August 15-21, 2011 Players with 600 at-bats in a season as a designated hitter

MONDAY/TUESDAY

Q.         Who won the American League Most Valuable Player Award the year the corresponding National League award was shared?

Hint:     He appeared in the American League Championship Series for five different teams.

Hint:     He has coached for seven different franchises at the major league level.

SABR:  He hit .188 in the postseason the year he was MVP.

Twint:    He turned down the opportunity to become the first black football player for the University of Texas.

A.         Don Baylor (1979, Stargell & Hernandez tied for NL MVP; ALCS with 1973-74 BAL, 1979, 82 CAL, 1986 BOS, 1987 MIN, 1988 OAK; coached 1990-91 ML4, 1992 SLN, 1999 ATL, 2003-04 NYN, 2005 SEA, 2009-10 COL, 2011 ARI)

FCR -    Larry Creeden, Boulder City, NV

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who is the only player to collect 500 hits for four different teams?

Hint:     He set a record by appearing as a pinch-hitter 94 times in a single season.

Hint:     He was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame 20 years after being inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.

SABR:  The Expos retired his number in 1993, though he was only on the team for slightly more than three seasons.

Twint:    His foundation provides over 600,000 meals each year to needy residents of New York’s boroughs.

A.         Rusty Staub (792 H for HOU, 709 H for NYM, 582 H for DET, 531 H for MON; 94 PH AB in 1983; NYN HOF 1986, TX BB HOF 2006; #10 retired by Expos, played in MON 1969-71, and 38 games in 1979; Rusty Staub Foundation responsible for 7 emergency food pantries in NYC)

FCR -    David Krassin, New York

THURSDAY

Q.         Who was the only batter to appear for the Royals during the conclusion of the “Pine Tar Game”?

Hint:     After hitting .171 in the Senior Professional Baseball League, he became hitting coach for four major league teams.

SABR:  His body-blocks at second base led to a rule requiring runners to slide into second when breaking up double plays.

Twint:    After Hank Majeski in 1948, he was the next American League player to have six extra-base hits in a doubleheader.

A.         Hal McRae (K’ed in Pine Tar conclusion 18-Aug-1983; .171 in 1989, hitting coach for 1990-91 MON, 1995-96 CIN, 1997-2000 PHI & 2005-09 SLN; 5 2B & 1 HR 27-Aug-1974—26 years to the day; Still called “The Hal McCrae Rule”.)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

FRIDAY

Q.         Which Mariners coach reflected, “They used to call me lazy or lackadaisical, but the lazier I felt, the better I’d hit.”

Hint:     When he retired, he held the major league record for highest career pinch-hitting batting average. (minimum 150 AB)

SABR:  He was a high school basketball teammate of NBA Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens.

Twint:    He ended his career one game short of 2,000.

A.         Tommy Davis (1982 Mariners hitting coach; .320 PH AVG, since tied by Alex Arias; Wilkens’ teammate at Boys HS [Brooklyn, NY])

FCR -    John Wilson, Mesa, AZ

WEEKEND

Q.         Which Seattle slugger holds the record for most at-bats in a season by a designated hitter?

Hint:     He hit exactly 100 minor league home runs.

SABR:  His number was retired by his first Major League team, making him the only non-Hall of Famer so honored by them.

Twint:    What would have been his 300^th home run bounced off a Kingdome speaker, and he ended up with a single instead.

A.         Willie Horton (646 in 1979; #23 retired by Tigers in 2000; HR-turned-1b 05-Jun-1979)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

WEEKLY THEME – Players with 600 at-bats in a season as a designated hitter.

Baylor       608 in 1982

Davis        623 in 1974

Horton       646 in 1979, 615 in 1975

McRae      612 in 1978, 609 in 1982

Staub        642 in 1978, 621 in 1977

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one