2025-09-22 Players whose first three major league hits were home runs

MONDAY  — 22-Sep-2025

Q.  Who was the first player to compile four 30/30 seasons in a five-year span?

Hint: #1  He was the fastest player in MLB history to record 200 homers and 200 stolen bases.

Hint: #2  He passed Duke Snider on the career home run list, but he is about to be overtaken by Mike Trout.

A.  ALFONSO SORIANO  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Year        HR    SB        Team

2002...... 39...... 41       NYY

2003...... 38...... 35       NYY

2004...... 28...... 33       TEX

2005...... 36...... 33       TEX

2006...... 46*.... 41       WSN

*Franchise record

-  #1  He hit both water marks in 929 games.

-  #2  Snider  ended with 407 HR; Soriano, 412; Trout has 403, but has 5 more years on hits contact.

FCR -  Jim Cochan, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Incorrect guesses:  Andre Dawson

 

 

TUESDAY  — 23-Sep-2025

Q.  Which player collected the most RBI in a game, while driving in all of his team's runs in that game?

Hint: #1  He is the official record-holder for the most GWRBI in one American League season.

Hint: #2  He once hit an inside-the-park grand slam at Fenway Park.

A.  MIKE GREENWELL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 02-Sep-1996, Greenwell was 4 for 5 w/2 R & 9 RBI, in 10 innings.

-  #1  The game-winning RBI (GWRBI) was used in MLB from 1980 to 1988, as "the RBI that gives a club the lead it never relinquishes."  Greenwell had 23 such in 1988.

-  #2  INTP GS = 01-09-1990

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Bottomley, Bill Buckner

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 24-Sep-2025

Q.  Who is the only Colorado Rockies batter to lead the National League in strikeouts this century?

Hint: #1  He ghosted an organization that sent him to play for the Ghosts.

Hint: #2  He passed Alex Rodriguez as the fastest shortstop to reach one hundred career home runs.

A.  TREVOR STORY  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Story’s 191 K paced the Senior Circuit in 2017.

-  #1  Drafted by COL in the 1^st round in 2011, Story spent his 1^st 47 games as a professional playing for the Ghosts of Casper, Wyoming.  He left COL for BOS after the 2021 season.

-  #2  Story’s century homer came in his 448^th career game, faster than Alex Rodriguez (470 g).

FCR -  Carter Doney, Provo, Utah

Incorrect guesses:  Vinny Castilla, Troy Tulowitziki, Mark Reynolds

 

 

THURSDAY  — 25-Sep-2025

Q.  Which player’s fan base often attends home games prepared to spell out his name, with a concerted competition to be the hyphen?

Hint: #1  His 0-for-sixteen at the start of his rookie year was not an accurate representation of things to come.

Hint: #2  One wag said of him, “He’s so white, he’s translucent!”

A.  PETE CROW-AMSTRONG  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Not unique, but rare enough in baseball.

-  #1  His career started with a bang once he began hitting.

-  #2  PCA does have an extremely light complexion.

FCR -  Stephen Wright, Naperville, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Mookie Betts, D’Angelo Jimenez, J J Redick

 

 

FRIDAY  — 26-Sep-2025

Q.  Which catcher improved his chances for the majors from Draft no. 834 in the 27^th round to no. 12 overall in the first round by playing in college for three years?

Hint: #1  He participated in MLB playoffs every year from 2015 through 2021, with three separate teams.

Hint: #2  A two-time All-Star and a Double-Unique, is on the extended squad of a current postseason-qualified team.

A.    YASMANI GRANDAL  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Originally taken in the 27^th by WS Champs BOS to 12^th in 2010 by CIN who added a signing bonus of $2,000,000.  He played for the University of Miami between draft events and is now in the school’s Sports Hall of Fame.

-  #1  2015-18:  LAD; 2019:  MIL; 2020-21 CHW. 

-  #2  An AS in 2015 & 2107; He is under contract with BOS.  Click here for Double-Uniques explanation.

FCR -  Jim Williams, West Allis, Wisconsin

Incorrect guesses:  Jonathon Lucroy, Dave Henderson, Rick Monday 

 

 

SATURDAY  — 27-Sep-2025

Q.  Which outfielder for the World Series champion Oakland A’s, had been the first ever draft choice of another franchise?

Hint: #1  In his first full season, he and his fellow outfielders each had double figures in home runs.

