Monday, July 28, 2025

2025-07-28 Players who inspired rule changes Part 3. Part 1 & 2 are aloavailable..

 

NOTE:  The theme, questions and answers this week have all been written by Sarah Grynpas of Toronto.  She was a frequent FCR until she enrolled in law school.  Still, she had time for this gem.

 

MONDAY  — 21-Jul-2025

Q.  Who is the only player ever to have a 50/50 season?

Hint: #1  Last year, he tied a record set by Frank Robinson.

Hint: #2  This year, he’s set to double that record.

A.  SHOHEI OHTANI  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Ohtani achieved 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases in 2024.

-  #1  When he won the NL MVP in 2024, only he and Frank Robinson had an MVP in both leagues.

-  #2  If, as everyone predicts, he wins the MVP this year, he will have two MVPs in both leagues.

FCR -  David Girdany, Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Ronald Acuna, Aaron Judge, Dan Pasqua, Albert Belle

 

 

TUESDAY  — 22-Jul-2025

Q.  Who holds the highest single season batting average of the modern era in the National League?

Hint: #1  He replaced a Hall of Fame manager and went on to win the World Series the next year.

Hint: #2  He began and ended his playing career in the same city.

A.  ROGERS HORNSBY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  With .424 in 1924.

-  #1  He replaced Branch Rickey as manager for the Cardinals in 1925.  In 1926 the Cardinals won their first World Series when Hornsby tagged out Babe Ruth trying to steal second in the 9th inning of game 7.

-  #2  Began with the Cardinals in 1915, ended with the Browns in 1937.

FCR -  Tony Hughes, Woodbridge, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Bill Terry, Ted Williams, Frankie Frisch, Mel Ott

 

 

TUESDAY TWICE  — 22-Jul-2025

Q.  Who didn’t quite catch Don Drysdale for National League consecutive scoreless innings in 1968?

Hint: #1  He hit two grand slams in his career.  One off a Hall of Famer.

Hint: #2  It would surprise many to learn that he never led the league in hit batters.

A.  BOB GIBSON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Gibson had 47 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968, climbing into 3rd place in the NL at that time., Drysdale had 58 just before that, the same year.  Orel Hershiser has since passed everybody.

-  #1  On 29-Sep-1965, Gibson hit a grand slam off Gaylord Perry, the only HoF pitcher Gibson hit a home run against.  (Ironically, Perry’s only no-hitter came against Gibson in Gibson’s dominant 1968.)  Gibson’s other GS was against John Strohmayer on 26-Jul-1973(1).

-  #2  Despite a (well-deserved) reputation as a brushback pitcher, Gibson averaged 6 & never hit more than 13 batters in any one season.

FCR -  Ian Leggin, Oregon, Wisconsin

Incorrect guesses:  Walter Johnson, Carl Hubbell, Dizzy Dean, Sal Maglie, Orel Hershiser

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 23-Jul-2025

Q.  Who is the only player to have a 100-RBI season after the age of forty-one?

Hint: #1  He continues to hold the club records for hits, doubles, runs scored and runs batted in for his 154-year-old franchise.

Hint: #2  After baseball, in addition to his various sports pursuits, he had some success on the stage.

Hint: #3  Only Julio Franco has hit  grand slam at an older age.

A.  CAP ANSON [SABR Bio]

-  Ans. In 1894, when he was 42, Anson had exactly 100 RBI.

-  #1  The Chicago franchise was founded in 1871 & became a founding member of the NL in 1876.  In his 25 years playing for that franchise, Anson tallied 3,012 H, 529 Db, 1,722 R & 1,880 RBI.

-  #2  He opened and managed a bowling/billiards parlor in Chicago and later managed the Dixmoor golf club.  His businesses were failures but he had success on vaudeville.

-  #3  At age 42 on 01-Aug-1894, Anson hit a GS off STL’s Ernie Mason, the only HR Mason surrendered in his 4-game career.  That stood until Julio Franco  hit his final grand slam at age 45 on 27-Jun-2005.

FCR -  Gabe Kinstlinger, Reisterstown, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  David Ortiz, Dave Winfield. Sam Rice, Hugh Duffy

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  — 23-Jul-2025

Q.  Which one-time Washington Nationals catcher led his league in being hit by pitch?

Hint: #1  He twice led the league in catcher’s fielding percentage.

Hint: #2  He once intentionally dropped a popup to turn a triple play in a victory over the Cardinals.

Hint: #3  The name that most people know him by is actually a nick name.

A.  CONNIE MACK  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He was a catcher for the Washinton Nationals of the NL that existed from 1886-1889.  He led the Players League in HBP w/20 in 1890, the league’s only year of operation.

-  #1  He led the league in catcher fielding percentage in both 1891 and 1892 while with Pittsburgh.

-  #2  On May 24-May-1893, Mack started the 2-5-6 TP, i.e. Connie Mack C to Denny Lyons 3B to Frank Shugart SS.

-  #3  He was christened Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, but went by “Connie Mack” even as a young boy.

FCR -  ¯\_()_/¯  [Nary a soul.]

Incorrect guesses:  Ivan Rodriguez, Wilson Ramos, Kurt Suzuki

 

 

THURSDAY  — 24-Jul-2025

Q.  Who still holds the record for most stolen bases in a season without being caught?

Hint: #1  He is  now tied with Christian Yelich for most cycles hit by major leaguer

Hint: #2  He also tied the record for most home runs hit in the World Baseball Classic.

