Mike Trout (Cedar Rapids Kernels – 2009-10) finished second in the American League Most Valuable Player voting in 2012 to the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera. The runner-up finished was the highest placement since Allie Reynolds (Cedar Rapids Raiders – 1940-41) finished second to Bobby Shantz in 1952. Lou Boudreau (Cedar Rapids Raiders – 1938) is our only alumni to win a MVP award (1948 – American League). This is the 28th time a former Cedar Rapids professional baseball alum has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting in baseball history. It is the 84th time one of our alumni has received MVP votes. There have been 33 different players who played in Cedar Rapids that have received MVP votes.

Russ Ford (Cedar Rapids Rabbits – 1905-06) was the first to receive MVP votes finishing 18th in the American League in 1911 as a member of the New York Yankees. Emil Yde (Cedar Rapids Bunnies – 1921) was our first National League MVP vote recipiant finishing 21st in 1924 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hal Trosky (Cedar Rapids Bunnies – 1931) was the first player to appear in the MVP voting in multiple seasons appearing on the ballot four times (1934 – 7th, 1936 – 10th, 1938 – 13th, and 1939 – 30th) all in the American League. Lou Boudreau received MVP a Cedar Rapids record 10 times receiving votes every year between 1940 and 1949 including the first place finish in 1948 when the Cleveland Indians won the World Series.

Seven of our alumni have appeared on MVP ballots five times or more. Ted Simmons (Cedar Rapids Cardinals – 1967) received votes seven times, Rocky Colavito (Cedar Rapids Indians – 1952) and Eric Davis (Cedar Rapids Reds – 1982) each received votes six different times. Allie Reynolds, Paul O’Neill (Cedar Rapids Reds – 1982) and Trevor Hoffman (Cedar Rapids Reds – 1991) each received votes in five different seasons.

Allie Reynolds and Lou Boudreau are our only alumni to finish in the top three twice. Boudreau finished third in 1947 before winning the award in 1948. Reynolds finished third in 1952 and second in 1952.

There have been multiple Cedar Rapids alumni vote recipients in the same year 19 times.  We have had four different players in the final ranking twice, 1965 and 1990. In 1965, Rocky Colavito finished fifth and Bobby Knoop (Cedar Rapids Braves – 1958) placed 24th in the American League, while John Roseboro (Cedar Rapids Raiders – 1955) finished 26th and Tony Cloninger (Cedar Rapids Braves – 1959) placed 28th in the National League. The mark was equaled in 1990 as the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series and three of the four Cedar Rapids alumni MVP vote recipients represented the same team for the only time in our history. Eric Davis placed 12th, Chris Sabo (Cedar Rapids Reds – 1983) was 13th and Paul O’Neill finished 19th. Kal Daniels (Cedar Rapids Reds – 1983) finished 27th representing the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There are two of our alumni who have earned MVP votes for three separate teams. Rocky Colavito represented the Indians in 1958, 1959 and 1965. Colavito twice received votes as a Tiger in 1961 and 1962 and represented the Kansas City Athletics in 1964. Ron Hunt (Cedar Rapids Braves – 1960-61) earned votes as a member of the Mets – 1964, Giants – 1969 and Montreal Expos – 1973.

Mike Trout was the first member of the Cedar Rapids Kernels teams to receive votes since John Lackey (Cedar Rapids Kernels – 2000) finished in 17th place in the American League in 2007. Trout and Lackey are the only players from the Kernels most recent affiliation to receive MVP votes.

Here is the full list of Cedar Rapids professional baseball alumni who have received MVP votes to the best of my knowledge:

