Sunday, August 9, 2015

August 3-9, 2015 2014 MLB Doubles leaders by position (as listed in www.MLB.com)

MONDAY
Q.         Who is the only player to finish in the top two (2!) in league MVP voting in his first three years in the majors?
Hint:     As a partial consolation, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in the American League.
Hint:     In addition, he has been named the MVP of the All-Star Game.
Hint:     Twice.
Hint:     In a row
Twint:    He collected a unique All-Star cycle.
Twint:    All of this is true!
A.         MIKE TROUT
- 1st AB in 2012 ASG:  Single; 1st AB in 2013 ASG:  Double; 1st AB in 2014 ASG:  Triple; 1st AB in 2014 ASG:  HR
FCR -    Gary Moore, Walker, MI
Incorrect answers:  Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez, Fred Lynn, Al Kaline, Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey, Jr.

MONDAY BONUS
Q.         Whose great stats in 2012 led him to the first Triple Crown (for a position player) in more than 40 years?
Hint:     He had led in each Triple Crown category in previous years.
Hint:     He’s among the leaders again this year.
Hint:     Only Ted Williams and Mel Ott reached 500 RBI at a younger age.
Twint:    He magnanimously switched from playing first base to third when his team hired another power-hitting first baseman.
A.         MIGUEL CABRERA
- 2012 TC:  44 HR, 139 RBI, BA .330
- 37 HR in 2008, 126 RBI in 2010, .344 in 2011
- His .350 leads the AL (currently on the DL)
- Switched to 3rd when Prince Fielder joined DET in 2012
FCR -    Victor Piacentile, Yorktown Heights, NY
Incorrect answers: 

TUESDAY
Q.         Who was said to be a sure-fire Rookie of the Year until Jose Fernandez posted an unbeatable WAR of 6.7?
Hint:     Some of those same people also thought he was also a double-unique.
Hint:     His salary is reminiscent of what the Giants signed Barry Bonds for in 1992.
Hint:     He comes from a hundred fires.
Twint:    He had to consort with some unsavory characters to reach Mexico and then the U.S.
A.         YASIEL PUIG
- 2013 ROY voting; Puig’s WAR was a still-impressive 4.9, over only 104 games.
- Rich Puig debuted 13-Sep-1974.  Twelve days later he played his last game.
- Signed for $42 million over 7 years (Bonds’s was increased later.)
- Cienfuegos, Cuba translates to “100 fires”
- Sports Illustrated reported that he signed a portion of future MLB earning to underworld thugs in order to finance his defection from Cuba    
FCR -    Scott Matteson, Shawnee, KS
Incorrect answers:  Matt Harvey, Billy Hamilton

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who was the first pitcher to homer for the Royals in the designated hitter era?
Hint:     It helped offset the fact that he led the league in pitching losses that same year.
Hint:     Later, though, he would win league titles in ERA and, in another season, winning percentage.
Twint:    He struggles with social anxiety disorder.
A.         ZACK GREINKE
- 10-Jun-2005 of D-Backs’ starter Russ Ortiz
- 5-17 in 2005
- 2009 ERA of 2.16 (CYA too); 2013 .789%
FCR -    Rick Tharp, Gaithersburg, MD
Incorrect answers:  Jim Rooker, Kevin Appier, Mark Gubicza, Bret Saberhagan, Larry Gura, Mel Stottlemyre, Jr., Paul Splittorff, Danny Jackson, Dennis Leonard, Mike Morgan

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who is the only Houston Astro to win a league batting title?
Hint:     His manager said, “He is at the top of the list of players I would pay my own money to watch play.”
Hint:     A former Eagle once presented him with a differential larger than the width of home plate.  He singled.
Twint:    Houston announcers invented a new unit of length of exactly his height.
Twint:    For example, a home run measuring 550’ would be 100 ________’s.
A.         JOSE ALTUVE
- 2014:  .341
- Quote from Bo Porter
- 6’11" Jon Rauch (Morehead State) was the opposing pitcher 01-May-2012
- Entered the majors at 5’5" and now measures 5’6"
FCR -    Tony Nicolo, Norfolk, VA
Incorrect answers:  Craig, Biggio, Jose Cruz, Terry Puhl, Jeff Bagwell, Moises Alou, Victor Martinez, Greg Gross, Ken Caminiti

THURSDAY
Q.         What former Blue Jays outfielder parlayed his league-leading 46 doubles into a $126 million contract?
Hint:     It took the next two seasons to top that total.
Hint:     His first professional team was the Orioles, where he was drafted as a catcher.
Hint:     It was working under coach Manny Mota was when he first reached double-digits in steals.
Twint:    Some surmise that he is channeling Uncle Sam as he Iast appeared in the famous U.S. Army recruitment poster.
A.         JASON WERTH
- W/TOR 2002-03; 46 2b for PHI in 2010 to lead the NL
- 47 total 2b in 2011 & 2012 for WSN
- Drafted by BAL in the 1st round (22nd pick) of the 1997 amateur draft.
- 11 SB with LAD in 2005 where Mota was a veteran coach. (Mota was a hitting coach and may well have had nothing at all to do with the steals.)
FCR -    Wayne Patterson, Washington, DC
Incorrect answers:  Vernon Wells, Jesse Barfield, Shawn Green, Alex Rios, Carlos Delgado

