March 19-25, 2012 Managed fewer than ten games after playing more than 1,000 in the majors

MONDAY

Q.         Who, although he was not Dutch, was nevertheless nicknamed “The Flying Dutchman”?

Hint:     His brother, who also played in the majors, had an even more unfortunate nickname.

Twint:    He coached for 19 years following his 21-year playing career.

A.         Honus Wagner (Brother Albert “Butts” Wagner, so named for the cigarette detritus he left in his wake; Coached the Pirates 1933-51)

FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo

TUESDAY

Q.         Who wrested the Tigers first base job from Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg?

Hint:     He replaced Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane as the Tigers everyday catcher when Cochrane’s career suddenly ended.

Hint:     He broke Babe Ruth’s record for home runs in a month.

Twint:    Before Nomar Garciaparra did it in 1999, he was the last Red Sox player to hit two grand slams in a game.

A.         Rudy York (18 HR in August of 1937, Ruth had hit 17 in Sep of 1927; 27-Jul-1946, Sammy Sosa is the current record holder w/20 in Jul 1998)

FCR -    Harvey Judkowitz, Miami, FL

IN MEMORIAM

Q.         Who, along with Bob Davids, is considered to be the co-founder of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)?

Hint:     He met Bob Davids as a result of researching minor league box scores at the Library of Congress.

Hint:     He was one of the official sixteen founders of SABR.

A.         Bob McConnell, who passed away on Sunday.  Obit.  SABR bio.

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA (SABR Board member)

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Which Dude was “The Freshest Man on Earth”?

Hint:     He was the first coach for the New York Giants.  Many credit him with being the first ever major league coach.

Hint:     One year, he stole twelve bases in the postseason.

Twint:    Only Hall of Famer Billy Hamilton stole more bases in the 19^th century.

A.         Arlie Latham (742 SB 1886-96 [also played 1880, 83-85 when no SB records were kept]; 12 SB in 1886 WS)

FCR -    John Rickert, Terre Haute

IN MEMORIAM II

Q.         Who coined the term “Pesky Pole”?

Hint:     He pitched for ten seasons in the majors, all for the Red Sox, but might have played longer since his debut in the majors was delayed several years due to World War II.

Hint:     When he no-hit the White Sox in 1956, it had been 33 years since the previous Red Sox no-hitter and it would be another years 52 more years before a left-handed Red Sox pitcher threw another one.

Hint:     The no-hitter was in his final season and he was battling a bad elbow when he threw it.

Hint:     When he retired, only Cy Young had won more games for the Red Sox.

Hint:     He still holds the club career mark for left-handed pitchers in games started, innings and victories.

Twint:    During the war, he led his team to an Eastern Flying Training Command championship.

Twint:    Upon his return to organized baseball, he promptly set the Eastern League record for lowest single-season ERA, a record that still stands.

A.         Mel Parnell (BOS 1947-56; No-hitter 14-Jul-1956; 123 W, Young 192 W; BOS LH GS

FCR -    Bill Carle, Lee's Summit, MO

EQUINOX EXTRA

Q.         What batter led the majors in bases-on-balls five times between 1952 and 1960?

Hint:     He also led in 1950, but merely just the American League.

Hint:     When he retired, only Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Mel Ott had more career bases-on-balls.

Twint:    His team’s owner once proclaimed, “I wouldn’t swap him for Mickey Mantle straight up, and to prove it, I’m paying him almost twice as much as the Yankees are paying Mantle.”

A.         Eddie Yost (MLB SB leader 1952, 53, 56, 59, 60; 1,614 career SB)

FCR -    Richard Nicholson, Richmond, VA

THURSDAY

Q.         Who held the National League record for games by a catcher until Al Lopez broke it?

Hint:     The record was previously held by George Gibson.

Hint:     He was Christy Mathewson’s only battery mate in Cincinnati.

Twint:    He still holds the major league record for errors by a catcher in the modern career.

