Anaheim, California [1]
2005 Calvin Falwell Dallas, Texas [7]
2006 Paul Snyder Lake Buena Vista, Florida [8]
2007 Dave Walker Nashville, Tennessee [9]
2008 Pat Gillick Las Vegas, Nevada [1]
2009 Milo Hamilton Indianapolis, Indiana [1]
2010 Don Mincher Lake Buena Vista, Florida [10]
2011 Cuauhtemoc "Chito" Rodriguez Dallas, Texas [11]
2012 George McGonagle Nashville, Tennessee [12]
2013 Charlie Eshbach Lake Buena Vista, Florida [13]
2014 Bill Valentine San Diego, California [14]
2015 William Gladstone Nashville, Tennessee [15]
2016 David G. Elmore National Harbor, Maryland [16]
2017 Lee Landers Orlando, Florida [17]
2018 Mike Tamburro Las Vegas, Nevada [18]
2019 Bob Lozinak San Diego, California [19]
2020 None selected (season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic) [4]

References

Specific

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 "Minor League Baseball Award Winners". Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  2. ↑ Hill, Benjamin (December 9, 2014). "For Valentine, It's Good to Be the 'King'". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  3. ↑ Bates, Mike (December 14, 2018). "Crowning the King of Baseball". The Hardball Times. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ↑ Mayo, Jonathan (February 12, 2021). "MLB Announces New Minors Teams, Leagues". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ "King of Baseball Award". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Hillcats' Falwell Honored as 'King of Baseball'". Minor League Baseball. December 10, 2005. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Snyder Crowned 'King of Baseball'". Minor League Baseball. December 8, 2006. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Dave Walker Crowned King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. December 7, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Mincher Named 'King of Baseball'". Minor League Baseball. December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Rodriguez named King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  12. ↑ "McGonagle Crowned 'King of Baseball'". Minor League Baseball. December 6, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Eshbach Named '2013 King of Baseball'". Minor League Baseball. December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Valentine Named 2014 King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. November 20, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  15. ↑ "William Gladstone Named King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. November 23, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Elmore Named 2016 King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. November 17, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Appy League's Landers Named King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. November 8, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  18. ↑ "PawSox's Tamburro Named King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. November 6, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Altoona's Lozinak Named 2019 King of Baseball". Minor League Baseball. November 4, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2022.

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