MONDAY
Q. Who
led the Major Leagues in hits last year, edging out his new teammate by one?
Hint: He
was the first overall pick in the 2000 MLB draft.
Twint: Although
he was born in San Diego, he played for Mexico in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball
Classics.
Twint: He
lives in Southern California, but has so much family in Tijuana that he has
been known to cross the border several times a week.
A. Adrian Gonzalez (tied with Michael
Young @ 213 H, 1 ahead of Jacoby
Ellsbury; 2000
MLB Draft)
FCR - Ira
Kotel, Short Hills, NJ
IN MEMORIAM
Q. For
whom is the pole named?
Hint: He
would have had the best batting average in the majors in his rookie were it not
for his teammate Ted Williams.
Hint: He
lost three seasons in the heart of his career to service in the U.S. Navy in
World War II.
Hint: He
led the American League in hits in each of his first three years in the league.
Hint: He
legally changed his last name five years after joining the Red Sox.
Twint: He
and Dom DiMaggio anchored the “Talkin' Ted Williams Forum” at SABR 32 in Boston
in 2002.
Twint: His
brother Vincent played in the Yankees’ minor league system.
A. Johnny
Pesky, whose passing was announced this afternoon (Pesky Pole; Name at birth John
Michael Paveskovich, changed in 1947; Vincent;
SABR bio)
FCR - Jim
Casey, Savannah
TUESDAY
Q. Whom
did Cole
Hamels welcome to the majors with a fastball to the kidney?
Hint: He
stole home before the inning was over.
Hint: It
was his first stolen base in the majors.
Hint: He
was the first overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft.
Twint: Of
all the questions this week, none are of the clown variety.
A. Bryce Harper (BHP, SB 06-May-2012;
2011
MLB Draft; 13-Jun-2012, Harper had had a solid game and was asked by an
unthinking reporter is he planned to celebrate with some alcoholic
beverage. Harper, widely known by the
press to be a teetotaling Mormon, not only did not dignify the question with an
answer, he removed some dignity from the asker:
Video.)
FCR - Steve
Van Wagener, Bethesda
TUESDAY YET AGAIN
Q. Who
hit his 100th career major league home run just an hour after his younger
brother hit his 100th?
Hint: He
was the second overall pick of the 2002 major league draft, ahead of Zach Greinke,
Prince
Fielder and Cole Hamels
among others.
Hint: His
aforementioned sibling was the first overall draft pick three years later.
Twint: He
is the youngest person ever to play for Tampa Bay.
A. B. J. Upton (HR 03-Aug-2012,
brother Justin
03-Aug-2012;
2002
MLB Draft; 2005
MLB Draft; Debut 02-Aug-2004
at 19 yrs 346 days)
FCR - Dennis
Degenhardt, West Bend, WI
WEDNESDAY
Q. Who
had four hits in five at-bats with two RBI and two runs scored at the XM
Futures All-Star Game in Anaheim in 2009?
Hint: He
was the third overall selection in the 2008 MLB Draft, but only played in three
professional games that year.
Hint: The
Miami Herald twice chose him as Florida's
Baseball Player of the Year, an honor given to high school players in the
state.
Twint: Prior
to this season, he was a celebrity spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Kansas City.
Twint: He
didn’t duck his duty when selected to play in the Aflac All-American High
School Baseball Classic in 2007.
A. Eric Hosmer (2008
MLB Draft, 3 G for the Idaho
Falls Chukars; FBPY 2007-08;
BBBS/KC; Aflac)
FCR - Art
Springsteen, Sunapee, NH (a disillusioned Royals fan)
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who
appeared on the cover of Sports
Illustrated wearing the tools of ignorance above the magazine’s bold
declaration, “The Perfect Catch”?
Hint: He
was drafted fifth overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.
Twint: He
is currently leading all American League catchers in putouts and errors.
A. Matt Wieters (SI cover 15-Mar-2010;
2007
MLB Draft)
FCR - Art
Springsteen, Sunapee, NH
EARLY THURSDAY
Q. Who
is the dreaded member of the A’s infield?
Hint: He
might have joined his brother in the majors sooner, but he chose to attend the
University of Miami.
Hint: He
was the 12th overall choice of the 2008 MLB Draft.
Twint: He
was chosen Rookie of the Month his first month in the majors.
Twint: His
first game that month wasn’t even until the 7th.
A. Jemile Weeks (Wears his hair in dreadlocks;
2008
MLB Draft)
FCR - Bob Chan, Oakland
THURSDAY
Q. Who
played as pitcher and first baseman for the U.S. champion Phenix City National
Little League team in 1999?
Hint: His
total of 25 home runs in a high school season ranks only behind Bo Jackson’s
for the Alabama record.
Hint: He
was chosen 28th overall in the 2005 MLB Draft.
Twint: In
2008, he was selected to play baseball as a member of the US Olympic Team in
the Beijing Olympics, but he was unable to attend due to injury.