A.         Ivey Wingo (1,233 G @ C; 04-Sep-1916; 234 errors)

FCR -    John Robertson, Cambridge, ON

FRIDAY

Q.         Which catcher ran afoul of Dizzy Dean for not giving sufficient effort pursuing a foul ball?

Hint:     Dean insisted on a different catcher, a requested that was granted for Dean’s next start by manager Frankie Frisch.

Twint:    But for Hall of Famer Chuck Klein, he’d have won a batting title.

A.         Spud Davis (30-Jun-1935 w/Dean the loser, In Dean’s next start 04-Jul-1935, Bill DeLancey was the catcher and Dean was the winning pitcher; hit .349 to Klein’s .368 in 1933)

FCR -    Bradley Curtis, Roseville, CA

SATURDAY

Q.         Who, among non-inductees, holds the record for the most numerous unsuccessful Hall of Fame bids?

Hint:     He played on the Buffalo Bisons the year before they became a major league team.

Hint:     His error led to the World Series-winning run in 1924 World Series.

Twint:    He was the first major leaguer to enlist for military service in World War I.

A.         Hank Gowdy (17 times on the ballot, [NB: Edd Roush was unsuccessful 19 times, but was eventually elected]; 1913 Buffalo Bisons; G 7 1924 WS)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.         Who replaced Joe Jackson in left field for the White Sox after Jackson was suspended by Commissioner Landis?

Hint:     He also replaced Roger Peckinpaugh.

Hint:     He was then replaced by Walter Johnson.

Hint:     He coached the Longhorns to consecutive NCAA championships.

Twint:    The baseball field at the University of Texas is named for him.

A.         Bibb Falk (Replaced Peckinpaugh as manager of the Indians, followed by Johnson; 1949-50; Disch-Falk Field; Lone MLB managerial date 09-Jun-1933)

FCR -    Rick Zucker, St. Louis

SUNDAY

Q.         Who rookie stolen base record was broken by Vince Coleman in 1985?

Hint:     He scored 100 runs in ten of his twelve major league seasons.

Hint:     He and George Tebeau are tied for a major league record that can never be broken.

Twint:    He won $30 and a silver-headed cane for hitting the first home run of the season at Riverside Park in Utica, New York.

A.         Mike Griffin (94 SB in 1887, Coleman had 110; Griffin and Tebeau are tied as the first major leaguers to hit home runs in their first major league at bats.  These came on the same day, 16-Apr-1887, but no record of game times is available.)

FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo

WEEKLY THEME – Managed fewer than ten games after playing more than 1,000 in the majors.

                     Played      Managed

Davis                1,458          3 for the 1946 Pittsburgh Pirates

Falk                  1,353          1 for the 1933 Cleveland Indians

Gowdy              1,050          4 for the 1936 Cincinnati Reds

Griffin               1,513          4 for the 1898 Brooklyn Bridegrooms

Latham             1,629          3 for the 1896 St. Louis Browns

Wagner             2,794          5 for the 1917 Pittsburgh Pirates

Wingo               1,327          2 for the 1916 Cincinnati Reds

York                 1,603          1 for the 1959 Boston Red Sox

Yost                 2,109          1 for the 1963 Washington Senators

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one

March 12-18, 2012 MVP-winning teammates of Juan Marichal

MONDAY
Q. Who played more games for a single major league franchise than any other player?
Hint: During that span, he won three batting titles and seven Gold Gloves, and earned eighteen All-Star selections.
Twint: He is the last player to win the batting Triple Crown.
A. Carl Yastrzemski (3,308 G for the Boston Red Sox; TC 1967)
FCR - Dave Pugh, Baltimore


TUESDAY
Q. Before Cecil Fielder in 1990, who was the last slugger to hit more than 50 home runs in a season?
Hint: Five years before, for the same team, he had lost his starting position to a Comeback Player of the Year Award winner.
Twint: The machine he was part of in those day was big.  It was also red.
A. George Foster (52 HR in 1977; 1972 CBPY Bobby Tolan)
FCR - J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD


WEDNESDAY
Q. Who was the second-ever National League Most Valuable Player elected from the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Hint: The first one had already been in the Hall of Fame for almost a decade.
Twint: He was the first man ever inducted into both the college basketball and college baseball halls of fame.
A. Dick Groat (MVP 1960, previous was Paul Waner 1927, HOF 1952; National College Baseball Hall of Fame, National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame)
FCR - Dave Serota, Kalamazoo


MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. What Hall of Famer’s home town no longer exists?
Hint: No one seems to miss it.
Hint: No other hitter owns a longer span between his first and last 50-home run seasons.
Twint: Had the Gold Glove Award existed at the beginning of his career, he might have sixteen instead of the record-tying twelve he did win.
A. Willie Mays (Westfield, Alabama; 51 HR in 1955, 52 HR in 1965)
FCR - Ira Kotel, Short Hills, NJ


THURSDAY
Q. Who holds the National League record for consecutive games played?
Hint: He was once considered a serious candidate for the U.S. senate.
Hint: He has twice been a part of a group vying to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Twint: He, like Willie Mays and Gary Carter, was twice voted the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game.
A. Steve Garvey (1,207 G; Senate campaign derailed [failed to launch, really] when unflattering details of his personal life came to light; AS MVP 1974, 78)
FCR - David Krassin, New York


FRIDAY
Q. Who played the most games in a season for the Boston Red Sox?
Hint: In the 112-year history of the American League, only he and Ty Cobb have led the league in total bases for three consecutive seasons.
Twint: He won a batting Triple Crown in AAA ball before coming to the majors.
A. Jim Rice (163 G in 1978; AL TB 1977-79, Cobb led 1907-09; TC [.337/25/93] in 1974 for Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League)
FCR - Bill Kreifeldt, Midvale, UT


SATURDAY
Q. Who tied Ted Williams on the career home run list with his only home run of the season?
Hint: Only one of his career home runs did not clear the fence.
Hint: For good measure, he hit one over the fence two innings later in the same game.
Twint: He hit two triples off a Hall of Famer in his major league debut.
A. Willie McCovey (03-May-1980 off Scott Sanderson; 15-Sep-1967 off Steve Blass; 30 Jul 1959 off Robin Roberts)
FCR - Barry Nelson, Guilderland, NY


WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who was the first and, for almost thirty years, only, native of his home country to win the Rookie of the Year Award?
Hint: A total of five natives from that land have now won it.
Hint: He was fashion-forward in his final playing years, sporting disco-ready sideburns.
Twint: His professional debut came just before his father died.
Twint: His father, long a legendary baseball player in his native country, had earned a notable nickname which was then partially bequeathed on the son.
A. Orlando Cepeda (1958 ROY; Subsequent Puerto Rican ROYs:  Benito Santiago 1987, Sandy Alomar, Jr. 1990, Carlos Beltran 1999; Geovany Soto 2008; Sideburns particularly w/1972 Braves; Father Pedro “Papa Bull” Cepeda died 27-Apr-1955, just days before Orlando’s “Baby Bull’s” first game with the Kokomo Giants [We took the small liberty of calling Puerto Rico a country since people born there call it a country.])
FCR - Brian Hirst, Pemberton, NJ


SUNDAY
Q. Who was the only player to collect 10 RBI in a game in the 1970s?
Hint: In an article in Deadspin in 2008, he was called “America’s Fishing Buddy”.
Twint: He was the first player to win the League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the losing team.
A. Fred Lynn (18-Jun-1975; Article; ALCS MVP for the 1982 Angels)
FCR - J.J. McCoy, Washington, DC




WEEKLY THEME – MVP-winning teammates of Juan Marichal.


Player MVP Yr Marichal
Cepeda 1967 1960-66 Giants
Foster 1977 1969-71 Giants
Garvey 1974 1975 Dodgers
Groat 1960 1967 Giants
Lynn 1975 1974 Red Sox
Mays 1954, 65 1960-72 Giants
McCovey 1969 1960-72 Giants
Rice 1978 1974 Red Sox
Yastrzemski 1967 1974 Red Sox




First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Jim McCoy, Melrose, MA


Horsehide Trivia

March 5-11, 2012 Hall of Famers inducted during the Gerald Ford administration

MONDAY

Q.         After Pete Alexander in 1917, who was the next Phillies pitcher to win 20 games in a season?

Hint:     After Pete Alexander in 1938, he was the next Phillies pitcher to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Hint:     Pete Alexander spoke to the future pitcher’s eighth grade class, admonishing the boys to enjoy sports and avoid drinking during his to-the-point, two-sentence presentation.