A.  TREA TURNER [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  In 2023, Turner had 30 SB w/ no CS, beating Chase Utley’s record of 23 set in 2009.

-  #1  Turner & Yelich are the only active players w/3.  No player has ever hit more than 3 cycles.  Full list of cycles, listed chronologically.

-  #2  He hit 5 HR  playing in the WBC, a record he shares with Seung Yuop Lee of South Korea.

FCR -  Wesley Story, Richmond, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Chase Utley, Jay Hook

 

 

FRIDAY  — 25-Jul-2025

Q.  Who set the career hit record for the College World Series?

Hint: #1  He put his role as General Manager in Philadelphia on hold to get a Master of Business Administration degree.

Hint: #2  He was the most recent Jewish player on the roster for Tampa.

A.  SAM FULD  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Fuld played for Stanford against Rice in the 2003 NCAA D-1 College World Series.  He got 24 hits, breaking the record set by Keith Moreland in 1973-75 playing for Texas.  Fuld has since been passed by UNC’s Dustin Ackley.

-  #1  After getting his MBA degree from Wharton in May 2026, Fuld will be President of Baseball Operations for the Phillies.

-  #2  He played for TBR from 2012-2013.  The other former Jewish Rays are Gabe Kapler & Al Levine.  (Further research shows that now Ryan Sherriff , 2020-2021, is most recent Jewish player for TBR.)

FCR -  Mark Pattison, Washington, DC

Incorrect guesses:  Ruben Amaro, Mike Lieberthal, Ruben Amaro Junior, Gabe Kapler

 

 

SATURDAY  — 26-Jul-2025

Q.  What was the first Mariners player drafted in 2011 to make it to the majors?

Hint: #1  His first major league out was against Derek Jeter.

Hint: #2  In 2015, his average perceived velocity was the highest in the game, beating out Aroldis Chapman.

A.  CARTER CAPPS  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  He was taken in the 3rd round and beat out Danny Hultzen to the majors, who was picked second overall.

-  #1  August 3, 2012, SEA v NYY. Bottom of the 7th, Jeter grounded out. Capps’s third batter faced.

-  #2  Perceived velocity is a measure of how fast the pitch appears to the hitter.  Capps’s was 101.7 mph.  Chapman’s was 100.8 mph.

FCR -  Mike Sparks, Sarasota

Incorrect guesses:  Danny Hultzen, Dustin Ackley, Michael Pineda, Larry Walker

 

SUNDAY  — 27-Jul-2025

Q.  Who was the first player to wear number 25 for the Tigers?

Hint: #1  He was the first Yankee to hit an inside the park home run in the World Series in Yankee Stadium.

Hint: #2  Tom Hanks never played him in a movie

A.  JOE DUGAN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He wore 25 for them in 1931, his only year with the team.

-  #1  Game 5 of the 1923 World Series, against the Giants. Casey Stengel, playing for the Giants, had hit an inside-the-park home run at Yankee Stadium in Game 1.

-  #2  Tom Hanks played fictional character Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own.  Close but not the same.

FCR -  Keith Sims, Bloomington, Indiana

Incorrect guesses:  Johnny Lindell, Casey Stengel, Charlie Keller

 

WEEK’S FINALE— 27-JUl-2025

Q.  Who was the first batter in National League history?

Hint: #1  He guided Providence to their first league championship.

Hint: #2  He served as the umpire in baseball’s first appearance in the Olympics.

A.  GEORGE WRIGHT   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  April 22, 1876, the Boston Reds (now the Atlanta Braves) played the Philadelphia Athletics (not the ones you’re thinking of). Boston won 6-5. Wright grounded to short.

-  #1  In 1879, the Providence Greys won their first NL pennant. (They would win again in 1884). There was no postseason.

-  #2  In 1912, in Sweden. It was a demonstration sport between the USA and Sweden.

FCR -  Michael Green, Las Vegas

Incorrect guesses:  Joss Radbourn, Joe Start, Pat Hynes, Al Spalding

 

 

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – Players who inspired rule changes Part 3.  Part 1 is here.  Click here for Part 2.

 

 

Anson: If a hitter switches positions in the batter's box after the pitcher is set he is called out. (Not the color line, which was famously never a rule, and not really attributable to Cap anyway).  This was described in Bill James's Guide to Baseball Managers.  It apparently happened in a game on 06-Aug-1891, vs the Boston Beaneaters (Kid Nichols pitching).

 

Capps: Pitcher can only take one step towards home plate without committing a balk.

 

Dugan: Moving up the trade deadline (It's since been moved again).

 

Fuld: Relievers aren't allowed to warm up unless they're actually going to pitch.

 

Gibson: Lowering the mound from 15 to 10 inches.

 

Hornsby: A player can't own stock in a team.

 

Mack: Batter must have two strikes against him in order to be called out when the catcher catches a foul tip.

 

Ohtani: A team can list a player as the pitcher and designated hitter on the days he starts, then remove him in one role but not the other.

 

Turner: Drafted players can be traded the day after the World Series instead of waiting until a year after they signed their first MLB contract.

 

Wright: Not allowed to catch a ball with your cap.

 

 

First  Only Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tues    -  Double uniques who won an MVP

-   Double uniques who won multiple MVPs

 

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