Hint: #2  His debut in the majors was as a pinch-runner.  He promptly stole second, flashing the speed he would be known for.

A.  BILLY CONIGLIARO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He won a ring for his minimal action, 48 games, with the 1973 A’s.  Conigliaro was the Red Sox’ choice in MLB’s debut draft in 1965.   He was in the first round, the 5^th overall.

-  #1  In 1970, the BOS OF team showed Tony C. w/36, Reggie Smith w/22 & Billy w/18 HR.  The WS-winning Orioles were the only other AL team that could match that outfield power that year.

-  #2  Billy’s debut was in the 12^th .  He made it to 3^rd base & would have been the winning run had his teammate not hit into a double play.

FCR -  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Incorrect guesses:  Rickey Henderson, Dave Henderson, Steve Henderson

 

 

SUNDAY  — 28-Apr-2025

Q.  Who subbed for Gary Sanchez when the Yankee catcher was sidelined with an injury?

Hint: #1  He was once traded for the player who is now baseball’s most handsomely compensated.

Hint: #2  He was the catcher in a perfect game.

Hint: #3  He hit a home run on a pitch that was the slowest ever thrown in the Statcast era.

A.  KYLE HIGASHIOKA  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Higashioka’s debut was replacing Sanchez in 2017 after a single game in the minors.

-  #1  In December 2023, NYY traded Higashioka, Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez & Jhony Brito to SDP for Juan Soto & Trent Grisham.

-  #2  On 28-Jun-2023, Higashioka caught Domingo Germán's perfect game.

-  #3  On June 12-Jun-2022, Higashioka hit a home run on a 35.1 miles per hour pitch off of first baseman Frank Schwindel who came in to pitch in the eighth inning.  It was the slowest pitch hit for a home run since the debut of Statcast in 2015.

FCR -  Matt Clairmont, New Minas, Nova Scotia

Incorrect guesses:  Francisco Cerveilli

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – Players whose first three major league hits were home runs

 

Batter                            Team                          Dates               Career HR

Armstrong*................. CHC...... 25-Apr-+14-Jul-2024   [Uh-oh!]........ 12

Conigliaro................... BOS................ 16-,17-Apr-1969.................. 40

Grandal*...................... SDP............. 30-Jun-+02-Jul-2012............. 194

Greenwell.................... BOS......... 25-,26-Sep-,01-Oct-1985......... 130

Higashioka*................ NYY............. 01-+03-,04-Jul-2018............... 57

Soriano........................ NYY..... 24-Sep-1999+08-,09-Apr-2000..... 412

Story*........................... COL................ 04-,05-Apr-2016................ 204

 

These players also fit under this week’s theme:

Rodolfo Castro.............. PIT.................. 09-+11-Jul-2021.................. 22

Chick Fullis.................. CHC............. 06-,07-,08-May-1929.............. 12

Darick Hall.................... PHI.............. 30-Jun+01-Jul-2022............... 10

Keith McDonald          STL     04-+06-+15-Jul-2000  3

*Active in 2025

PCA’s 1^st & 2^nd home runs were preceded by 17 additional non-home run hits.  How he got on this list is under investigation.  I apologize.

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Steve Berman, Bergenfield, New Jersey (After Greenwell)

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2025-09-15 Hall of Fame participants in the Addie Joss benefit game in Cleveland 24-Jul-1911

MONDAY  — 15-Sep-2025

Q.  Who was the first pitcher to win more than one Most Valuable Player Award?

Hint: #1  His record of eleven years between awards stood alone until tied by Willie Mays (1954~1965).

Hint: #2  He once pitched a complete-game shutout where he allowed fifteen hits.

A.  WALTER JOHNSON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Johnson was named MVP in 1913 (which many still consider the greatest single season ever pitched) and again in 1924.  These were different MVPs, organized and awarded under different rules that the present MVP (since 1932).

-  #1  The current record holder for time between first & last MVPs is Barry Bonds (1990~2004).

-  #2  On 19-Jul-1913 in St. Louis, Browns got 15 H, but none scored.  Johnson walked none, had 6 Ks & stranded all 15 baserunners.  It remains the major league record for most hits allowed in a shutout.

FCR -  Brian Barris, Oneida, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Hal Newhouser, Carl Hubbell, Sandy Koufax, Lefty Grove

 

 

TUESDAY  — 16-Sep-2025

Q.  Which pitcher was (and still is) the major leagues’ career leader in a.) games started, b.) complete games, c.) innings pitched and d.) batters faced, but was not elected to the Hall of Fame the first time he was eligible?

