MONDAY — 18-Aug-2025
Q. Who
hit .408, .395 and .373 in successive seasons, but never topped his league in
batting.
Hint: #1
He did rank in the Top Ten in MVP voting each of those years?
Hint: #2
Babe Ruth said, “He was the most natural and
graceful hitter who ever lived,” and modeled his own swing accordingly.
Hint: #3
He is the only player with more than twenty-five tiple and more than two
hundred twenty-five hits in the same season.
A. JOE JACKSON [SABR Bio]
- Ans. In
1911, he hit .408, but… Ty Cobb hit
.419,
1912, he hit .395, but… Ty Cobb hit .409, &
1913, he hit .373, but… Ty Cobb hit .389.
-
#1 Jackson ranked 9th,
2nd & 5th in the Chalmers Most Valuable Player voting. In
1911 behind DET’s Cobb who won his Triple Crown that year;
1912 behind BOS’s, Tris Speaker & his tremendous output
on offense; &
1913 behind Walter Johnson whose career best WAR of 15.2
tells that story.
-
#2 Ruth gave praise like this to
no other player.
-
#3 In 1912, Jackson had 26 3B & 226* H. *Tied with Ty Cobb.
FCR - Rob
Shelton, San Antonio
Incorrect guesses: George Sisler, Harry Heilmann, Ty Cobb, Tris
Speaker, Manny Ramirez
TUESDAY — 19-Aug-2025
Q. Which
first-ballot Hall of Famer was in the top five vote getters for American League
MVP for five consecutive seasons yet never won the award?
Hint: #1
Getting recognized in the postseason, however, was another matter
entirely.
Hint: #2
Since when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle did it, he was the next American
League player to hit forty home runs and knock in a hundred runs in his team's first
one hundred and ten games of a season.
A. DAVID ORTIZ [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 2003-2007, he finished 5th, 4th, 2nd, 3rd & 4th in AL MVP balloting.
-
#1 Ortiz was the deserving MVP of
the 2004 ALCS when BOS survived
being 0-3 vs. NYY to capture the AL flag. He was also the MVP of the 2013 World Series.
-
#2 David Ortiz (110 g in 2006)
(Roger Maris (106 g in 1961), Mickey Mantle (109 games in 1961)
FCR - Dan
McLaughlin, Floral Park, New York
Incorrect guesses: Reggie Jackson, Eddie Murray, Jim Thome,
Aaron Judge, Jason Giambi, Harmon Killebrew
WEDNESDAY — 19-Aug-2025
Q. Who
is the only player to lead his league in steals twice and hit for the cycle
thrice?
Hint: #1
As a college freshman, his 57 steals were more than the team totals of
158 of Division I’s 300+ teams.
Hint: #2
A fan plan helped him out of a serious slump.
A. TREA TURNER [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Led the NL in SB in 2018 (43)
& 2021 (34). Hit for the
cycle on 25-Apr-2017, 23-Jul-2019 and 30-Jun-2021.
-
#1 As a freshman at North
Carolina State, he stole 57 bases.
-
#2 Watch here.
FCR - Laura
Peebles, Arlington, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Billy Hamilton, Rajai Davis
THURSDAY — 21-Aug-2025
Q. Who
was the first National League player to play against a team managed by his
father?
Hint: #1
He was named his team’s Most Valuable Player the season they won their franchise’s
first World Series championship.
Hint: #2
Chicago doesn’t blame him.
A. MOISES ALOU [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. On Friday, 20-Jun-1997, FLA w/Moises playing CF, defeated
MON, managed by Felipe, 2-1.
-
#1 In 1997 the Florida Marlins upset
the favored Cleveland Indians in the WS.
Alou was acknowledged for his contributions
all season long.
-
#2 In the 8th inning
of game #6 of the NLCS on 14-Oct-2003, CHC’s LF Alou had a bead on the fly
ball hit by former FLA teammate Luis Castillo. The ball drifted into foul by playable
territory & as Alou prepared to make a certain catch, Cubs fan Steve
Bartman deflected it trying to catch it and the ball fell harmlessly to the
field. Even if you think you know the
rest of the story, here is an excellent description
of what followed.