Twint:    His father served in the British army during WWI and his brother served in the US army during WWII.

A.         Robin Roberts (20 W in 1950; HOF 1976)

FCR -    Fred Brillhart, Mechanicsburg, PA

MONDAY BONUS

Q.         Whose 54 home runs in 1949 was the highest single-season home run total in the majors between 1938 and 1961?

Hint:     His minor league career was interrupted by World War II after 2½ seasons, and after serving for three years, he never returned to the minors.

Twint:    His military assignment was to search for Japanese submarines while piloting a plane.

Twint:    He led the league in home runs for each of the next seven years after his return.

A.         Ralph Kiner (Hank Greenberg hit 58 in 1938 and Roger Maris topped them all with his 61 in 1961; Minors; NL HR lead 1946-52)

FCR -    Tom Malmud, White Plains, NY

TUESDAY (Not applicable to this week’s theme, even though that’s not how we planned it!)

Q.         Who holds the Chicago Cubs career record for most games, at-bats, extra-base hits and total bases?

Hint:     He had a historic one-inning stint as a manager on 08-May-1973.

Twint:    His double-play partner, Gene Baker, was the second black player on the Cubs.

Twint:    He was the first.

A.         Ernie Banks (2,528 G, 9,421 AB, 1,009 EBH, 4,706 TB; arguably 1^st black manager that day replacing Whitely Lockman, 1 yr before Frank Robinson [An argument could also be made for Roy Campanella, who, at least anecdotally, occasionally managed the Dodgers when Walter Alston was ejected.])

FCR -    J.J. McCoy, Washington, DC

IN MEMORIAM

Q.         Who was the first pick in the expansion draft for the team that we now call the Milwaukee Brewers?

Hint:     He was president of the AA Southern League from 2000 until retiring last October.

Hint:     Bubba Morton, with whom he played on the Angels, once said of him, "He was a great player and a great person.  He was so intelligent--I would classify him as a perfect teammate."

Hint:     He is the only player to play for both 20^th-century Senators teams as well as their descendants, the Twins and the Rangers.

Hint:     He is the only Minnesota Twins player to hit a home run in his first World Series at-bat.

Twint:    His hometown newspaper has honored him with a picture above the page-one headline.

Twint:    His pinch-hit RBI single in Game Four was a key part of the A’s winning their first of three consecutive World Series championships.

A.         Don Mincher, who passed away Sunday (1968 Expansion Draft, 1969 Seattle Pilots; Southern League; WS HR 06-Oct-1965 in G 1 off Don Drysdale; The Huntsville Times; Hit 19‑Oct‑1972)

FCR -    Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Which Indians pitcher led the league in complete games, shutouts and innings pitched during the last season in which the Indians won the World Series?

Hint:     He managed the 1966 PCL champions.

Twint:    He also managed the 1978 World Series champions.

A.         Bob Lemon (20 CG, 10 SHO, 293.2 IP in 1948; 1966 Seattle Angels manager; 1978 Yankees second-half manager)

FCR -    J.J. McCoy, Washington, DC

WEDNESDAY BONUS

Q.         Which Hall of Famer was the Red Sox’ General Manager when the team finally broke the color barrier?

Hint:     He won a World Series championship as a player/manager, and another as a full-time manager.

Twint:    Before winning his second World Series title, he had served as General manager of the Buffalo Bisons.

Twint:    He was pictured on the short-printed card #68 (Ted Signs for 1959) in the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams set.

A.         Bucky Harris (BOS GM when the team promoted Pumpsie Green in 1959; P/M WS 1924, Mgr WS 1947)

FCR -    Richard Nicholson, Richmond, VA

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.         Who was the only outfielder selected for each of the first six All-Star Games?

Hint:     He holds the Indians career records for runs, RBI, total bases and extra-base hits.

