Baseball History: Foxx and Klein make Triple Crown History

In 1933 the city of Philadelphia made baseball history by having two players do what Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp couldn’t quite accomplish in 2011. Win baseball’s coveted Triple Crown.

First baseman Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia Athletics and outfielder Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies led the American and National Leagues respectively in batting average, home runs and runs batted in (RBI). The Triple Crown has been won 16 times. 1933 is the only year in which someone won it in both leagues. And Philadelphia is the only city in baseball history to own two Triple Crown winners at the same time.

Foxx winning the Triple Crown is no surprise. ‘The Beast’ from Sunderland, Maryland was the most feared right handed power hitter of his time. When asked how far a ball Foxx hit off of him went into the Yankee Stadium stands pitcher Lefty Gomez said, ‘I don’t know how far it went, but it takes forty-five minutes to walk up there.’ Foxx would finish his career with a .325 batting average, 534 home runs and 1,921 RBI.

In 1933 he did his part of making baseball history by leading the American League with a .356 batting average, hitting 48 home runs and driving in 163 RBI. Amazingly, all of these totals fell below his 1932 output when he just missed winning the Triple Crown with a .364 average, 58 home runs and 169 RBI. That season he finished second in batting average to Dale ‘Moose’ Alexander who batted .367.

Klein joined the Phillies in 1928. Before the 1933 season he had led the National League in home runs three times (1929, 1931 and 1932) and RBI once with 121 in 1931. In a career that spanned 17 seasons he batted .320 with 300 home runs and 1,201 RBI.

In 1933 the signs were there for Klein to make baseball history with Foxx. He did. The Indianapolis, Indiana native hit .368 with 28 home runs and 120 RBI. Though not close to the power totals that Foxx amassed, this was enough for Klein to lead the National League in each category.

Despite the fact that Philadelphia boasted two Triple Crown winners neither team won the pennant. The A’s finished third and the Phillies seventh.

But 1933 will always be remembered in Philly as the year in which they can claim two Triple Crown winners.

It is the only time in baseball history this has happened and unlikely to ever happen again.