Sunday, July 13, 2014

July 7-13, 2014 21st Century Super Slams

MONDAY
Q.         Who was the American League Most Valuable Player in 2000?
Hint:     After suffering a poor 2004, he was named the AL 2005 Comeback Player of the Year.
Hint:     He is the oldest player to hit a walk-off homer.
Twint:    He won the Home Run Derby for the infamous 2002 All-Star Game.
A.         JASON GIAMBI (2000 MVP; Walk-off 24-Sep-2013, 42 yrs. 259 days; 2004 OPS+, 2005 OPS+ 161; 2002 ASG ended in a tie, unlike the 2002 HRD)
FCR -    Richard Tepedino, Hillsborough, NJ
Incorrect answers:  Manny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Jim Thome, Mo Vaughn, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Gonzalez

TUESDAY
Q.         Who hit a home run that landed in another state?
Hint:     In 2012 he tied the record held by Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr. for most opening day home runs.
Hint:     He is second on the all-time list for most strikeouts in a season, though in 2004 he held that “honor” when he struck out 195 times.
Twint:    In 2012 he struck out in his first twenty games of the season, eclipsing the record of fourteen consecutive games established by Howie Goss in 1963.
A.         ADAM DUNN (Hit a HR out of Great American Ballpark in 2005 that landed on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River; 06-Apr-2012 8th OD HR; 222 K in a season is 2nd to Mark Reynolds’ 223 in 2009; Howie Gross)
FCR -    Christine Scully, Oglesby, IL
Incorrect answers:  Rob Deer, Jim Thome, Ryan Zimmerman, Neil Sheridan, Ryan Howard, Mark Reynolds, Prince Fielder, Ernie Lombardi, Joey Votto

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who, despite hitting five grand slams before the All-Star break, only managed to tie the single season record for grand slams?
Hint:     He has the most home runs for a player born in North Dakota.
Hint:     After signing with the Yankees [not traded] in 2013, he hit a 3-run homer in his first at bat back in Progressive Filed.
Twint:    He wasn’t from there, but he was adored in "Pronkville".
A.         TRAVIS HAFNER (Don Mattingly had three of his 6 after the ASG break; Players born in ND; 08-Apr-2013 boxscore; Pronkville was a mezzanine section in right field of Jacobs Field)
FCR -    Mitchell Below, Seattle WA
Incorrect answers:  Roger Maris, Darin Erstad, Mark Reynolds, Nick Swisher, Richie Sexson, Grady Sizemore

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who, aside from Ralph Kiner and Willie Stargell, is the only Pittsburgh Pirates slugger to exceed 30 home runs in a season for four consecutive years?
Hint:     At the end of his career he signed with the Dodgers, but retired during spring training.
Hint:     He is second only to Tony Gwynn for the Padres franchise career bases-on-balls record.
Twint:    He and his brother were both starters for the 2007 Padres.
A.         BRIAN GILES (509 BB to Gwynn’s 790; 2007 SDP roster)
FCR -    Neil Bhaerman, Pittsburgh, PA
Incorrect answers:  Dave Parker, Barry Bonds, Dick Stuart, Richie Zisk, Bob Robertson, Ralph Kiner, Donn Clendenon, Andrew McCutchen, Frank Thomas

THURSDAY
Q.         What current speedster, now playing for his fifth team in the majors, has stolen 40+ bases in four out of the previous five seasons?
Hint:     He's well on his way to top that total again this year.
Hint:     After three seasons in the minors, he switched from switch.  He now bats only right-handed.
Twint:    He got his first stolen base in the majors two weeks before he got his first hit.
Twint:    Although he starred football and basketball as well, he chose baseball as a Huskie.
A.         RAJAI DAVIS (23 SB in 71 G this year; Has played for PIT, SFG, OAK, TOR, DET; 1st SB 16-Aug-2006, 1st H 29-Aug-2006; University of Connecticut Avery Point)
FCR -    Mitchell Below, Seattle WA
Incorrect answers:  Michael Bourne, Jose Altuve, Billy Butler, Eric Young, Dee Brown, Jose Reyes, Carlos Gomez, Juan Pierre

