MONDAY
Q. Who is the only player to win four consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards?
Hint: In fact, he is the only player to win four total.
Hint: Or five...
Hint: Or six...
Hint: Or seven.
SABR: He recently lost a high-profile legal appeal.
Twint He holds both the single-season and career home run records.
A. Barry Bonds (MVPs 1990, 1992-93, 2001-04; lost appeal to overturn conviction on obstruction of justice charge; 73 HR in 2001, 762 career HR)
First Correct Respondent – Dave Matchett, Toronto
TUESDAY
Q. Which Hall of Famer unveiled the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays World Series championship banner?
Hint: He was the first player to receive the Branch Rickey award.
SABR: He was the only player to hit his 400th career home run while playing for the Angels.
Twint: He was an honorary coach for the 2000 All-Star game.
A. Dave Winfield (BRA 1992; HR 14-Aug-1991)
FCR - Will McCracken, Bradenton, FL
WEDNESDAY
Q. Among Hall of Famers, who has the fourth highest career batting average?
Hint: Among Hall of Famers, only five find themselves ahead of him on the career triples list.
Hint: Among Hall of Famers, nobody has more career doubles.
SABR Hint: He was born as a right-hander, but threw and batted lefty throughout his baseball career.
Twint: He was an active member of the Ku Klux Klan in his home state, far from major league baseball.
A. Tris Speaker (.345; 222 3b; 792 3b [not a typo]; Began throwing lefty after a broken arm in his youth.)
FCR - Jim McCoy, Melrose, MA
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who became only the fourth member of the exclusive 500-home run/3,000-hit club?
Hint: He won a Gold Glove Award in a season where he played only 28 games at the position for which the award was, um… awarded.
Hint: In fairness, it was his third straight season winning the award, totaling over 300 games at that position in the two seasons prior. Perhaps momentum just carried him.
SABR: He had three Bulldog teammates who also became major league All-Stars.
Twint: His high school has sent four other players to the majors.
A. Rafael Palmeiro (GG 1997-99; Mississippi State University: Will Clark, Jeff Brantley & Bobby Thigpen; Andrew Jackson High School, Miami, FL, alma mater of Fred Norman, Warren Cromartie, Bobby Ramos & Lenny Harris)
FCR - David Krassin, New York
THURSDAY
Q. Before Dick Groat in 1960, who was the last position player to win the NL MVP Award while hitting fewer than five home runs that season?
Hint: He won a World Series championship in his first full season as a manager, but never again reached the Series in his 16-year managerial career.
SABR: After a falling-out with John McGraw, he was traded for Rogers Hornsby who had his own falling out with Cardinals owner Sam Breadon.
Twint: He was the chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee on Baseball Veterans.
A. Frankie Frisch (4 HR in 1931; Frisch-Hornsby trade [with Jimmy Ring joining Frisch going to the Cardinals] 20-Dec-1926)
FCR - Dave Williams, Glastonbury, CT
FRIDAY
Q. Which player was named the Greatest Athlete from Vermont by USA Today, and also New Hampshire’s Most Outstanding Athlete by Sports Illustrated?
Hint: On 02-Aug-1985 he made both putouts in an 8-6-2 double play.
SABR: He started the 1974 season late after taking a foul tip to the groin in spring training, then had his season ended early after a home plate collision in June.
Twint: Most historians agree he hit the second most famous home run ever.
A. Carlton Fisk (2 PO DP: Rickey Henderson hit a long fly ball to center field, and Luis Salazar missed the ball. He recovered to throw to Ozzie Guillen who relayed to Fisk. Yankees base runner Bobby Meacham tripped approaching the plate and he was quickly followed by Dale Berra, who had run through the stop sign at third base. Fisk tagged out Meacham only to turn around to see Berra coming so he tagged him for an 8-6-2 double play.; 1975 WS HR; Joe Torre spring training foul tip cost 3 weeks recovery, Leron Lee collision 28-Jun-1974 ended Fisk’s season; His HR 21-Oct-1975 sent the WS to a 7th game, which his team lost.)
FCR - Jim Casey, Savannah
SATURDAY
Q. Who is the only player to hit two home runs on his 40th birthday?
Hint: The Astros traded him because manager Harry Walker considered him a troublemaker.
SABR: Nellie Fox suggested he flap his back arm like a chicken to keep his elbow up while batting.
Twint: His franchise record for most home runs in a season by a second baseman was broken by Brandon Phillips.
A. Joe Morgan (2 HR 19-Sep-1983; traded to Cincinnati 29-Nov-1971; Reds 2B HR record 27 in 1976, Phillips hit 30 in 2007)
FCR - David Krassin, New York
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Which 1984 US Olympic Team member was chosen first overall in the 1985 draft?
Hint: A Major League third baseman by 1988, he moved to the outfield in 1995.
SABR: His high school home run, launched over Route 139, is still lauded as “The Killer,” and the spot where the ball landed is marked to this day.
Twint: By the time he retired he had played every position in the majors except pitcher.
A. B. J. Surhoff (“The Killer” bounced off a firehouse wall and killed a small squirrel in 1985.)
FCR - J.J. McCoy, Washington , DC
SUNDAY
Q. Which player led the White Sox in batting during the 1917 World Series (minimum 10 PA), then missed the last portion of the 1918 season due to military service?
Hint: His career .333 batting average notwithstanding, he never won a batting title.
SABR: His son Eddie became a Phillies executive.
Twint: Ty Cobb called him the best second baseman ever to play the game, an assertion confirmed by Bill James’ win shares.
A. Eddie Collins (.409 in 1917 WS; Eddie Collins Jr. supervisor of PHI minor league organization ca. 1945-55)
FCR - Frank DiPrima, Morristown, NJ
WEEKLY THEME – Players with 1,000 games with each of two franchises
Bonds Pirates 1,010 Giants 1,976
Morgan Houston 1,032 Reds 1,154
Palmeiro Rangers 1,573 Orioles 1,000
Surhoff Brewers 1,102 Orioles 1,001
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Bill Garrod, Edgewood, WA
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