World Series trophy

World Series trophy: Value, size, history & previous winners

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The World Series is the pinnacle of baseball. Division winners from both American and National League clash here on their quest to become the world champions. There’s only one goal for both teams—and that’s the World Series trophy.

World Series trophy explained

The “Commissioner’s Trophy” is the official name of the World Series trophy. The MLB commissioner awards this trophy to the winner of the best-of-seven games series.

There’s no doubt the World Series trophy is one of the best championship trophies in sports. Here’s everything that you need to know about the Commissioner’s Trophy…

Who keeps the World Series trophy?

Balfour Jewelers were the one who designed the original 1967 trophy. After four decades, MLB ultimately decided to redesign the World Series trophy.

Since then, the trophy is created and awarded to every World Champion each year—just like the Larry O’Brien Trophy of the NBA and the Vince Lombardi Trophy of the NFL.

       

Since 2000, Tiffany & Co. is tasked with creating the World Series trophy every year. It takes months to create and design sophisticated hardware such as this one. Only the best artisans have got what it takes to design this glamorous trophy.

What’s the Commissioner’s Trophy made of?

More than 200 troy ounces of sterling silver. That’s what it takes to build the Commissioner’s trophy.

In the center of the trophy, there’s a silver baseball that is made from 24-carat vermeil stitching. This features latitude and longitude lines which are meant to represent the world. Meanwhile, the 30 gold-plated flags around it represent each MLB team.

Engraved on the base is the signature of the MLB commissioner and the phrase: “Presented by the Commissioner of Baseball”.

Meanwhile, for the vitals, the trophy is 24 inches tall (excluding the base) and has a diameter of 11 inches. It weighs approximately 30 pounds.

       

How much is the Commissioner’s Trophy worth?

The Commissioner’s Trophy is one of the most expensive trophies in sports history. That’s just as expected for something that is made of sterling silver with a sophisticated design.

The World Series trophy’s value was worth around $2500 when it was first commissioned in 1967. Now, it’s worth more than $19,000.

When was the first World Series trophy handed out?

The first World Series happened in 1903 between the Boston Americans (now Boston Red Sox) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, they didn’t receive any championship trophy back then. Instead, they only received rings.

The World Series trophy only became a tradition starting in 1967. This was the year the St. Louis Cardinals outlasted the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. As you can see, the Cardinals are the first MLB team to receive the prestigious trophy.

Most successful World Series teams

Out of the 30 MLB teams, there are only a handful of teams who have been successful in the World Series since the inauguration of the Commissioner’s Trophy in 1967.

The Yankees won seven; the Red Sox, Cardinals, and Athletics won four; the Reds, Giants, and Dodgers won three.

Here’s the full list of the teams that have won the Commissioner’s Trophy since it’s inception in 1967:

New York Yankees: Seven trophies, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009

San Francisco Giants: Six trophies, 1975, 1976, 1990, 2010, 2012, 2014

Boston Red Sox: Four trophies, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018

Oakland Athletics: Four trophies, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989

St Louis Cardinals: Four trophies, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011

Cincinnati Reds: Three trophies, 1975, 1976, 1990

Los Angeles Dodgers: Three trophies, 1981, 1988, 2020

Baltimore Orioles: Two trophies, 1970, 1983

Detroit Tigers: Two trophies, 1968, 1984

Kansas City Royals: Two trophies, 1985, 2015

Miami Marlins: Two trophies, 1997, 2003

Minnesota Twins: Two trophies, 1987, 1991

New York Mets: Two trophies, 1969, 1986

Philadelphia Phillies: Two trophies, 1980, 2008

Pittsburgh Pirates: Two trophies, 1971, 1979

Toronto Blue Jays: Two trophies, 1992, 1993

Atlanta Braves: Two trophies, 1995, 2021

Houston Astros: Two trophies, 2017, 2022

Arizona Diamondbacks: One trophy, 2001

Chicago White Sox: One trophy, 2005

Chicago Cubs: One trophy, 2016

Los Angeles Angels: One trophy, 2002

Washington Nationals: One trophy, 2019

4 thoughts on “World Series trophy: Value, size, history & previous winners”

  1. The full list of the teams that have won the Commissioner’s Trophy since it’s inception has an error. The Cardinals and Athletics championship years have been reversed.

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