FRIDAY
Q.         Which heavily tattooed member of the Red Sox got the nickname "Tatman" while a Diamondback?
Hint:     He played on the team that won an NJCAA Division III World Series his sophomore year.
Hint:     The only home run in his first year in the majors was off Cory Lidle in Yankee Stadium.
Twint:    He was the 530th pick of the 2003 draft.
Twint:    He was given his unconditional release from the Red Sox after eight games this year.
FCR -    David Ramsden, Barcelona, SPAIN
Incorrect answers:  Ryan Reynolds, Jonny Gomes, Cody Ross

SATURDAY
Q.         Which Tulane University alum, drafted as a starting pitcher for the Astros as the 24th pick overall in the 2005 draft, proved to be a better hitter though drafted as a pitcher?
Hint:     While at Tulane, as a pitcher he was First-Team All-Conference USA Pitcher, Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American, and College Baseball Foundation National Honors Team, and also earned Freshman All-America honors from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball as a utility player.
Hint:     He did manage to pitch once in the majors in a 2-14 loss to the Cardinals, giving up two runs in the ninth.
Hint:     He was traded at the end of 2013 to Miami for Justin Ruggiano, but was designated for assignment at the end of 2014 spring training.
Twint:    He’s been a Valley Cat, a Legend, a Hook, a Red Hawk and a Zephyr.
A.         BRIAN BOGUSEVIC (Tulane career; Pitching appearance 07-Jun-2012)
FCR -    Bob Chan, Oakland, CA
Incorrect answers:  Todd Helton, Brandon Barnes

SUNDAY
Q.         Who made three errors in one inning in a League Division Series game?
Hint:     He had four errors for the series, more than the rest of his team combined.
Hint:     He is the last player to qualify for this week's theme and the only one to qualify as a pinch-hitter.
Hint:     Laynce Nix was an unintentional co-conspirator in this player’s accomplishment.
Twint:    His Braves team finished one game ahead of the Padres, taking the last playoff spot that year.
Twint:    He almost wishes they hadn't, given his fielding miscues.
A.         BROOKS CONRAD (2010 NLDS vs. SFG 10-10-10; , G 3; His drive to left was deflected over the wall at the 380 mark in left-center-field by Reds left fielder Laynce Nix.)
FCR -    Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, RI
Incorrect answers:  Dan Uggla, Pete Kozma, Mike Andrews, Chuck Knoblauch, Rafael Furcal



WEEKLY THEME – Twenty-first century "super slams", i.e., grand slams to win a game, hit in the bottom of the ninth inning with your team behind by exactly three runs at the time.

Conrad         20-May-2010
Davis           30-Jun-2014
Dunn            30-Jun-2006
Giambi         17-May-2002
Giles            28-Jul-2001
Hafner          07-Jul-2011
Roberts        27-Sep-2011

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday   -  Players who have homered in the All-Star Game and World Series in the same year
               -  Players who have been on the cover of baseball video games
               -  Players with more than 2000 hits and 400 doubles
               -  Players with 2000 hits that Bat Left and Throw Right
               -  Active players who won the Homerun Derby

Tuesday   -  Active players with at least 10 grand slams
               -  Players who have hit 10 or more walk-off home runs
               -  High school quarterbacks that were All-Stars in MLB

Wednesday
               -  First basemen who bat left and throw right
               -  Players to strike out more than 200 times in a season while hitting more than 30 home runs
               -  Bats Left Throws Right who have led the league in walks
               -  All-Stars with 30-HR seasons
               -  Guys who hit walk-off homers at Jacobs/Progressive field
               -  Comeback Players of the Year

Monday   -  Players whose first ml hr was a grand slam

Thursday  -  Guy with pink bats on Susan G. Komen day



First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara, CA (After Hafner)

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/rare_feats/index.jsp?feature=ultimate_slam

Incorrect theme guesses:

Horsehide Trivia blog has the questions and answers from this week as well as from previous weeks:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/





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