Monday, March 17, 2025

2025-03-10 Players who hit forty home runs in a season but were not All-Stars that year

MONDAY  — 10-Mar-2025

Q.  Which player had a candy bar bearing his nickname sold during the 2006 season?

Hint: #1  He tied an icon’s iconic record then signed on with that icon’s former team.

Hint: #2  His nickname was “Pronk”, really.

A.  TRAVIS HAFNER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The bar was sold primarily in and around Cleveland during Hafner’s career year.

-  #1  In 1987 the Yankees’ Don Mattingly hit 6 grand slams to break the record tie that Ernie Banks (1955) and Jim Gentile (1961) held.  Hafner hit 6 of ‘em in 2006 and played for NYY at the end of his career. Richie Sexson (2006) & Albert Pujols (2009) have pulled up into a tie with Banks and Gentile.

-  #2  “Pronk” is a combination of the words "project" and "donkey" given to him by a teammate inspired by Hafner’s running style.

FCR -  Jason Winston, Riverside, California

Incorrect guesses:  Reggie Jackson

 

 

TUESDAY  — 11-Mar-2025

Q.  Who was the first batter to drive in more than one hundred and forty runs in his rookie season?

Hint: #1  He was the first player to steal a base after the fifteenth inning of a game in the American League.

Hint: #2  Don’t be tricked into thinking of him as a native Scandinavian.

A.  HAL TROSKY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Trosky had 142 RBI in 1934.

-  #1  SB on 11-May-1944 in the 16th inning.  HOWEVER… a fine team of researchers recently discovered that this was done much earlier by Hall of Famer Harry Hooper.  He stole 3rd then scored the winning run in the 16th inning on 16-Aug-1916(1).  We thank them for the update.

-  #2  Trosky was born in Norway, Iowa.

FCR -  Tom Hablitzel, Hudson, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Swede Risberg, Walt Dropo

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 12-Mar-2025

Q.  Which one-time Texas Ranger ended four consecutive seasons with the identical batting average?

Hint: #1  He played on a powerhouse college baseball team.

Hint: #2  He hit a home run on Opening Day in three consecutive seasons.

A.  KHRIS DAVIS  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.

TEAM:

MIL

OAK

OAK

OAK

YEAR:

2015

2016

2017

2018

H:

97

137

140

142

AB:

392

555

566

576

AVG:

.247

.247

.247

.247

     He played for TEX in his last season, 2021.

-  #1  Played for Cal State Fullerton, NCAA D-1 champs in 1979, 1984, 1995, 2004 and were runners-up in 1992.  Davis missed those years with them but knew what a strong program they had.

-  #2  He hit 3 OD HRs = 2017, 2018, 2019.

FCR -  Mary Hums, Louisville

Incorrect guesses:  Will Clark, Michael Young, Albert Belle, Pete Incaviglia, Kenny Lofton, Adrian Beltre, Pete O’Brien

 

 

THURSDAY  — 12-Mar-2025

Q.  Which paragon of “Three True Outcomes” grew up playing baseball with ROY/MVP/batting champ Kris Bryant?

Hint: #1  This Gold Glover can claim the eighth-longest home run in the Statcast era.

Hint: #2  In High School, he threw a no-hitter in the afternoon then took a certain Hall of Famer's daughter to the prom the same night.

A.  JOEY GALLO  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Bryant & Gallo grew up playing with and against each other in Las Vegas.  The remain friends to this day.  3 True Outcomes (TTO) are the results of a plate appearance that do not involve the defense, i.e., a Home Run, a Base on Balls or a Strikeout

-  #1  Gallo’s 2nd HR on 20-Jul-2018 in his home ball park in Arlington, travelled a nifty 495’.  Watch both here.  Gallo won AL OF gold Gloves in 2020 & 2021.

-  #2  On 14-Apr-2012, Gallo, then 17 & a senior at Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas, pitched a no-hitter against Gloucester Catholic.  That evening, he attended prom with Paige Maddux, daughter of pitcher Greg Maddux.  (Maddux calls it one of Gallo’s earliest strikeouts.)

FCR -  Evan Thompson, Mesa

Incorrect guesses:  Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper

 

 

FRIDAY  — 14-Mar-2025

Q.  Which right fielder once threw out Hall of Fame base runners Warren Spahn and Hank Aaron in the same game?

Hint: #1  He hit the Budweiser sign on top of the Busch Stadium scoreboard with a line drive that some estimate could have traveled as much as 600 feet.

Hint: #2  He hit the first home run ever hit in Dodger Stadium.

A.  WALLY POST  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In a game on 11-Aug-1956, Post threw out Warren Spahn in the 2nd inning & Hank Aaron in the 7th.

-  #1  Long HR on 14-Apr-1961.