Hint:     He also held the Indians career home run record until 1996.

Twint:    His son was the Angels’ primary catcher during their inaugural season.

A.         Earl Averill (AS 1933-38, selected but DNP in 1935; 1,154 R, 1,084 RBI, 724 EBH, 3,200 TB; lost HR record to Albert Belle 25-Jul-1996; son Earl C for 88 games in 1961)

FCR -    John Wilson, Mesa, AZ

THURSDAY

Q.         Which slugger was credited with the National League’s first walk-off grand slam home run?

Hint:     He was one of “my boys, my Giants.”

Hint:     He held the major league career home run record for 26 years, 25 days.

Twint:    He met his future wife while being fitted for a custom shirt at a Troy, NY shirt factory.

A.         Roger Connor (walk-off GS 10-Sep-1881; HR record from 23-Jun-1895 [passed Stovey] until 18-Jul-1921 [passed by Ruth])

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

FRIDAY

Q.         Which Hall of Fame second baseman had four hits, including a double and two triples, in the Cubs’ first night game?

Hint:     Only once did he receive more than 20% of the Hall of Fame vote before he was finally elected.

Hint:     He was once fined for his behavior in the World Series.

Twint:    He was traded for the player who would go on to be league Most Valuable Player the following season, while he batted mere .213 in 15 games as a cellar-dwelling player-manager.

A.         Billy Herman (Night G 01-Jul-1935; 0.8% in 1948, 1.0% in 1956, 2.6% in 1958, 2.5% in 1962, 12.9% in 1964, 9.3% in 1966, 20.2% in 1967, inducted in 1975; fined $200 by Commissioner Landis for unsportsmanlike conduct in 1935 WS; traded 30-Sep-1946 for 1947 NL MVP Bob Elliott, led Pirates to 7^th place finish [tied Phillies for last in 8‑team league])

FCR -    Jason Hoagland, Columbus, OH

IN MEMORIAM II

Q.         Who owned the only independently run professional umpire school recognized by Minor League and Major League Baseball?

Hint:     Dozens of major league umpires attended the school, including the owner’s son.

Hint:     He was behind the plate for five no-hitters, tying Bill Klem’s National League record.

Hint:     Tommy Lasorda believes this umpire should join Klem in the Hall of Fame.

Twint:    He was a World Series umpire crew chief in 1980 and 1995 and was also part of World Series crews in 1973, 1986 and 1991.

Twint:    Till the end he got grief about the Dietz/Drysdale call.

A.         Harry Wendelstedt whose death was announced on Friday (Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School in Ormond Beach, Florida; The current Major League umpires that are/have been instructors at the school include:  Lance Barksdale, Gerry Davis, Dana DeMuth, Doug Eddings, Bruce Froemming, Greg Gibson, Brian Gorman, Ed Hickox, John Hirschbeck, Sam Holbrook, Ron Kulpa,Jerry Layne, Randy Marsh, Chuck Meriwether, Paul Nauert, Charlie Reliford, Brian Runge, Larry Vanover, Tim Welke, and son Hunter Wendelstedt; No hitters:  29‑Jul‑1968 by George Culver, 17-Sep-1968 by Gaylord Perry, 14-Aug-1971 by Bob Gibson [the loser in the Perry G], 26-Sep-1983 by Bob Forsch, 11-Sep-1991 by Kent Mercker, Mark Wohlers & Alejandro Pena; on 31‑May‑1968 Don Drysdale hit Dick Dietz with a pitch that would have forced in a run for the Giants and broken Drysdale’s scoreless innings streak.  Wendelstedt rule that Dietz had not made sufficient effort to elude the pitch.  Dietz then flied out and Drysdale went on to set the record at 58 innings.)

FCR -    Tim Phares, Laurel, MD

SATURDAY

Q.         Whom did Bill James rank as the fourth-greatest player of all time, although he never appeared in a Major League game?

Hint:     He served in the U.S. military, stationed in the Philippines.

Hint:     He scouted the Negro Leagues for Branch Rickey.

Twint:    He was known for his courage and combativeness, and once, according to legend, he ripped the hood off a Klansman and dared him to speak.

