Ernie Mehl worked nearly 50 years for The Kansas City Star, serving as sports editor from 1950 to 1965. Over that time, Mehl relentlessly beat the civic drum in an effort to bring a major-league baseball team to Kansas City. In 1955, his dream came true when the Kansas City Athletics came from Philadelphia. When they moved to Oakland in 1967, Mehl was at the forefront of the effort to persuade the American League to grant an expansion franchise to Kansas City and to persuade Ewing Kauffman to buy it. Presented to Willie Stargell in 1978 is this Ernie Mehl Award. Stargell was giving this prestigious award for contributing greatly to the overall image of baseball, both on and off the field. Standing 42" tall with a 13" wide base, this is quite the impressive trophy. On top the gold plaque reads, "The Ernie Mehl Award", surrounded by four baseball players. There is another plaque reads "Wilver D. "Willie" Stargell" on the bottom just below the crown with Olympian on top.