THURSDAY BONUS
Q:         Who is the only catcher to ever hit two doubles in his only two at bats in a single All-Star Game?
Hint:     In fact, he is the first catcher since Tim McCarver to get two hits of any kind in their only two at bats in a Mid-Summer Classic.
Hint:     He is the most recent player to have a 7 RBI game twice in the same season.
Hint:     He is one of only five players to do so in the 2000’s.
Twint:    He once lost a sock, which ended up costing him two months in mid-season.
A.         JONATHAN LUCROY
- 2014 ASG 2 X 2b in 2 AB
- McCarver went 2 for 2 with one double and a single 1967 ASG
- On 20-May-2012 and 30-Aug-2012; The other four are Cody Ross 2006, A-Rod 2000, Derrek Lee2009 and Jason Giambi 2000
- In 2012, he sustained a “boxer’s fracture” when his wife accidentally dropped a suitcase on him while he was reaching under the bed for a “lost sock” at their hotel.  He was out from 28-May-2012 until returning to action 26-Jul-2012
FCR -    Barry Nelson, Guilderland, NY
Incorrect answers:  Mike Piazza, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Joe Mauer, Ivan Rodriguez

FRIDAY
Q.         Who was the “player to be named later” in the trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers?
Hint:     Of the four Brewer players traded, he is the only one to make the All-Star Game, win a Silver Slugger Award or get an MVP vote.
Hint:     In fact, he’s the only one still playing in the big leagues.
Hint:     The only lead-off home run of his career was the very first home run of his career.          
Twint:    He is the only Cleveland Indian in the 2000’s to collect 200 hits in a season.
Twint:    His nickname, conjured up by Dennis Manoloff, belies the team’s history of “rougher” characters.
A.         MICHAEL BRANTLEY
- 2008 trade that sent CC to MIL
- Zach Jackson, Matt LaPorta and Rob Bryson were the “named” players
- 2014 200 H, Kenny Lofton the last to do it with 210 H 1996
- Nicknamed “Dr. Smooth” for his smooth, unhurried style, while the Indians have had the likes of “Wild Thing” and other players such as Grady Sizemore and Kenny Lofton
FCR -    Neil Cohen, Brooklyn, NY
Incorrect answers:  John Halama, Carlos Santana

SATURDAY
Q.         Who hit the 10,000th homer in the history of the Twins franchise?
Hint:     Though historic, it was for a losing effort as it was the only run the team scored that day, losing by 8 to the Orioles.
Hint:     He has appeared at every position for the Twins except pitcher, catcher and center field.
Hint:     Though a first-round pick, it took 6 years before his major league debut, and he wasn’t a rookie until the year after that.
Twint:    His senior year he was a Baseball America All-American as a utility man though he also had a 12-2 pitching record with an ERA of 0.78.
Twint:    As a freshman he pitched a no-hitter on opening day – his first ever Varsity start.
A.         TREVOR PLOUFFE
- 29-Aug-2014 7th in a 9-1 loss
- Twins 1st round pick 2004, debut 2010, rookie status 2011
FCR -    Bob Wilber, Spokane, WA
Incorrect answers:  Cesar Tovar, Aaron Hicks, Brian Dozier, Kent Hrbek, Denny Hocking

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who was the last switch-hitting catcher to bat over .300?
Hint:     This century, only Jorge Posada has more home runs among switch-hitting catchers.
Hint:     He won two silver slugger awards 10 seasons apart at different positions.
Hint:     He won a batting award that bears his surname.
Twint:    He was the first Tiger to do so in over 35 years.
A.         VICTOR MARTINEZ
- 2010 .302
- Since 2001 Posada 212 HR, Martinez 195
- SS 2004 at catcher, and 2014 at DH
- 2014 Edgar Martinez Award for Outstanding DH; Last Tiger to win Rusty Staub, 1978
FCR -    Frank Workman, Lake Forest Park, WA
Incorrect answers:  Craig, Biggio, Ted Simmons, Jason Kendall, Johnny Bench, Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza

SUNDAY
Q.         Who was the last Cardinal to start at shortstop in the All-Star Game?
Hint:     He drove in the first run for the National League team that day.
Hint:     This season he is leading in hits among NL shortstops.
Twint:    In his only World Series, he managed only 1 hit in four games as his team was swept.
Twint:    Though meaningless, it was a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th inning in an 8-3 loss.
A.         JHONNY PERALTA
- 2015 ASG roster
- RBI single b2
 116 H leads NL among shortstops (as of 08-Aug-2015)
- 2012 WS 1 H/15 AB/.067
- Game 1 2012 WS)
FCR -    Bob Muse, San Diego, CA
Incorrect answers:  Ozzie Smith, Hanley Ramirez, Yunel Escobar


WEEKLY THEME – 2014 MLB Doubles leaders by position (as listed in www.MLB.com)

Altuve            2B       47
Brantley         LF       45
Cabrera         1B       52*
Greinke          P          6
Lucroy            C        53*
Martinez       DH       33
Peralta          SS       38
Plouffe          3B       40
Puig              RF       37
Span             CF       39
Trout             CF       39
Werth            RF       37

*Led the league


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday   -  Players with "Missle" in their nickname
               -  AL MVP’s
               -  AL MVP’s since 2000

Saturday  -  WAR leaders at each position


Questions archived here:  http://horsehidetriviA.  blogspot.com/




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