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H8495
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
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WHEREAS, Napoleon Lajoie, better known at Nap Lajoie, was born on September 5,
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1874, in Woonsocket, to Jean-Baptiste and Celina Guertin Lajoie. Lajoie's father was a French-
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Canadian immigrant who immigrated to the United States, first to Vermont, and later to
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Woonsocket, where Nap Lajoie was born; and
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WHEREAS, When Nap's father died, he and his siblings were forced to leave school and
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work to support the family. Nap worked in textile mills and in his free time, played semi-
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professional baseball, where word of his prowess on the baseball diamond rapidly spread. Nap
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played center field, first base, and catcher for the New England League's Fall River Indians,
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leading the team in batting average, doubles, triples, home runs and hits; and
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WHEREAS, Lajoie's contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies and he made his
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Major League debut on August 12, 1896, against the Washington Senators, playing first base and
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recording a single. Lajoe moved to second base later in the season, and in 39 games, batted an
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outstanding .326 in his short rookie season. He promptly followed his auspicious start with a
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stellar second season, batting .363 and leading the National League in doubles and RBIs. He
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batted .324 in 1898, and during injury-shortened seasons, Lajoie batted .378 in 1899 and .337 in
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1900; and
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WHEREAS, In 1901, Lajoie moved to the Philadelphia Athletics in the new American
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League, and, in his prime at the age of 26, proceeded to put on a display of baseball greatness,
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batting .426, the highest batting average ever recorded by an American League player, and led the
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majors in batting average, doubles, hits, runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total
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bases. Lajoie also led the American League in home runs and runs batted in, and won the
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American League Triple Crown, compiling one of the greatest seasons in Major League Baseball
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history; and
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WHEREAS, The notoriously frugal Connie Mack, owner of the Athletics, sold Lajoie to
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Cleveland rather than pay the salary he was worth. In his injury-shortened first season in
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Cleveland, Lajoie batted .379, and then proceeded in the 1903 and 1904 seasons, to lead the
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American League in batting average. The Cleveland fans were so enthralled with Lajoie that the
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club decided in 1903 to change its name to the Cleveland Naps, the team's nickname through the
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1914 season; and
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WHEREAS, Lajoie remained with Cleveland until the 1914 season and continued to play
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standout baseball, including leading the American League in batting average once again in 1910
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with a .383 average. He played his final two seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, retiring after
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the 1916 season. Lajoie was also widely considered to be an excellent defensive second baseman;
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and
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WHEREAS, Lajoie's baseball statistics are astounding to consider. He had a career .338
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batting average and compiled 3,243 hits, 657 doubles, 1,599 runs batted in, 1,504 runs scored,
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and a .380 on-base percentage. He led the American League in batting average 5 times, while
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winning the Triple Crown in 1901. Modern statistical analysis further confirms his greatness with
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the Wins Above Replacement metric indicating that Lajoie was the best everyday position player
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in the American League 7 times: 1901, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1910; and
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WHEREAS, Nap Lajoie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, the second
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group to be inducted. He received more Hall of Fame votes than both Tris Speaker and Cy
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Young. Nap Lajoie had the great honor of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame the year
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it opened in 1939 with other baseball greats including Babe Ruth. Lajoie is also included in the
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famous baseball history poem by Ogden Nash, "Line-Up for Yesterday", published in Sport
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Magazine in January of 1949, which states, in part, "L is for Lajoie, Whom Clevelanders love,
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Napoleon himself, with glue in his glove"; now, therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby
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honors the life and legacy of baseball great and Rhode Island and Woonsocket native, Napoleon
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"Nap" Lajoie; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Dr. Gregory Rubano, Chairman of the
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Unearthing Our Treasure: Napoleon Lajoie campaign.
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