A.         Oscar Charleston (Historical Baseball Abstract list, behind only Ruth, Wagner & Mays)

FCR -    Russ Lake, Champaign, IL

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.         What rookie pitcher led the 1923 St. Louis Stars in wins and ERA?

Hint:     He won the 1940 Mexican League batting triple crown.

Hint:     That year he also led the league in runs, triples, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Hint:     He finished second in doubles and third in steals.

Twint:    Anecdotal stories about his legendary speed abound, the most famous being Satchel Paige’s assertion that he could turn off the lights and be in bed before the room got dark.

A.         Cool Papa Bell (11 W & 4.53 ERA in 1923, after playing a few games in 1922)

FCR -    John Wilson, Mesa, AZ

SUNDAY

Q.         Who, as player/coach, signed Josh Gibson to his first professional contract?

Hint:     As a scout, he also signed Dick Allen.

Hint:     He was the first professional athlete inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.

Twint:    He and Gibson were traded together in what some call the biggest trade in the history of the Negro Leagues.

Twint:    The home field of the Wilmington Blue Rocks bears his name.

A.         Judy Johnson (1930; trade 1937; DE HOF 1976)

FCR -    Michael Frank, New York

SUNDAY BONUS

Q.         Which major league baseball umpire was voted the greatest tackle of the National Football League’s first fifty years?

Hint:     The year his NFL career ended was the same year his major league umpiring career began.

Hint:     His football-based methodology became the basis for modern umpire positioning.

Twint:    His eyesight was damaged in a hunting accident, ending his umpiring career.

Twint:    He then became Supervisor of American League umpires.

A.         Cal Hubbard (NFL honor 1969; Accident 1951)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

SUNDAY FINALE

Q.         Who is the youngest player ever to appear in a (modern) World Series game?

Hint:     He played in his last World Series game eleven years and one day later.

Twint:    Art Nehf claimed that he was the hardest Giants hitter to fool in the clutch on a team that contained four other Hall of Famers.

Twint:    He played center field between Paul and Lloyd Waner.

A.         Fred Lindstrom (18 Years 10 mos. 13 days on 04-Oct-1924

FCR -    Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, RI

WEEKLY THEME – Hall of Famers inducted during the Gerald Ford administration.

Averill           1975

Bell              1974

Charleston    1976

Connor         1976

Harris           1975

Herman        1975

Hubbard       1976

Johnson       1975          Bio

Kiner            1975          Bio

Lemon          1976

Lindstrom     1976          Bio

Roberts        1976          Bio

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Bill Deane, Cooperstown, NY (who, with others, guessed the theme even with the misdirection of Ernie Banks.  Bill points out in his defense that Banks was *elected* to the Hall on the final day of President Ford’s tenure.)

February 27-March 4, 2012 Players with the Most Steals in the 1990s

MONDAY

Q.         Who is the only player to win two Most Valuable Player Awards with one team and then win two more MVP Awards with a second team?

Hint:     That’s four, all in the same league.

Twint:    He ended up with seven overall.  No one else has won more.

Twint:    He was in the top five in the MVP vote five additional times, including twice in second.

A.         Barry Bonds (MVP 1990, 92 w/PIT, 1993, 2001-02 w/SFG; Add 2003-04 w/SFG)

FCR -    Judah Kaplan, Silver Spring, MD

TUESDAY

Q.         What second baseman was the first National Leaguer to play on the same team with his brother where their father was a coach?

Hint:     He homered from each side of the plate in a single game for three different American League teams.

Twint:    He was once engaged to a professional tennis star who holds passports from three different countries.

A.         Roberto Alomar (1988 Padres; SH HRs Blue Jays, Orioles, Indians; Mary Pierce)

FCR -    Jess Forrest, Chicago

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who framed a $1,000,000 bonus cheque instead of cashing it?

Hint:     He once said, “If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego.”

Hint:     Bill James wrote, "Some people have asked me whether or not [he] belonged in the Hall of Fame. I've replied "’If you could somehow split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers.’"

