MONDAY
Q. Who was the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season?
Hint: He was the first Oakland A’s player to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
Twint: He bashed teammates.
A. Jose Canseco (40/40 1988; ROY 1986; Member, with Mark McGwire, of the “Bash Brothers” and tattled on many past teammates [including McGwire] about performance- enhancing drugs.)
FCR - Bob Savoy, Philadelphia
MONDAY BONUS
Q. Who threw the first postseason shutout in the state of Florida?
Hint: Candy Maldonado hit a line drive off his elbow, ending his major league debut in the fourth inning and sending him to the DL.
Hint: His 100th career victory was the first time the Colorado Rockies had thrown consecutive shutouts.
Twint: He donated $100 for each of his strikeouts to the Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
A. Denny Neagle (PSShO 11-Oct-1997 @ Pro Player Stadium; Debut 27-Jul-1991; 100th W 14-Apr-2001, Mike Hampton had turned the trick the day before, both games in San Diego; PSP)
FCR - Brian Wood, Pacific Grove, CA
TUESDAY
Q. Who is the only player to appear more than ten times as a pinch-hitter in the World Series?
Hint: He led the American League three consecutive seasons in caught stealing.
Hint: Jesse Barfield once misplayed a hit of his into an inside-the-park grand slam.
Hint: Barfield did the same favor for Mike Greenwell just a few weeks later.
Hint: Incredibly, there was a third such hit in the time between those two events.
Twint: He was the last American League player to score five runs in one game in the 1980s.
A. Luis Polonia (11 WS PH Abs; AL CS 1991-93; IPGS 14-Aug-1990; Greenwell’s 01‑Sep‑1990; Ron Karkovice’s IPGS 30‑Aug‑1990; 5 H 09-Sep-1988)
FCR - Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara
TUESDAY BONUS
Q. Who was the first regular-season designated hitter in National League history?
Hint: He’s been the Colorado Rockies first base coach for the past five seasons.
Hint: He hit three pinch-hit home runs off the same All-Star relief pitcher. (Not in one game‑that would be a record.)
Twint: He struck out on the only major league pitch every thrown by Kevin Seitzer.
Twint: Because he replaced a batter who already had two strikes, he was not charged with a strikeout.
A. Glenallen Hill (1st NL DH 12-Jun-1997; PH HRs off John Franco: 05-Sep-1993, 01‑Sep‑1995, 25-Jul-1998; Seitzer K 02-May-1993; Replaced Carlos Martinez at bat.)
FCR - David Krassin, New York
WEDNESDAY
Q. What active player played in three consecutive World Series teams, but on three different teams?
Hint: He played in the postseason the next year for yet another team.
Hint: A Razorback, drafted by the Cubs, he went on to beat out Carlos Pena for Rookie of the Year.
Twint: He was the first player ever acquired by Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi.
Twint: His back tattoo is legendary.
A. Eric Hinske (WS w/2007 Red Sox, 2008 Rays, 2009 Yankees; 2010 Braves; ROY 2002; Ricciardi; Tat)
FCR - David Krassin, New York
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who is the only pitcher to record ten-win seasons for all seven teams he played for?
Hint: He surrendered one of the most famous home runs of the 1970s.
Twint: He unintentionally beaned Dickie Thon in 1984, effectively ending Thon’s career.
A. Mike Torrez (1. 10-4 for the 1969 Cards, 2. 16-12 for the 72 Expos, 3. 20-9 for the 75 Orioles, 4. 16-12 for the 76 A’s, 5. 14-12 for the 77 Yankees, 6. 16-13 for the 78 Red Sox and 7. 10-17 for the 83 Mets; HR to Bucky Dent in the 1978 AL playoff game 02‑Oct‑1978; Thon beaning 08-Apr-1984)
FCR - Russ Lake, Champaign, IL
THURSDAY
Q. Which pitcher amassed the most innings pitched in a season in the 1930s?
Hint: He was the only pitcher to suffer 20 losses in a season for the Detroit Tigers in the 1940s.