-  #2  1st HR in Dodger Stadium = 10-Apr-1962, the only 1 hit in that G.

FCR -  Jim Casey, Savannah

Incorrect guesses:  Willie Stargell, Willie McCovey, Frank Robinson, Carl Furillo, Wally Moon, Mike Shannon, Frank Howard, Lou Brock

 

 

SATURDAY  — 15-Mar-2025

Q.  Who is the only batter to lead the majors in strikeouts in three straight seasons with a total each year exceeding two hundred?

Hint: #1  A ten runs-batted-in game is a notable stop on his baseball résumé.

Hint: #2  In high school, he was a four-year letterman in baseball, basketball and golf.

A.  MARK REYNOLDS  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  In Reynolds’ 2nd, 3rd& 4th seasons in the majors, 2008, 2009 & 2010, he struck out 204, 223 & 211 X respectively for BAL.  He came close the next year when he K’d 196 X for BAL.

-  #1  On 07-Jul-2018, he had the G of his life: 5-for-5 with 2 HR & 10 RBIs in a WSN rout of MIA (18-4).  [Note:  No batter has ever struck out 7 rimes in a game.]

-  #2  Attended First Colonial HS, Virginia Beach before attending the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

FCR -  Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Dave Kingman, Reggie Jackson, Kyle Schwarber, Chris Davis, Rob Deer, Adam Dunn

 

 

SUNDAY — 15-Mar-2025

Q.  Which slugger was out of organized baseball one year after leading the league in home runs, with more than forty?

Hint: #1  Twice he had more than two hundred strikeouts in a year, once leading the majors, once his league.

Hint: #2  During his career, his agent was a former World Series MVP.

A.  CHRIS CARTER  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  After tying Nolan Arenado in 2016 w/41 HR, Carter was non-tendered by MIL.  He signed w/NYY, but was released after a season with a 0.-8 WAR.

-  #1  Carter led MLB in SB w/212 in 2013, then led the AL w/206 in 2016.

-  #2  Carter’s agent was Dave Stewart, 1989 WS MVP w/OAK.

FCR -  Gregory Koch, Falls Church

Incorrect guesses:  Mark McGuire, Dave Kingman, Adam Dunn, Chris Davis, Khris Davis Albert Belle, Rob Deer

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 16-Mar-2025

Q.  Whose total did the Big Puma pass to move into second place on the franchise’s single-season home run list?

Hint: #1  In a season when he hit .314 with 44 home runs, 122 RBIs and a .636 slugging percentage, he finished a disgraceful twentieth in Most Valuable Player voting.

Hint: #2  Counterintuitively, months earlier, he was shot in the wrist when thugs attempted to hijack his car during a visit home.

Hint: #3  This gentleman may have had noble ancestry.

A.  RICHARD HIDALGO  [MAZ Bio]

-  Ans.  In Houston Aston’s history, only Jeff Bagwell has hit more HR in 1 year (47 in 2000) than did Lance Berkman (45 in 2006) or Hidalgo (44 in 2000).

-  #1  In 2000 WAR wad not yet established, if it had been , Hidalgo’s 6.3 would have placed him tied with Jim Edmonds for 9th in the NL & 7th in the AL.  He did lead the All-Star- & MVP-laden Astros lineup.

-  #2  In November 1999, Hidalgo was the victim of an attempted carjacking in his home country of Venezuela.  Armed assailants attempted to hijack his car, and during the attack, he was shot in the left forearm.  He survived the incident, but the injury had lasting effects on his career.

-  #3  “Hidalgo” was a title of nobility in Spain, denoting a rank of lower nobility (“gentleman” being an adequate translation).  Hidalgo comes from hijo de algo (“son of something”), a person of noble lineage.  Hidalgos seldom held significant land or wealth but were still legally considered part of the noble class and were exempt from some of the taxes and obligations that befell most commoners.

FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Lance Berkman, Jim Wynn

 

 

 

 

 

WEEK’S THEME –  Each had a forty-home-run season but was not an All-Star that year

 

Name                          Year                HR                WAR

Carter........................ 2016............... 41................... 2.6

 

Davis......................... 2016............... 42................. 10.8

Davis......................... 2017............... 43

Davis......................... 2018............... 48

 

Gallo.......................... 2017............... 41................. 15.4

Gallo.......................... 2018............... 40

 

Hafner........................ 2006............... 42................. 24.8

Hidalgo...................... 2000............... 44................. 19.2

Post........................... 1955............... 40................. 18.1

Reynolds................... 2009............... 44................... 6.8

Trosky....................... 1936............... 42................. 29.8

Only Gallo was an All-Star in another season.

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan (after Davis)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Most career home runs and no All-Star game appearances

 

Tues    -  Top 10 Cleveland Indians

-   Most home runs by a player born in their US state of birth

 

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