FCR - Jaime
Aron, Dallas
Incorrect guesses: Luke Farrell, Tyler Nevin, Roberto Alomar,
Eduardo Perez
FRIDAY — 22-Aug-2025
Q. Who,
earlier this century, had a hitting streak of twenty-two games for a team that
finished twenty-six games out of first place and didn’t even post a positive record
during his streak?
Hint: #1
He was born near Seattle in Bellevue, Washington, because his father
played for the Mariners at the time.
Hint: #2
He twice helped the Astros reach the World Series between their
championship years.
Hint: #3
He was an All-Star five times. He
was a Silver Slugger winner as well the year he finished third in the league
Most Valuable Player voting.
A. MICHAEL BRANTLEY [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. From 20-May- through 15-Jun-2012 for CLE, Brantley’s
streak was 22 games. His team was 12-10
in that period. For the year, CLE was 68-94, 4th in the AL Central.
-
#1 His father Mickey
Brantley, played for SEA 1986-1989. Michel was born 15-May-1987.
-
#2 HOU won the WS in 2017 &
2022. They lost the WS in 2019 &
2021. Brantley’s last season was 2023
& he played for HOU, but was not on their postseason roster.
- #3 Brantley made the AL All-Star Team 3 X w/CLE: 2014, 2017 & 2018 then 2 X w/HOU: 2019 & 2021 (Their AL pennant seasons). Silver Slugger in 2014. That same season, he finished behind only
Mike Trout & Victor Martinez for AL MVP.
FCR - Bill
Rudolph, Collingswood, New Jersey
Incorrect guesses: Jake Marisnick, Jose Altuve, Aaron Boone
SATURDAY — 23-Aug-2025
Q. Who
did Atlanta draft after he had just been voted the Washington state Gatorade
Player of the Year and baseball All-State MVP?
Hint: #1He once finished second in Cy Young
Award voting because that year’s winner had just set an all-time record that
still stands.
Hint: #2
He was the last twentieth-century Pirates pitcher to throw back-to-back
complete games.
Hint: #3
He once threw a perfect game in high school, striking out all but one of
the twenty-one batters he faced.
A. JASON SCHMIDT [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. He turned down college
offers to sign with the Braves in 1991 after being drafted just ahead of Brad
Radke, Derek Lowe & Steve Trachsel.
-
#1 Schmidt finished behind LAD’s
Eric Gagne in 2003 NL CYA
voting. Gagne saved 55 that year to lead the
NL, but went on to successfully convert a record 84 straight save
opportunities.
- #2 CGs: 27-Jun- & 02-Jul-1997.
- #3 Attended and played for Kelso HS in Washington State.
FCR - Terry
Walters, Wabasha, Minnesota
Incorrect guesses: Tim Wakefield
SUNDAY — 24-Aug-2025
Q. Who
was the first pitcher since the Dead Ball Era to have three consecutive starts,
each with at least six shutout innings and no more than two hits allowed?
Hint: #1
That same year, he led the majors in wins, but only finished third in Cy
Young Award voting.
Hint: #2
For a period of more than six seasons, his moniker was also the name of
a popular television channel.
A. GIO GONZALEZ [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. In April 2012, Gonzalez
pitched 20 innings, gave up 6 hits, 0 runs, 21 K's w/an ERA of 0.00. The 3 starts were: 12-, 17- & 24-Apr-2012. It last happened in 1918. Surprisingly Gio’s feat has been
matched five times since he did it.
-
#1 Led the majors w/ 21
W in 2012, but was a “bronze medalist” in the NL CYA voting behind R.A. Dickey
& Clayton Kershaw.
-
#2 When Gonzalez played for WSN
2012-18, he was, in fact, “Nat Gio”. Although also headquartered in Washington,
D.C., NatGeo (National
Geographic) had no claim on him.
FCR - John
Franjione, Decatur, Georgia
Incorrect guesses: Julio Urias, Andy Messersmith, Max Scherzer,
Jake Arrietta, Dylan Cease, Don Drysdale
WEEK’S FINALE — 24-Aug-2025
Q. Which
New York Mets prospect joined a team half-way through the season only to become
the MVP of the team in their LCS victory that same year ?
Hint: #1
It’s not certain he even knows who Phil Rizzuto is.
Hint: #2
He played for six teams in is major league career, half of them situated
by a bay.