Twint: He was involved in consecutive Opening Day games with scores of 1-0.
A. Bobo Newsom (329.2 IP in 1938 for the Browns; 12-20 in 1941; 16-Apr-1935, 14‑Apr‑1936)
FCR - Peter Mitchell, Mission Viejo, CA
FRIDAY
Q. Who, though he was born in Des Moines, he represented Mexico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic?
Hint: He was the last American League player to be caught stealing two times in a game in the 20th Century.
Hint: His uncle had a cup of coffee with the Cubs.
Twint: Even though he has played eight teams during fourteen seasons in the majors, he has also played parts or all of ten seasons in the minors for a total of twelve teams.
Twint: His father has the most career pinch-hit at bats for a switch hitter.
A. Jerry Hairston, Jr. (2X CS 03-Sep-2000; John Hairston)
FCR - Al Blumkin, Brooklyn
FRIDAY BONUS
Q. Who was the first National League batter to collect a ninth-inning, two-out game-tying pinch-hit in the World Series?
Hint: In his first game with the Cubs, he became the 1,500th player to appear in a game for them.
Hint: Mirroring Casey Stengel and Darryl Strawberry, he has worn the uniforms of the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Giants.
Twint: He was the first Met to collect a hit in nine consecutive plate appearances.
A. Jose Vizcaino (WS H 23-Oct-2005; Cub debut 16-Apr-1991; Hit streak 23-25‑Apr‑1996)
FCR - Peter Mitchell, Mission Viejo, CA
SATURDAY
Q. Whose major league career ended with a strike out against, pinch-hitting for Whitey Ford, against Sal Maglie in 1956 World Series?
Hint: He led the National League in pinch-hitting appearances in 1952.
Hint: After returning from military service, he was such an admirer of Ted Williams that his teammates began calling him “Teddy”.
Hint: He went so far as to copy Williams’ batting stance.
Twint: He led the American Association in home runs in 1953 with 34 in 118.
A. George Wilson (WS G 1 03-Oct-1956 4th inning; 48 PH PA)
FCR - John Michael Pierobon, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
SABR DAY BONUS
Q. Who was given a special furlough from the U.S. Army to participate in the 1943 World Series?
Hint: He held, for two years, the record for career home runs surrendered.
Hint: He fought in the D-Day landing in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge.
Twint: His manager nicknamed him “Thomas Edison” for his inventiveness.
A. Murry Dickson (12-Jun-1956 HR by Duke Snider, passing Red Ruffing’s 254. He was passed the following 08-Jun-1958 [HR by Joe Cunningham] by Robin Roberts.
FCR - Ray Luurs, Blaine, MN
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who hit the first major league home run with a Rawlings baseball?
Hint: He played games at four different positions for eight consecutive years in the majors before going to Japan.
Twint: When he signed with the Giants in 1981, was granted the largest contract ever offered in the history of NPB.
Twint: During the first year of that contract, he was nicknamed “The Giant Human Fan”, so frequently did he strike out that year.
A. Gary Thomasson (07-Apr-1977 off Don Sutton; LF, CF, RF, 1b: 1973-80; Nippon Professional Baseball $1,200,000, spread over three seasons, played only 1981-82)
FCR - Ray Luurs, Blaine, MN
SUNDAY
Q. Which Stanford grad had John Elway as the best man at his wedding?
Hint: He was part of a (very) recent World Series champion team.
Twint: He and the Secretary of Defense attended the same high school.
A. Mike Aldrete (2011 St. Louis Cardinals; Leon Panetta, Monterey [CA] High School)
FCR - No one
WEEKLY THEME – Players who joined the New York Yankees part-way through a season, won a World Series with them then never played for them again. Aldrete, Polonia and Wilson never played again in the majors.
Name Year
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara
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