March 26-April 1, 2012: Kansas City Royals with 1,000 Games Played

MONDAY

Q.         Who won batting titles in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s?

Hint:     He was the first American League player to win two Baseball Digest Player of the Year Awards.

Hint:     He won them in consecutive seasons.

Twint:    His manager once said, “(He) could get good wood on an aspirin."

A.         George Brett (.333 in 1976, .390 in 1980, .329 in 1990; BBD POY 1979, 80)

FCR -    Howie Mazin, Teaneck, NJ

TUESDAY

Q.         Who won the first-ever American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award?

Hint:     He twice hit for the cycle.

Hint:     A teammate and he set a major league record by appearing in 1,913 games together.

Twint:    That record was subsequently broken by the Tigers' Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker.

A.         Frank White (ALCS MVP 1980; Cycles:  29-Sep-1979 & 03-Aug-1982)

FCR -    Paul Sekula, Arlington, VA

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Whose record for at-bats in a season did Jimmy Rollins break in 2007?

Hint:     He still holds the American League record.

Hint:     He led the American League in stolen bases the season before Rickey Henderson’s run of eleven out of the next twelve years.

Twint:    He appeared with teammates on “Family Feud” following the 1980 season.

A.         Willie Wilson (107 AB in 1980, Rollins had 716; 83 SB in 1979; Wilson appeared with four of his Royals teammates on Family Feud for one week in 1980. He, John Wathan, Paul Splittorff, Dan Quisenberry and Dennis Leonard played against five members of the Philadelphia Phillies: Del Unser, Larry Bowa, Mike Schmidt, Dick Ruthven and Garry Maddox)

FCR -    Fred Brillhart, Mechanicsburg, PA

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.         Who is the only Tampa Bay manager who didn’t break the 200-win barrier?

Hint:     He platooned with Bernie Carbo.

Twint:    He once publicly pouted after losing a batting title to a teammate.

A.         Hal McRae (113 W; Platooned with Carbo on the Reds 1970-72; George Brett won, .3333 to his .3321 in 1976)

FCR -    Bob Elliott, Mississauga, ON

THURSDAY

Q.         After Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri did it in 1927, who was the second-ever American League shortstop to hit three home runs in a game?

Hint:     His size is hinted at by his nicknames of “Flea” and “Moochie”.

Twint:    He was the first player to hit for the cycle for the Royals.

A.         Freddie Patek (3 HR 20-Jun-1980; Lazzeri’s trio 08-Jun-1927 [N.B. This first of his 3 HR was while playing 3b, #2 & 3 while @ SS, so Patek really was the 1st.]; Cycle 09‑Jul‑1971)

FCR -    John Rickert, Terre Haute

FRIDAY

Q.         Who was the first player to win a Gold Glove Award for the Kansas City Royals?

Hint:     He was the first Royal to hit a home run in his first world series at bat.

Hint:     He was the first player since 1927 to steal five bases in a single game.

Twint:    He hit the ball that Mariners third baseman Lenny Randle famously "blew" foul.

A.         Amos Otis (GG 1971, 73, 74; WS HR 14-Oct-1980; 5 SB 07-Sep-1971; Randle incident 27‑May‑1981)

FCR -    David Krassin, New York

SATURDAY

Q.         Who is the newest analyst on Major League Baseball’s television channel?

Hint:     Because of his fluent Spanish, he was very involved in the community wherever his playing career took him.

Hint:     He holds the offbeat record of having most hits in a season without hitting a triple.

Twint:    He won the Hutch Award toward the end of his career.

A.         Mike Sweeney (MLB TV announcement; 206 H in 2000 [Most hits in a season with 0 triples is Magglio Ordenez with 216 in 2007, Miguel Tejada had 214 the year before.  Sweeney, currently 3^rd, was the first.]; Hutch Award in 2007)

FCR -    Paul Sekula, Arlington, VA

SUNDAY

Q.         Who was the first 21^st century American League player to score six runs in a game?

Hint:     Because he appeared to be smiling when he was up at bat, his teammates nicknamed him “The Joker”.  He didn’t volunteer for it, but was a good sport about it.

Twint:    In 2003, he set the Royals’ team record for the most consecutive errorless games by a third baseman, going 75 games without an error.

A.         Joe Randa (G w/6 H 09-Sep-2004)

FCR -    Bill Carle, Lee’s Summit, MO

WEEKLY THEME – Players with 1,000 games in a Kansas City Royals uniform

Brett          2,707

McRae      1,837

Otis           1,891

Patek        1,245

Randa       1,019

Sweeney   1,282

White        2,324

Wilson       1,787

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara