2026 -- H 8495

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LC006362

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF RHODE ISLAND AND MAJOR LEAGUE

BASEBALL ALL-TIME GREAT, HALL OF FAMER NAPOLEON "NAP" LAJOIE

     Introduced By: Representatives J. Brien, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Phillips,
Casey, Santucci, Potter, Cruz, and Kennedy

     Date Introduced: April 30, 2026

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Napoleon Lajoie, better known at Nap Lajoie, was born on September 5,

1874, in Woonsocket, to Jean-Baptiste and Celina Guertin Lajoie. Lajoie's father was a French-

Canadian immigrant who immigrated to the United States, first to Vermont, and later to

Woonsocket, where Nap Lajoie was born; and

     WHEREAS, When Nap's father died, he and his siblings were forced to leave school and

work to support the family. Nap worked in textile mills and in his free time, played semi-

professional baseball, where word of his prowess on the baseball diamond rapidly spread. Nap

played center field, first base, and catcher for the New England League's Fall River Indians,

leading the team in batting average, doubles, triples, home runs and hits; and

     WHEREAS, Lajoie's contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies and he made his

Major League debut on August 12, 1896, against the Washington Senators, playing first base and

recording a single. Lajoe moved to second base later in the season, and in 39 games, batted an

outstanding .326 in his short rookie season. He promptly followed his auspicious start with a

stellar second season, batting .363 and leading the National League in doubles and RBIs. He

batted .324 in 1898, and during injury-shortened seasons, Lajoie batted .378 in 1899 and .337 in

1900; and

     WHEREAS, In 1901, Lajoie moved to the Philadelphia Athletics in the new American

League, and, in his prime at the age of 26, proceeded to put on a display of baseball greatness,

batting .426, the highest batting average ever recorded by an American League player, and led the

majors in batting average, doubles, hits, runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total

bases. Lajoie also led the American League in home runs and runs batted in, and won the

American League Triple Crown, compiling one of the greatest seasons in Major League Baseball

history; and

     WHEREAS, The notoriously frugal Connie Mack, owner of the Athletics, sold Lajoie to

Cleveland rather than pay the salary he was worth. In his injury-shortened first season in

Cleveland, Lajoie batted .379, and then proceeded in the 1903 and 1904 seasons, to lead the

American League in batting average. The Cleveland fans were so enthralled with Lajoie that the

club decided in 1903 to change its name to the Cleveland Naps, the team's nickname through the

1914 season; and

     WHEREAS, Lajoie remained with Cleveland until the 1914 season and continued to play

standout baseball, including leading the American League in batting average once again in 1910

with a .383 average. He played his final two seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, retiring after

the 1916 season. Lajoie was also widely considered to be an excellent defensive second baseman;

and

     WHEREAS, Lajoie's baseball statistics are astounding to consider. He had a career .338

batting average and compiled 3,243 hits, 657 doubles, 1,599 runs batted in, 1,504 runs scored,

and a .380 on-base percentage. He led the American League in batting average 5 times, while

winning the Triple Crown in 1901. Modern statistical analysis further confirms his greatness with

the Wins Above Replacement metric indicating that Lajoie was the best everyday position player

in the American League 7 times: 1901, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1910; and

     WHEREAS, Nap Lajoie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, the second

group to be inducted. He received more Hall of Fame votes than both Tris Speaker and Cy

Young. Nap Lajoie had the great honor of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame the year

it opened in 1939 with other baseball greats including Babe Ruth. Lajoie is also included in the

famous baseball history poem by Ogden Nash, "Line-Up for Yesterday", published in Sport

Magazine in January of 1949, which states, in part, "L is for Lajoie, Whom Clevelanders love,

Napoleon himself, with glue in his glove"; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

honors the life and legacy of baseball great and Rhode Island and Woonsocket native, Napoleon

"Nap" Lajoie; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Dr. Gregory Rubano, Chairman of the

Unearthing Our Treasure: Napoleon Lajoie campaign.

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