July 18-24 Sluggers who were standout pitchers in college

MONDAY

Q.         What Gopher was drafted by MLB, the NBA and the ABA?

Hint:     His birth wasn’t necessarily the shot heard round the world, but it was the same day.

SABR Hint:       He trails only Tony Gwynn in career Total Bases for the Padres even though he only played eight of his 22 major league seasons there.

Twint:    He had the winning hit in the 1992 World Series.

A.         Dave Winfield (University of Minnesota Gophers, The Padres drafted him with the 4^th overall pick in the MLB draft, the others were the Minnesota Vikings (NFL), the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the Utah Stars (ABA); 24-Oct-1992)

First Correct Respondent - David Krassin, New York

TUESDAY

Q.         Who owns the highest [single season] American League batting average since its first season?

Hint:     Ichiro brought his name to the forefront recently.

SABR Hint:       He hit eighteen triples for three consecutive seasons.

Twint:    It was his American League record of consecutive games with a hit that Joe DiMaggio broke in 1941.

A.         George Sisler (.420 in 1922; Ichiro Suzuki broke his record for hits in a season of 257 in 1920.  Ichiro had 262 in 2004; 41 straight games—1922)

FCR -    Rod Nelson, Detroit

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who hit a home run once every 10.61 at bats, the lowest at-bats-per-home-run ratio in baseball history?

Hint:     Babe Ruth is second at second at 11.80.

SABR Hint:       He still holds the major league record for home runs by a rookie.

Twint:    He was a special kind of brother.

A.         Mark McGwire (49 HR in 1987; He was, with Jose Canseco, a Bash Brother.)

FCR -    David Krassin, New York

THURSDAY

Q.         Who was the first American League player to collect eight runs-batted-in during a single game in the 1980s?

Hint:     He was also the last National League player to collect eight runs-batted-in during a single game in the 1970s.

SABR Hint:       His .204 batting average was the lowest ever by a league home run champion.

Twint:    In his second ever game in the majors, he pinch-hit for a Hall of Famer and hit a double and a grand slam.

Twint:    In his first ever game in the majors, he pinch-ran for the same Hall of Famer.

A.         Dave Kingman (8 RBI 16-Apr-1984; 8 RBI 14-May-1978; 37 HR in 1982; 31-Jul-1971, Willie McCovey; 30-Jul-1971)

FCR -    John Rickert, Terre Haute

FRIDAY

Q.         Who is the only player in MLB history to hit 35 doubles in ten consecutive seasons?

Hint:     He is the only player in the majors to have 100-plus extra base hits in consecutive seasons.

SABR Hint:       He is still the career leader of his franchise in almost every offensive category.

Twint:    He opted for baseball when he was injured and Peyton Manning was placed ahead of him on the depth chart.

A.         Todd Helton (35 2b 1998–2007 [Read Fred Worth pointed out that Bobby Abreu also hit 35 doubles each year for a decade.]; 103 EBH 2000, 105 in 01)

FCR -    Steven Young, Middletown, MD

SATURDAY

Q.         Who was the last player to lead the league in doubles, batting average, on-base percentage, OPS+ and intentional bases-on-balls the year his team won the World Series?

Hint:     He was Rickey Henderson’s teammate on three different major league teams.

SABR Hint:       He hit for the cycle in both leagues.

Twint:    Both times he hit for the cycle, he hit his only triple of that season.

A.         John Olerud (1993; With Henderson on the Blue Jays 1993, the Mets 1999, Mariners 2000; Cycles 11-Sep-1997, 16-Jun-2001)

FCR -    David Matchett, Toronto

SUNDAY

Q.         Who hit the pink bat first home in major league history?

Hint:     He led the National League in outfield assists his first two years in the league.

Hint:     In 1995 he won the Golden Spikes Award, Rotary Smith Award and the College World Series Outstanding Player Award.

SABR Hint:       After Albert Hall in 1987, he was the next Brave to hit foot he cycle.

Twint:    His first post-season home run was inside-the-park.

A.         Mark Kotsay (Cycle 14-Aug-2008; IPHR 04-Oct 2006)

FCR -    Bill Garrod, Edgewood, WA

WEEKLY THEME – Sluggers who were standout pitchers in college.

Helton         University of Tennessee

Kingman     University of Southern California

Kotsay        Cal State Fullerton

McGwire     University of Southern California

Olerud        Washington State University

Sisler          University of Michigan            Bio

Winfield      University of Missesota          Bio

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Dave Williams, Glastonbury, CT (after the Sisler question)