A. MARCO SCUTARO [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Scutaro played for SFG for
the 1st time on 28-Jul-2012, was asset in helping
them secure the NL West Division title and then went 14 for 28 in
the NLCS as the Giants won the pennant.
-
#1 With his Italian-origin family
name Scutaro & with his hustle on the diamond, it would be surprising if at
least a teammate or coach or two didn’t call him “Scooter”. The 1950 AL MVP was Yankee Italian-American Phil Rizzuto who most sport writers
preferred to call “Scooter”, [possibly because
they couldn’t remember for sure whether his last name had 2 Z’s or 2 T’s.
-
#2 Scutaro played for OAK &
SFG (San Francisco Bay) & BOS (The Bay in "the Bay State," a
nickname for Massachusetts, refers to the many bays along its coastline,
including Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay, and Narragansett
Bay.)
FCR - Jon
Symons, Winnipeg
Incorrect guesses: Yoenis Céspedes, Scott Kazmir, Darryl
Strawberry, Randy Myers
WEEK’S THEME
– Players if note who were once PTBNL.
Alou............ August 16, 1990: the Pittsburgh
Pirates sent Moisés Alou to
the Montreal
Expos to complete an earlier deal made on August 8, 1990. August
8, 1990: The Pittsburgh
Pirates sent a player to be named later, Willie
Greene and Scott
Ruskin to the Montreal Expos for Zane Smith.
Brantley...... October 3, 2008: the Milwaukee
Brewers sent Michael
Brantley to the Cleveland
Indians to complete an earlier deal made on July 7, 2008. July
7, 2008: The Milwaukee
Brewers sent a player to be named later, Rob
Bryson (minors), Zach
Jackson and Matt
LaPorta to the Cleveland
Indians for CC Sabathia.
Gonzalez.... December 8, 2005: the Chicago White
Sox sent Gio
Gonzalez to the Philadelphia
Phillies to complete an earlier deal made on November 25, 2005. November
25, 2005: The Chicago White
Sox sent a player to be named later, Daniel
Haigwood (minors) and Aaron
Rowand to the Philadelphia
Phillies for Jim Thome and
cash.
Jackson...... July 30, 1910: the Philadelphia
Athletics sent Joe Jackson to
the Cleveland
Naps to complete an earlier deal made on July 23, 1910. July
23, 1910: The Philadelphia
Athletics sent a player to be named later and Morrie Rath to
the Cleveland
Naps for Bris Lord.
Ortiz............ September 13, 1996: the Seattle Mariners sent David Ortiz to
the Minnesota
Twins to complete an earlier deal made on August 29, 1996. August
29, 1996: The Seattle Mariners sent
a player to be named later to the Minnesota Twins for Dave
Hollins.
Schmidt...... August 30, 1996: the Atlanta Braves sent Jason
Schmidt to the Pittsburgh
Pirates to complete an earlier deal made on August 28, 1996. August
28, 1996: The Atlanta Braves sent
a player to be named later, Corey
Pointer (minors) and Ron Wright to
the Pittsburgh
Pirates for Denny
Neagle.
Scutaro....... August 30, 2000: the Cleveland
Indians sent Marco
Scutaro to the Milwaukee
Brewers to complete an earlier deal made on July 28, 2000. July
28, 2000: The Cleveland
Indians sent a player to be named later, Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon and Richie
Sexson to the Milwaukee
Brewers for Jason Bere, Bob Wickman and Steve
Woodard.
Turner......... June 14, 2015: the San Diego Padres sent Trea Turner to the Washington Nationals to complete an earlier deal made on December 19, 2014. December 19, 2014: The San Diego Padres sent a player to be named later and Joe Ross to the Washington Nationals. The Tampa Bay Rays sent José Castillo, Ryan Hanigan, Wil Myers and Gerardo Reyes to the San Diego Padres. The Washington Nationals sent Travis Ott (minors) and Steven Souza Jr. to the Tampa Bay Rays. The San Diego Padres sent Jake Bauers, René Rivera and Burch Smith to the Tampa Bay Rays.
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Randall Chandler, Germantown,
Tennessee (after the Tre Turner question)
Incorrect theme guesses:
Tues - Players who had the most RBI in their final season
Thur World
Series winners who have finished top 5 of MVP voting but never won the award.
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