A. Colby Rasmus (2005
MLB Draft)
FCR - Bob Stuart, Scarborough, ON
THURLY EARSDAY
Q. Who
hit home runs in his first two plate appearances as a Yankee?
Hint: He
made the last put-out in old Yankee Stadium.
Twint: He
successfully jumped onto sixty inches of boxes during a spring training
session.
A. Cody Ransom (HRs 17-
& 22-Aug-2008;
PO 21-Sep-2008,
60”)
FCR - Steve Bonfield, Calgary
FRIDAY
Q. Who
won a game as a pitcher after playing fifteen innings as designated hitter in
the same game?
Hint: In
his first career start in right field, he robbed Chipper Jones of a certain
extra base hit with a highlight-reel catch.
Hint: He
is the first Ranger to homer in his first two major league starts.
Twint: He
replaced Josh Hamilton for the Texas Rangers.
A. Chris Davis (W 06-May-2012; catch
15-Jun-2012;
Ranger HRs 27-
& 29-Jun-2008;
Replaced Hamilton when Hamilton suffered a fracture of the humerus bone in his
shoulder diving into home plate on 12-Apr-2011.)
FCR - Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD
START-OF-THE-WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who
leads all active first basemen in fielding percentage?
Hint: He
holds the major league record for consecutive errorless games at first base.
Hint: He
was taken by the Angels in the first round of the MLB Draft in 2001.
Twint: With
48 plate appearances without a strikeout at the start of an Angels career, he
almost doubled the previous record.
Twint: In
2011, he led Tampa Bay in infield hits with 18.
A. Casey Kotchman 1-13 (.9977;
274 straight games, ending 21-Aug-2010;
Gus
Polidor held the record with 26 G)
FCR - Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD
SATURDAY
Q. Whose
56th career home run was the first to launch the gaudy flamingo
sculpture at Marlins Park into action?
Hint: He
lost his starting role when the Tigers acquired Carlos Guillen.
Hint: He
led the majors in fielding assists in 2011.
Twint: He
was the first Florida Marlin with extra base hits in each of the first three
innings of a game.
A. Omar Infante (HR 15-Apr-2012,
HR, 2b, HR 09-Sep-2011)
FCR - Rod Nelson, Detroit
MIDDLE-OF-THE-WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who
currently leads his team in hits, home runs, RBI and slugging, but was not the
team’s representative to this year’s All-Star Game?
Hint: John
Smoltz was the winning pitcher of the first major league game he played in.
Hint: On
his Twitter account, he describes himself as a “redneck from south GA”.
Hint: Two
spectacular outfield catches this year, against Toronto and Baltimore, have made
him a fan favorite in Oakland.
Twint: He
was barely noticed in parts of three seasons in Boston.
A. Josh Reddick (Oakland A’s; Debut
31-Jul-2009)
FCR - J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD
SUNDAY
Q. Who
was the first Mariners rookie to have a multi-homer game at new Yankee Stadium?
Hint: He
played for team Canada in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Hint: He
replaced Milton Bradley for the Mariners.
Twint: He
played for the Mariners before the Mariners drafted him.
A. Michael Saunders (HRs 30-Jun-2010;
Bradley was put on the restricted list for psychological evaluation and
Saunders debuted 07-May-2010;
Victoria
Junior Mariners of the BCPBL)
FCR - Neal Traven, Seattle
[The following questions were added AFTER the answers were sent because, hey--stuff happens.]
EX-POST FACTO
Q. Who
holds the record for the most RBI in a single postseason?
Hint: He
was the final guy to qualify for this week’s theme.
Twint: He
could have played baseball for Mizzou, but ended up being a Missouri hero.
A. David Freese (21 RBI in 2011; University
of Missouri, 2011 NLCS & WS MVP)
FCR - J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD
EX-POST FACTO EXTRA
Q. Who
won the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award who is a
teammate of the current title holder?
Hint: He’s
won the Silver Slugger Award four out of the last six seasons.
Twint: Without
him the Colorado Rockies would almost certainly not have won their first
pennant.
A. Matt Holliday (Teammate: David Freese)
FCR - John Rickert, Terre Haute
EX-POST FACTO EXTRA EXTRA
Q. Who,
with his debut in 2010, bumped Limb McKenry off the Double Uniques list, when
McKenry had held sway since 1915?
Hint: The
high school where he played baseball won the Tennessee state titles in State
Titles in 1982, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011
Twint: He
was originally named to the USA roster for the 2009 Baseball World Cup, but was
injured and replaced by Lucas May before play started.
A. Michael McKenry
FCR - No one
WEEKLY THEME
– Batters with no hits in seven at-bats in a single game to date in the 2012
season. Thanks to reader Bill Chuck for
the idea and the research here.
First Correct Respondent
to Identify Theme – Gregg
Gaylord, Chicago (on only his second guess)
Horsehide Trivia blog has the
questions and answers from this week as well as from previous weeks: http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/
Horsehide Trivia home page: https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia
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