MONDAY
Q. Which catcher received three no-hitters for the Marlins?
Hint: He was only the fourth catcher ever to win a Gold Glove in his rookie season.
SABR Hint: During his playing career, he ranked second only to Ivan Rodriguez in throwing out base runners, with a 39% average.
Twint: He is a member of the Portland Sea Dogs Hall of Fame.
A. Charles Johnson (No-hitters: Al Leiter 11-May-1996, Kevin Brown 10-Jun-1997, A.J. Burnett 12-May-2001; GG 1995; Rookie GG Cs: Bench, Fisk, Alomar; Portland Sea Dogs)
First Correct Respondent - Christopher Bell, New York
TUESDAY
Q. Who scored the first run for the Washington Nationals?
Hint: He missed the entire 2000 season when he strained a hand muscle while checking his swing in a Spring Training game.
SABR Hint: His career .401 on-base average places him in the top ten among active players although he has yet to play a game this year.
Twint: He is as famous for his trips to the disabled list as he is for his patience at the plate.
A. Nick Johnson (R 2nd inning 04-Apr-2005; Strain 10-Mar-2000; Top 10 OBP)
FCR - Kenny Fink, Ocala, FL
SOLSTICE BONUS
Q. What Dallas, TX native played his entire career for the Texas Rangers?
Hint: Admittedly, it was career of only 98 games over three seasons.
SABR Hint: He finished just south of Ft. Worth and just south of Mendoza.
Twint: Three namesakes of his have played in the majors.
Twint: He was the last of the four players with this name to play in the bigs.
A. Bobby Earl “Bob” Johnson (Career avg .197; Bob Johnson, Bob Johnson, Bob Johnson; final year 1983)
FCR - Bill Garrod, Edgewood, WA
WEDNESDAY
Q. Who is the only teammate to beat Tony Gwynn for a league batting title?
Hint: He was the first player to appear in an All-Star game as a member of the Florida Marlins.
SABR Hint: He is the only player to have hit 35 home runs in a season for four different teams.
Twint: He had gold inlays with his initials installed in his front upper teeth.
Twint: They are now removed.
FCR - Dave MacEntee, Beacon, NY
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. What MLB Network and NESN color analyst used the phrase "Cowboy Up" and referred to his team as "idiots" to motivate them?
Hint: He once reached base in 71 consecutive games, although that stat had only begun to be tracked the year before.
SABR Hint: Comedic actor Bill Murray was his first professional boss—one of them anyway.
Twint: He was a replacement player during the 1994–95 strike.
A. Kevin Millar (2004 Red Sox; 1993 St. Paul Saints)
FCR - Phillip Oppenheim, Sac-town
THURSDAY
Q. Who was the first Yankee shortstop to hit more than fifteen home runs in a season?
Hint: He was the first Minnesota Twins batter to hit home runs from each side of the plate in the same game.
SABR Hint: He had already done it four seasons earlier when he was on the Yankees.
Twint: At 6' 1", his last name is not really descriptive.
A. Roy Smalley (16 HR 1982; SH HRs 30-May-1986, 05-Sep-1982)
FCR - Prisco Panza, Milford, CT
THURSDAY EXTRA
Q. What switch-hitting catcher won a World Series title with Florida?
Hint: He was the fourth Blue Jay to hit home runs from each side of the plate in the same game.
SABR Hint: He had a teammate on the Astros who was also his teammate in high school.
Twint: He only retired as a player after the 2010 season and is now a broadcaster.
A. Gregg Zaun (1997 Marlins; SH HR 13-Sep-2006; Mark Loretta on the 2002 Astros, St. Francis H.S. in La Canada, CA)
FCR - Jim Casey, Savannah
FRIDAY
Q. What Hall of Famer led the league in runs batted in during his first full season in the majors?
Hint: He played for a pennant-winning team in each of the next four seasons.
Hint: The player he was promoted to replace had just been kicked out of baseball.
Hint: His brother played briefly for the Philadelphia A’s.
SABR Hint: Bill James has referred to him as, "…the worst player in the Hall of Fame".
Twint: He shares the National League record with seven home runs in six consecutive games.
A. George "High Pockets" Kelly (94 RBI in 1920; NY Giants 1921-24; Hal Chase; 7 HR 11-16-Jul-1924)
FCR - Steve Van Wagener, Washington, DC
END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS
Q. What current New York Met once garnered the Brooks Robinson Award?
Hint: He led his team in stolen bases in his first full season in the majors.
SABR Hint: He won a World Series with them the following year.
Twint: He has played at least five different positions for each of the past three seasons and has played four different spots to his credit already this year.
A. Willie Harris (Award given to the top minor league player in the Baltimore Orioles organization; 19 SB with 2004 White Sox; 2005)
FCR - Jim Casey, Savannah
SATURDAY
Q. Who stole 2nd, 3rd and home in the same inning and is still active in the majors?
Hint: His four steals in that game tied the franchise record for his 127-year-old team.
SABR Hint: He planned on being a Georgia Bulldog until the Orioles selected him in the first round of the 1997 draft.
Twint: His current team seems apt, given his resemblance to Uncle Sam.
A. Jayson Werth (Steals 12-May-2009; Washington Nationals)
FCR - Steve Deal, Charlotte
SATURDAY ADVANCED
Q. Who was Nolan Ryan's 4,000th strikeout victim?
Hint: He was the last 20th century Red Sox player to hit an extra-inning pinch-hit home run.
SABR Hint: He was the first New York Met to appear in a World Series game as a designated hitter.
Twint: As head coach of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, he has won two division championships.
A. Danny Heep (K 11-Jul-1985; 02-Jul-1989; 21-Oct-1986)
FCR - Bill Garrod, Edgewood, WA
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. What Terp missed two prime years of his career due to military service?
Hint: His Hall of Fame brother-in-law managed a team in his league during most of his career.
SABR Hint: He was killed in an automobile accident while he was a bench coach with the Twins.
Twint: He was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
A. Sherry Robertson (U of MD; Mgr. Joe Cronin; d. 23-Oct-1970; Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame)
FCR - Bill Garrod, Edgewood, WA
SUNDAY
Q. What east Texas native played for the Indians, Senators and Giants in the 1920s?
Hint: He was a Tiger too.
SABR Hint: He was better known for his famous relative than for the 20 hits he got in his 53 major league games.
Twint: Figure out why he earned a question this week and you’ll have this week’s theme deciphered.
A. Tex Jeanes (b. Maypearl, TX 19-Dec-1900; Trinity University Tigers [In fairness, they probably didn’t have the tiger as a mascot when Jeanes attended.]; uncle was Tris Speaker.)
FCR - Bill Garrod, Edgewood, WA
END-OF-THE-WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Whose first major league hit came 24 years to the day after his father’s first major league hit?
Hint: Both hits were doubles.
SABR Hint: He had stints in the minors in each of his first four majors, totaling 275 games.
Twint: His sister is an R&B/hip hop recording artist.
A. Tony Gwynn, Jr. (19-Jul-2006 off Brian Wilson; AAA Nashville Sounds; Anisha Nicole)
FCR - Gregg Gaylord, Chicago
WEEKLY THEME – Selected players with uncles who played in the majors.
Player Uncle
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara (after the Sheffield question)
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