MONDAY — 20-Mar
Q. Who
was the first player to win a BBWAA Most Valuable Player award with different National
League teams?
Hint: #1
He had more career intentional walks than the combined totals of Tony Gwynn,
Willie Mays and Ted Williams.
Hint: #2
He was the first major league player to appear in the TV show
"Everybody Loves Raymond".
- Ans. 1990 NLMVP w/PIT & 1992 NL MVP w/SFG (Also 1993, 2001, 2002*, 2003, 2004)
- #1 Bonds
was the recipient of 688 career IBB. Gwynn
had 203, Mays 214, Williams 258.
- #2 “ELR”,
Season 1, Episode 16: 07-Feb-1997. Bonds edged out Tommy Lasorda (also Season 1,
but 4 episodes later) for onscreen appearances, although Lasorda’s name was
mentioned in the 2nd-ever episode (certainly not referencing his accomplishments as an MLB
player).
*Unanimous
FCR - Mark
Linneman, Sacramento
Incorrect guesses: Alex Rodriguez, Frank Robinson, Rogers Hornsby,
Jimmie Foxx, Bryce Harper, Mickey Cochrane.
TUESDAY — 21-Mar
Q. Who broke Johnny
Frederick's National League rookie extra-base hits record?
Hint: #1 He was the
first visiting player to hit a 435 foot home run at Petco Park.
Hint: #2 He went to
high school in Kansas City, but played on the Dominican Republic team in the
World Baseball Classic.
A. ALBERT PUJOLS [B-R Bio]
- Ans. Frederick had 82 XBH in 1929 for BRO, leading the majors w/52
2B. Pujols surpassed Frederick, amassing
88 XBH in 2001,comprised of 47 2B, 4 3B & 37 HR.
- #1 HR at SDP = 28-May-2006. Pujols’ 436′ blast was measured at 2′ longer
than an earlier Sammy Sosa HR. The
current record for the longest Petco Park HR by a visiting player is held by
Edwin Rios who sent one 473′ during his 2019 rookie season.
- #2 Pujols was born in the capital city of the
DR, Santo Domingo. He, his father &
grandmother immigrated in 1996 to Washington Heights in New York City, but soon
moved to Independence, MO where he played baseball at Fort Osage High School. Played for DR in
the WBC in 2006.
FCR - Sean Baker, Overland
Park, Kansas
Incorrect guesses: Robinson
Cano
WEDNESDAY — 22-Mar
Q. Which twentieth
century Hall of Famer had two qualifying years where he hit .390 or better, but
never had a season over.400?
Hint: #1 Eleven times
he finished in the top ten in his league in runs batted in, only once getting
the top spot, but even then, not the majors.
Hint: #2 He grew up
as a fan of the franchise he played for the first nine seasons of his playing career
in the majors. He later had parts of
three more seasons with them before retiring, then seven more with them as a
coach.
- Ans. Simmons’ 2 best seasons by batting average were
1927 (.392) & 1931 (.390).
- #1 Led
the AL in RBI in 1929 w/157 &, just 1 of the 11 consecutive seasons
(1924—1934) that he placed among the American League’s Top 10.
- #2 Simmons played for Mr. Mack 1924-32,
1940-41, 1944. He worked for
Mr. Mack (coached) 1942, 1944-49.
FCR - Jeff Fink, Howell,
New Jersey
Incorrect guesses: Juan
Soto, Harry Heilmann, George Brett, Zack Wheat, Eddie Collins, Lefty O'Doul, Babe Herman
MIDWEEK BONUS — 22-Mar
Q. Which
player, after being moved to first base to accommodate some natural loss of
speed as he aged, hit three triples in one game?
Hint: #1
He received league MVP votes each of the first full seven seasons he was
in the majors.
Hint: #2
In his second full year in the majors, he hit five grand slam home runs.
Hint: #3
He was the first person in his franchise to have his uniform number
retired.
A. ERNIE BANKS [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. On 11-Jun-1966, at
35 years old, in the Houston Astrodome, hit a triple in the 4th, 5th,
& 9th innings off 3 different pitchers.
-
#1 In 1954 through 1960, Banks
finished 16th, 3rd, 28th, 6th, 1st, 1st &
4th in
NL MVP voting. He received MVP votes 4
more times after that.
-
#2 5 GS in 1955, a record at the
time.
-
#3 Banks’s 14 can now not be worn by
any other Chicago Cubs player.
FCR - Adam
Balutis, Arlington, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Miguel Cabrera, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio,
George Brett
THURSDAY— 23-Mar
Q. Who
was the first player to hit a home run in the All-Star game and in the World
Series in the same season?
Hint: #1
Beginning in his first full season and during the next seven-year period,
he racked up 1,630 hits.
Hint: #2
Three hundred seventy-one of those hits were doubles during that same
time period.
A. JOE MEDWICK [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1934, Medwick went deep
off Lefty Gomez in the 3rd inning of the ASG. That Fall, Medwick hit one of the Cards’ 2 WS HR that year.
-
#1 From 1933 through 1940, Medwick averaged 204 H
per season.
-
#2 …averaging 46 doubles per year
along the way.
FCR - Foster
Beach, Rock Hall, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Stan Musial, Jimmy Foxx, Mickey Mantle. Lou
Gehrig, Derek Jeter, Pete Rose, Todd Helton
FRIDAY — 24-Mar
Q. The
players with ten letters in their last names who have hit forty or more home
runs in a season are Roy Campanella, Rick Petrocelli, Carl Yastrzemski, Curtis Granderson,
Edwin Encarnacion and ______________?
Hint: #1
He homered three times in his first modern World Series.
Hint: #2
His baseball wisdom once produced this gem, “I’m not sure what the hell
charisma is, but I get the feeling it's Willie Mays.”
A. TED KLUSZEWSKI [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Campanella had 41 HR in 1953
when he won his 2nd MVP. Petrocelli hit 40 w/BOS in 1969. Yastrzemski hit 40+ thrice: 1967, 1969, 1970. Big Klu had 40 in 1953, 47 in 1954 & 49
in 1954.
-
#1 Playing for CHW in 1959 vs. LAD, Klu homered 2
X in the 1st G
& once in the 6th & final G.
-
#2 Mays beat Kluszewski for the 1954 NL MVP
in spite of his 49 HR & 141 RBI. I’m certain, however, that Kluszewski’s quip
was not a sign of jealousy but of admiration.
FCR - Jeff
Fink, Howell, New Jersey
Incorrect guesses: Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski
SATURDAY — 25-Mar
Q. Who
was behind the plate for the U.S. Team the only time the U.S. won the World
Baseball Classic?
Hint: #1
He was traded from his first team three weeks after getting a base hit
while representing them in the All-Star game.
Hint: #2
The day he announced his retirement, his first MLB team announced that
he will be inducted into the team's wall of honor.
A. JONATHAN LUCROY [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Lucroy alternated at catcher
with Buster Posey when the U.S. defeated Puerto Rico for the 2017 WBC title.
-
#1 Lucroy played in the 2016 ASG on 16-Jul & was
traded on 01-Aug.
-
#2 Lucroy announced his
retirement in August of 2022 whereupon the Brewers announced he would be honored
among the franchise’s best players on their Wall of Honor,
alongside Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor & other standouts.
FCR - John
Michael Pierobon, Fort Lauderdale
Incorrect guesses: Damian Miller, A.J. Ellis, Buster Posey Mike Piazza,
Jason Varitek, Brian McCann, Yadier Molina, Jason Kendall,
WEEKEND BONUS— 25-Mar
Q. Which one-time
Cincinnati Reds player was drafted by the Dodgers and ahead of Jason Varitek,
Troy Glaus, Kevin Brown and Aaron Boone in the same draft?
Hint: #1 He is the
only player to accumulate more than 4,000 total bases playing for the Chicago
White Sox in their 122-year history.
Hint: #2 He is the
first White Sox player to be the MVP of a postseason series.
A. PAUL KONERKO [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. Drafted in 1994. Played for CIN in 1998. Played for LAD in 1997.
-
#1 Konerko’s career TB = 4,010.
-
#2 MVP of the 2005 ALCS. Less than three weeks after Konerko, teammate
Jermaine Dye became the 2nd White Sox postseason MVP when he
received the honors for the 2005 World Series.
FCR - Rick
Tharp, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Frank Thomas, A.J. Pierzynski, Jim Thome, Harold
Baines, Greg Brock, Jermaine Dye
SUNDAY —
26-Mar
Q. Who was the first
catcher in the Expansion Era to be the throwing half of three “strike‑‘em‑out‑throw-‘em-out”
double plays in one game?
Hint: #1 He was the
National League record-tying ninth player on his squad to collect 100 hits in
the same season.
Hint: #2 He was the
first player to get a hit in an All-Star game in a park which shared his last
name.
A. DAMIAN MILLER [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Catching Randy Johnson
on 25-Ma-1999 at the BOB, Miller threw out
would-be base stealers on The Big Unit’s 1st, 5th & 8th
Ks in the 1st, 4th & 7th innings
respectively.
-
#1 In their WS championship
season of 2001, ARI had 9 w/100 H,
from Luis Gonzalez w/198 to Miller who got his 100th
with just 13 G to play in the regular season.
#2 [See week’s summary below.]
FCR - Randall
Chandler, Germantown, Tennessee
Incorrect guesses: Buck Rodgers
WEEK’S THEME – Players
who hit more than one double in a major league All-Star
game
Player Date Pos. Venue Career WAR
Banks*............ 07-Jul-1959(1)......... SS............. Forbes Field.................. 67.7
Bonds*............. 13-Jul-1993........... LF............. OPACY........................ 162.8
Kluszewski....... 10-Jul-1956........ PH/1B.......... Griffith Stadium............. 31.4
Konerko* **....... 09-Jul-2002........... 1B............. Miller Park..................... 28.1
Lucroy*............. 15-Jul-2014............ C.............. Target Field................... 17.7
Medwick*.......... 07-Jul-1937........... LF............. Griffith Stadium............. 54.5
Miller**.............. 09-Jul-2002............ C.............. Miller Park....................... 8.9
Pujols*............. 13-Jul-2004........... 1B............. Minute Maid Park........ 101.6
Simmons*......... 10-Jul-1934........... CF............. Polo Grounds................ 68.2
*ASG starter
** Game ended in a
tie. Broadcasters Buck and McCarver
stated that if the NL won, Miller would be named MVP. If the AL won, Konerko would be named.
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan
(After Simmons)
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Wed - Players who have had at least 12 seasons with 100 RBI
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