Russ Ford – New York Yankees – 18th AL 1911

Bill Wambsganss – Cleveland Indians – 21st AL 1922

Emil Yde – Pittsburgh Pirates – 21st NL 1924

Ernie Orsatti – St. Louis Cardinals – 13th NL 1932

Hal Trosky – Cleveland Indians – 7th AL 1934

Hal Trosky – Cleveland Indians – 10th AL 1936

Hal Trosky – Cleveland Indians – 13th AL 1938

Hal Trosky – Cleveland Indians – 30th AL 1939

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 5th AL 1940

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 17th AL 1941

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 10th AL 1942

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 10th AL 1943

Roger Wolff – Philadelphia Athletics – 25th AL 1943

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 6th AL 1944

Roger Wolff – Washington Senators – 7th AL 1945

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 8th AL 1945

George Binks – Washington Senators – 21st AL 1945

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 10th AL 1946

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 3rd AL 1947

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 1st AL 1948

Lou Boudreau – Cleveland Indians – 14th AL 1949

Allie Reynolds – New York Yankees – 26th AL 1949

Allie Reynolds – New York Yankees – 3rd AL 1951

Allie Reynolds – New York Yankees – 2nd AL 1952

Allie Reynolds – New York Yankees – 12th AL 1953

Ray Narleski – Cleveland Indians – 6th AL 1955

Rocky Colavito – Cleveland Indians – 3rd AL 1958

Rocky Colavito – Cleveland Indians – 4th AL 1959

Bud Daley – Kansas City Athletics – 22nd AL 1959

Bud Daley – Kansas City Athletics – 24th AL 1960

Rocky Colavito – Detroit Tigers – 8th AL 1961

John Roseboro – Los Angeles Dodgers – 19th NL 1961

Rocky Colavito – Detroit Tigers – 16th AL 1962

Rocky Colavito – Kansas City Athletics – 23rd AL 1964

Ron Hunt – New York Mets – 25th NL 1964

Rocky Colavito – Cleveland Indians – 5th AL 1965

Bobby Knoop – California Angels – 24th AL 1965

John Roseboro – Los Angeles Dodgers – 26th NL 1965

Tony Cloninger – Milwaukee Braves – 28th NL 1965

Bobby Knoop – California Angels – 18th AL 1966

John Roseboro – Los Angeles Dodgers – 13th NL 1965

Ron Hunt – San Francisco Giants – 15th NL 1969

Denis Menke – Houston Astros – 15th NL 1969

Ted Simmons – St. Louis Cardinals – 16th NL 1971

Nate Colbert – San Diego Padres – 8th NL 1972

Ted Simmons – St. Louis Cardinals – 10th NL 1972

Ted Simmons – St. Louis Cardinals – 14th NL 1973

Ron Hunt – Montreal Expos – 26th NL 1973

Ted Simmons – St. Louis Cardinals – 13th NL 1974

Ted Simmons – St. Louis Cardinals – 6th NL 1975

Jerry Reuss – Pittsburgh Pirates – 23rd NL 1975

Ted Simmons – St. Louis Cardinals – 9th NL 1977

Joe Sambito – Houston Astros – 21st NL 1979

Jerry Reuss – Los Angeles Dodgers – 20th NL 1980

Jerry Mumphrey – New York Yankees – 20th AL 1981

Ted Simmons – Milwaukee Brewers – 19th AL 1983

Bob Brenly – San Francisco Giants – 21st NL 1984

Eric Davis – Cincinnati Reds – 12th NL 1986

Eric Davis – Cincinnati Reds – 9th NL 1987

Eric Davis – Cincinnati Reds – 13th NL 1988

Chili Davis – California Angels – 25th NL 1989

Eric Davis – Cincinnati Reds – 9th NL 1989

Eric Davis – Cincinnati Reds – 12th NL 1990

Chris Sabo – Cincinnati Reds – 13th NL 1990

Paul O’Neill – Cincinnati Reds – 19th NL 1990

Kal Daniels – Los Angeles Dodgers – 27th NL 1990

Chili Davis – Minnesota Twins – 14th AL 1991

Chris Sabo – Cincinnati Reds – 20th NL 1991

Paul O’Neill – New York Yankees – 5th AL 1994

Chili Davis – California Angels – 22nd AL 1994

*Ken Hill – Montreal Expos – 12th NL 1994 (rehabbed in Cedar Rapids with the Kernels)

Paul O’Neill – New York Yankees – 15th AL 1995

Reggie Sanders – Cincinnati Reds – 6th NL 1995

Trevor Hoffman – San Diego Padres – 22nd NL 1996

Paul O’Neill – New York Yankees – 12th AL 1997

Paul O’Neill – New York Yankees – 12th AL 1998

Eric Davis – Baltimore Orioles – 18th AL 1998

Trevor Hoffman – San Diego Padres – 7th NL 1998

Trevor Hoffman – San Diego Padres – 28th NL 1999

Trevor Hoffman – San Diego Padres – 17th NL 2005

Trevor Hoffman – San Diego Padres – 10th NL 2006

John Lackey – Los Angeles Angels – 17th AL 2007

Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – 2nd AL 2012