MONDAY
Q. Prior to Eddie Mathews, who was considered the greatest third baseman in baseball history?
Hint: He broke up Herb Pennock’s 1927 World Series perfect game bid with an eighth inning single.
Twint: As a child he took a job checking railroad cars loaded with explosives.
A. Pie Traynor (Perfect breakup 07-Oct-1927)
FCR - Gene Rudzinski, Buffalo [Don Harrison, Fairfield, CT the second go-around]
TUESDAY
Q. Who was the first player to have two hits in one inning in a World Series game?
Hint: John McGraw called him “my greatest outfielder.”
Twint: His customary avoidance of water during workouts in the Texas heat may have contributed to the kidney troubles which eventually took his life.
A. Ross Youngs (2 H [2B & 3B] in 7th inning 07-Oct-1921)
FCR - J. R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD
WEDNESDAY
Q. Which player, known for his keen batting eye, struck out only 114 times in his 14-year career?
Hint: He only struck out 48 times in 5,540 plate appearances (0.87%) over his last nine major league seasons.
Twint: He won the Southeastern Conference title as head coach at the University of Alabama in 1968.
A. Joe Sewell
FCR - Peter Beagle, Oakland
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who was the first first baseman to turn an unassisted triple play?
Hint: He won the American League MVP Award in his 13th Major League season, while setting the single-season doubles record.
Hint: He led the league in errors (most, not least) among first basemen four times during his career.
Twint: He gave one of his bats to Joe Sewell on the day Sewell replaced Ray Chapman, and Sewell used the bat (which he nicknamed ‘Black Betsy’) throughout his 14-year career.
A. George Burns (UTP 14-Sep-1923; 1926 AL MVP, 64 2B [later broken by Earl Webb])
FCR - Steve Bonfield, Calgary
THURSDAY
Q. Which Hall of Famer holds the record for most putouts in a season by a National League second baseman?
Hint: After singling in his first major league at-bat, he knocked himself out by fouling a ball off his head in his second time up.
Hint: Footsie Blair replaced him and hit a home run.
Hint: He got the only hit in the first of Mort Cooper’s back-to-back one-hitters in 1943.
Twint: His granddaughter is the first lady of Indiana.
Twint: He was named after a thrice-defeated Democratic Presidential candidate.
A. Billy Herman (466 PO in 1933; Knockout-to-HR 29-Aug-1931; H [2B] vs. Cooper 31-May-1943 [g1]; granddaughter Cheri Herman Daniels, wife of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels; given name William Jennings Bryan)
FCR - Bill Lewers, McLean, VA
FRIDAY
Q. Who hit the first home run of the 1912 World Series, in the second inning of Game Seven?
Hint: His tenth inning sacrifice fly (NOT double) in Game Eight clinched the Series.
Hint: He was the first American League player to attend the University of Vermont.
Hint: He forewent his final year of eligibility to sign with the Red Sox after leading the school to the New England Championship.
Twint: He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.
A. Larry Gardner (Bounce HR in the ’12 WS; 1908 New England Champions)
FCR - Tom Kennedy, Houston
SATURDAY
Q. Whose throw in the 1934 World Series knocked pinch runner Dizzy Dean unconscious?
Hint: According to the headlines that followed, “X-Rays of Dean’s Head Revealed Nothing”.
Hint: In perhaps a bit of payback, he was released by the Cubs when Dizzy Dean was recalled from Tulsa in August 1940.
Hint: He and his infield-mates combined for 462 RBI in 1934.
Twint: He set an American League record (later tied by Jose Canseco) when he received seven consecutive BB in 1938.
Twint: His arm went dead after a late-1938 handball injury.
A. Billy Rogell (Dean knockout 1934 WS Game 4, 4th inning; released by Cubs 28-Aug-1940; 1934 Tigers IF: Greenberg 139 RBI, Gehringer 127 RBI, Rogell 100 RBI, Owen 96 RBI; 7th consecutive BB 18-Aug & 19-Aug-1938 G1)
FCR - Dave Wise, Hyde Park, NY
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who was the last player to get a hit in three games in one day?
Hint: His son played briefly for the Pirates during WWII.
Twint: He moved to the outfield to make way for Pie Traynor.
A. Clyde Barnhart (triple header 02-Oct-1920: game 1, game 2 and game 3; father of Vic Barnhart; moved to OF in 1922)
FCR - Dave Serota, Kalamazoo
SUNDAY
Q. Who was the first modern player to collect seven extra-base hits in two consecutive games?
Hint: He led American League first basemen in fielding in 1926, and led National League first basemen in fielding in 1929.
Hint: He was an inaugural inductee into the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.
Hint: His son, Bud, played just over 100 career games for the White Sox.
Twint: He had 3,659 combined major league and minor league hits.
A. Earl Sheely (3 2B 20-May-1926, 3 2B & HR 21-May-1926 [Ed Delahanty, 1896, is the only prior player w- 7 EBH in 2 games]; 1943 PCL HOF inductee; Bud Sheely 101 games for 1951-53 White Sox; 1,340 ML hits, 2,319 ml hits)
FCR - John Michael Pierobon, Ft. Lauderdale
WEEKLY THEME – Player since the end of the Dead Ball Era (1920) with 100 RBI seasons who also hit fewer than five home runs that year.
Player HR RBI Year
Barnhart 4 114 1925
Burns 4 114 1926
Gardner 3 118 1920
Gardner 3 120 1921
Herman 2 100 1943
Rogell 3 100 1934
Sewell 3 109 1923
Sewell 4 106 1924
Sheely 3 103 1924
Traynor 2 103 1931
Traynor 3 124 1928
Traynor 4 108 1929
Youngs 3 102 1921
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara
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