Hint: #1  He won both games of a double header on the last day of his rookie season.

Hint: #2  He once walked the first batter of a game, picked that runner off then proceeded to retire the next twenty-six batters.

A.  CY YOUNG  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Young leads solar system with 815 GS, 749 CG, 7,356 IP & 29,565 BF.  You may also be familiar with his 511 wins.  Young did not reach HOF induction level in 1936 or he would have been included in the Hall’s first class.  In 1937, he received 76.1% of the vote and was inducted with Nap Lajoie (83.6%) & Tris Speaker (82.1%).

-  #1  On 01-Oct-1890, his Cleveland Spiders beat the Pittsburgh Alleghenys 5–1 & 7–3.  Young started & completed both games.

-  #2  It was on 30-Jun-1908 & was the 41-year-old Young’s record 3^rd no-hitter, first of the 8 suffered by the New York AL team.  Young had 3 H & 4 RBI himself that day.

FCR -  Jeff Cohen, Wantagh, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Phil Niekro, Carl Hubbell, Ernie Shore

 

 

TUESDAY TWICE  — 16-Sep-2025

Q.  Which speedster stole home more times than any other player in major league history?

Hint: #1  He led the majors in batting average nine times.

Hint: #2  He once ended the season with a .401 batting average, but didn’t even lead the league.

A.  TY COBB  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Cobb stole home 54 times, including 8 times in 1912 alone.  A distant 2^nd on the list is Max Carey with 33.

-  #1  He led MLB in BA in 1907 (.350), 1909 (.377), 1911 (.419), 1912 (.409), 1913 (.389), 1915 (.369), 1917 (.383), 1918 (.382) & 1919 (.384).

-  #2  Cobb’s impressive .401 in 1922 still trailed The St. Louis Browns’ George Sisler’s .422, hit in his MVP year.

FCR -  Jeremy Milloy, Ferndale, Michigan

Incorrect guesses:  Harry Heilmann, Rod Carew, Dan Pasqua

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 17-Sep-2025

Q.  Who tied his teammate for the most consecutive seasons leading the league in home runs?

Hint: #1  Propitious timing of his feats secured his nickname.

Hint: #2  He discovered Jimmie Foxx for the Philadelphia A's.

A.  HOME RUN BAKER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Baker led the AL in HR for PHA in 1911 (11), 1912 (10), 1913 (12) & 1914 (9).  His A’s infield teammate, Harry Davis had done the same in 1904 (10), 1905 (8), 1906 (12) & 1907 (8).

-  #1  Stealing a major league-record 347 bases to get to the 1911 World Series, NYG find their strategy trivialized by Baker, whose 2 critical HR propel PHA to their 2^nd straight championship.

-  #2  Both native Marylanders, they met when Baker, new-retired Yankee & player-manager of the Easton Farmers of the Class D Eastern Shore League in Maryland in 1924. It was there that he discovered young Jimmie Foxx & told his old boss Connie Mack.

FCR -  Waker Arnold, Jay, Vermont

Incorrect guesses:  Lou Gehrig

 

 

THURSDAY  — 18-Sep-2025

Q.  Which four-time World Series winner did Ty Cobb think was the finest infielder in the majors?

Hint: #1  He has the highest career batting average among Hall of Famers who never won a batting title in an era when a batter

Hint: #2  His son’s major league career matched his only in a.) name and b.) impish grin.  [You be the judge.]

A.  EDDIE COLLINS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Cobb’s mention of Collins can be found throughout writings of & by Cobb.  Collins won the WS with PHA in  1910, 1911 & 1913 w/PHA.  He won w/CHW in 1917.

-  #1  Collins’ career average of .333, 30^th overall, is tied with Paul Waner’s & is ahead of many luminaries, including, but not limited to, Stan Musial (.331), Honus-Wagner (.328) , Cool Papa Bell (.325) & Joe DiMaggio (.325).

#2  Eddie Collins, Jr:  HOF father & son.

FCR -  Mark Buben, Smithfield, Rhode Island

Incorrect guesses:  Tony Lazzeri, Wahoo Sam Crawford, Frankie Frisch

 

 

FRIDAY  — 19-Sep-2025

Q.  Who held the career record of doubles by a right-hander until he was passed by Craig Biggio and Albert Pujols?

Hint: #1  He won the first Triple Crown non offense in the modern era.

