Baseball's All-Time MVP - That You've Probably Never Heard Of

Everyone knows the greats in baseball. Babe Ruth, who hit better than any human being known to baseball. Walter Johnson, with the best strike out-walk percentage ever (Who also had humble beginnings in Humboldt, Kansas). Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson - some of the greatest players to ever touch the diamond. None of them, though, had any idea the kind of impact that players off the field made to the game. You didnt have to have the greatest swing ever, or throw the meanest curve. If you could succeed in business, you could go far in baseball, a growing sport it was in that time.

One player that exemplifies these qualities that you probably had only heard of on basketballs and baseballs was a scrappy guy named Albert "Al" Spalding. A rising star in the pitching world in the late 1860's, he was receiving large salary offers for professional teams after killing it on the younger level. He ended up turning down those offers for a couple of years for learning business experience in Chicago, the decision forced on him by his widowed mother. But in 1871, he finally decided to take his career to the northeast for the Boston Red Stockings. During his 6 seasons in Boston, he pitched 47 (all of the) games and managed the team, leading the squad to it's first National League pennant. Quite the steed.

What really set Al apart from other players was not skill, but his ability to produce on and off the field. After his retirement in 1878 (He was just 27 years old), he and his brother started a sporting goods business back in Chicago. Their skills in business propelled them to a lot of success, with 14 Spalding sporting goods stores throughout the nation by 1901.  While at the helm of his sporting goods business, Spalding also headed up the Chicago White Stockings from 1882 to 1891, leading the club to three pennants. But Spalding did not like what he saw on the field. He worked to reform baseball, forbidding gambling, making drinking taboo, and preventing collusion among players. During his time running the business, he had another idea to spread the joy and professionalism of baseball. He beleived that baseball was meant for the classy, working man. "No human mind may measure the blessings conferred by the game of baseball..." a quote from the man himself. (baseball-almanac.com). Because of this, he led the Chicago White Stockings for 4 consecutive years on baseball's first "world tour" which showcased the game all over the world to countries such as France and New Zealand. ("Albert G. Spalding." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.) Spalding also was the first man to write the official rules of baseball. He used this to write the rule that only Spalding baseballs could be used, which sealed his connection with the professional baseball league forever ( Wikipedia, "Albert Spalding"). The dude is the reason baseball still exists. Can't think of a better way to wrap up this american hero.

Truly an inspirational character and driven man, he changed baseball forever. Fantastic both on and off the field, he epitomized the baseball man. And while he's no Babe Ruth, and while he didn't make any balls that brought a grown Tom Hanks to tears, he's something truly special that baseball is forever in debt to for his contributions. So when your at home this weekend, and you aren't averaging under a 2.13 ERA over 7 seasons and winning pennants and building millenial businesses, try to get off the couch to get your beer this time. Thank you, America. I'll leave you with this:

Go Royals.