Napoleon Lajoie, second baseman for Cleveland, ca. 1906; from the Michael T. "Nuf Ced" McGreevy Collection of the Boston Public Library. Lajoie led the majors in 1906 in hits (214) and doubles (48) and the Naps finished third in the AL again with a winning record, 89–64.

LAJOIE, NAPOLEON "NAP" (5 Sept. 1875-7 Feb. 1959), BASEBALL player with Cleveland (1902-14), was born in Woonsocket, R.I., to John and Celina Guerton Lajoie. He worked in cotton mills and completed his education to the 9th grade.

The first superstar in American League history, Napoleon Lajoie combined graceful, effortless fielding with powerful, fearsome hitting to become one of the greatest all-around players of the Deadball Era, and one of the best second basemen of all time.

Nap Lajoie played for 5 teams; the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Blues, Cleveland Napoleons and Cleveland Naps. How many World Series has Nap Lajoie won? Nap Lajoie never won a World Series.

In Cleveland, Lajoie literally became the face of the franchise, when the fledgling club, which had been known as the Bronchos, renamed itself after him: the “Naps.” Lajoie would hit over .300 in 11 of his first 12 seasons in Cleveland and won the first four American League batting crowns.

Feb 7, 2011 · CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Napoleon (Nap) Lajoie, the greatest infielder the Cleveland baseball club ever had, and one of the first nine members of baseball's Hall of Fame, died yesterday in...

Jul 5, 2021 · From 1903 to 1914, Cleveland’s baseball team was named the Naps after Cleveland’s star second baseman Nap Lajoie. It was only when Lajoie left Cleveland that the team became the Indians in 1915. Nicknamed “The Frenchman”, …

Sep 19, 2022 · Lajoie was very popular with the fans and the press in Cleveland, which led to the team being known as the Cleveland Naps from 1903 through 1914. (He’s the only major-league player to have his team named after him while still an active player. 5 )

Mar 24, 2014 · For more than a decade though, that was the state of the Cleveland ball club. Such was the popularity of the team's first star, Nap Lajoie. Lajoie, born September 5, 1874 in Rhode Island, was the youngest of at least 8 children in a family that had moved from French-Canada a few years earlier.

Jan 25, 2025 · Lajoie’s prime years came between 1901 and 1910, a period when he was widely regarded as one of the best all-around players in baseball. In 1901, he moved to the newly formed American League, where he played for the Cleveland Indians (then called the Cleveland Naps).