Twint:    Jim Murray, Los AngelesTimes columnist, described his strike zone as “…smaller than Hitler's heart.”

A.         Rickey Henderson

FCR -    John Rickert, Terre Haute

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.         What former Pirate is the only man who played 350 games at each of catcher, second base and outfield in the majors?

Hint:     He was once traded for Robin Roberts.  (Just kidding!  He was never traded.)

Hint:     He made 3,000 more career plate appearances than anyone else who has ever played for his franchise.

Twint:    After Yogi Berra coached him, he made his first All- Star team at catcher.

A.         Craig Biggio (Seton Hall University Pirates, C 428 G, 2b 1,989 G, OF 363 G; Roberts was never traded either but pitched for four teams in his Hall of Fame career; ASG 1991)

FCR -    Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR

THURSDAY

Q.         Who hit the first regular-season home run against the Washington Nationals?

Hint:     He shoved Fernando Vina a day after Albert Belle had knocked Vina to the ground with a forearm shiver.

Twint:    Oft-traded, he was the object of a clever DHL television commercial.

A.         Kenny Lofton (HR off Livan Hernandez 04-Apr-2005; Vina shove 01-Jun-1996; TV ad)

FCR -    J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD

FRIDAY

Q.         Who was the last Montreal Expo to steal 75 bases in a season?

Hint:     He caught the fly ball that was the final out of Dennis Martinez’ perfect game.

Twint:    He, like Hal MacRae, Andre Dawson and Vince Coleman before him, was a Rattler who couldn’t be rattled.

A.         Marquis Grissom (78 SB in 1992; Martinez perfecto 28-Jul-1991; Florida A&M Rattlers)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

SATURDAY

Q.         Which player became Wade Boggs’s last career strikeout victim three days after Boggs reached the 3,000 hit plateau?

Hint:     He led the league in triples in one of his two seasons with the Cardinals.

Twint:    He was traded straight-up for Pedro Martinez.  (Yes, THAT Pedro Martinez.)

A.         Delino DeShields (K 10-Aug-1999; 14 3B 1997; trade from the Expos to the Dodgers)

FCR -    Art Springsteen, Sunapee, NH

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.         Who set the modern National League record with six steals in a single game?

Hint:     Only Vince Coleman had more stolen bases than his brother’s 144 professional swipes in 1983.

Hint:     He once walked twice in the first inning of a game in the majors.

Hint:     He played for nine major league franchises in seventeen seasons.

Hint:     He was clearly a speed merchant, but he was also a consumer, resulting in a stint in drug rehab early in his career.

Hint:     He later founded the StrikeOut foundation that teaches school-aged children how to avoid drugs.

Twint:    Neither he nor Mark Langston received a single vote in the 2005 Hall of Fame ballot.

A.         Otis Nixon (6 BB 16-Jun-1991; 2 BB 09-Sep-1992; StrikeOut Foundation)

FCR -    John Rickert, Terre Haute

SUNDAY

Q.         Who was the first designated hitter to bat leadoff for an American League team in the World Series?

Hint:     He collected his 1,000^th career hit during the game Paul Molitor got his 3,000^th.

Hint:     As the ball famously trickled away in play, he allowed the lead runner to score while arguing a close call at first base in a postseason game—a game his team lost.

Twint:    He snatched the bat out of the hands of Scott’s 4-year-old son during Kirby Puckett’s retirement weekend.  Scott does not remember this fondly.

A.         Chuck Knoblauch (DH WS AB 21-Oct-2000; 1,000^th H 16-Sep-1996; 07-Oct 1998; Bat snatch on Saturday on Kirby Puckett Weekend when his number was retired..  At Puckett’s request, Scott and his family were invited by the Twins to attend.  Before the game, Scott presented Puckett with a gift of his personal collection of nearly 2,000 collectible cards, spanning Puckett’s career.)

FCR -    David Krassin, New York

WEEKLY THEME – Players with 300 steals 1990-1999

Alomar              311

Biggio              319

Bonds              343

DeShields         393

Grissom            381

Henderson        463

Knoblauch        335

Lofton              433

Nixon                478

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Gregg Gaylord, Chicago