First published by USA TODAY, on November 20, 2020, by Bob Nightengale
They are the most prestigious individual honors in baseball, but for the first time since 1944, the American League and National League Most Valuable Player awards will have no name.
Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the MLB commissioner from 1920 to ’44 who prevented the game from being integrated during his reign, will no longer have his name on the MVP awards following a resounding vote by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.
There wasn’t enough time for the writers to vote on a new name to be attached to the awards this year, with Jose Ramirez of Cleveland and Freddie Freeman of Atlanta favored to be named the winners Thursday in the American and National leagues, but there’s a perfect option out there starting next year.
Josh Gibson, perhaps the greatest slugger of ’em all.
Gibson never played in Major League Baseball because of Landis, so wouldn’t it be appropriate that the greatest player Landis denied would now represent baseball’s best annual players?