Hint: #2  He broke his hand trying to punch a teammate, drawing a five-week suspension without pay.

A.  NAP LAJOIE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Lajoie retired in 1916 with 3,242 hits of which 657 were doubles.  That career record for right handers lasted until Biggio passed him in June 2007 whose 668 mark was in turn passed by Pujols in 2021.

-  #1  In 1901, the AL’s first season, Lajoie’s 6^th season in the majors, playing for Mr. Mack, he put up number that led both leagues:  8.3 WAR, 232 hits, 48 doubles, .426 BA*, .463 OBP, .643 slugging, 1.106 OPS, 198 OPS+ & 350 total bases.

-  #2  He took an errant swing at Elmer Flick, who eventually joined him in the Hall of Fame.

*The highest since the beginning of  the 20^th century

FCR -  Michael Kositch, Portland, Oregon

Incorrect guesses:  Honus Wagner Joe Medwick, Rogers Hornsby, Al Simmons, Tris Speaker, Manny Ramirez

 

SATURDAY  — 20-Sep-2025

Q.  Which major leaguer hit triples in double figures for seventeen consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1  He is one of three players with the same last name to lead their league in Triples.

Hint: #2  He was the first player in the Modern Era to win home run titles in both the National League and American League.

A.  SAM CRAWFORD  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He had a high of 26 triples in 1914, a low (for him, during that run) of 10 in in 1905.

-  #1  Carl & Brandon join him in that “club”.

-  #2  While with the Reds, he hit 16 HR in 1901, only his 2^nd full season in the majors.  With DET n 1908, it only took 7 HR to lead the AL that year.

FCR -  Brian Barris, Oneida, New , New York

Incorrect guesses:  Alex Rodriguez, Buck Freeman

 

 

SUNDAY  — 21-Sep-2025

Q.  Who was the first American League shortstop inducted into the Hall of Fame?

Hint: #1  He holds the worst career managerial winning percentage among managers with at least 200 ML games managed.

Hint: #2  Toward the end of his playing career, he umpired for 100+ games.  Among the luminaries he ejected from games were Branch Rickey, Bill Carrigan and Ty Cobb.

A.  BOBBY WALLACE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  HOF 1953

-  #1  He managed a couple of colors—the St. Louis Brown & the Cincinnati Red winning% is only .287, 62-154

-  #2  Wallace umpired for the AL for 111 games in 1915 after having tasted the experience two decades earlier, umping 1 NL game in 1895.

FCR -  Richard Masson, Lexington, Kentucky

Incorrect guesses:  Hughie Jennings, Rabbit Maranville, Hank O’Day, Marty Marion, Joe Cronin, Honus Wagner, George Davis

 

 

WEEK’S APT ENDING  — 21-Sep-2025

Q.  Which player earned the highest career WAR rank of any Double-Unique?

Hint: #1  He set a major league record for hitting in three separate twenty-game hitting streaks in the same season.

Hint: #2  He was the inaugural inductee of the Hall of Fame of the first state to have such an institution.

A.  TRIS SPEAKER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.. At 9^th with 133.9, Speaker leads many “household  names” on the on the DU-WAR list.  Lajoie with 106.9 is 24^th & is the next closest

-  #1  Speaker’s 20+ X 3 streaks were in 1912 as was his cycle and MVP.

-  #2  He was the first honoree enshrined in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame when it opened in 1951 in Waco, less than 30 miles from his boyhood home of Hubbard.

FCR -  Terry Walters, Wabasha, Minnesota

Incorrect guesses:  Rogers Hornsby

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – Hall of Fame participants in the Addie Joss benefit game in Cleveland 24-Jul-1911.

 

Player                                     Team          Career WAR

Baker..................................... PHA.................. 62.8

Cobb...................................... DET................ 151.4

Collins................................... PHA................ 124.2

Crawford............................... DET.................. 85.3

Johnson................................ WSH............... 167.8

Lajoie..................................... CLE................ 106.9

Speaker................................. BOS............... 134.9

Wallace.................................. SLB.................. 76.4

Young.................................... CLE................ 163.6

 

Non-HOF AL players who participated:

 

Smoky Joe Wood.................. BOS................. 40.4

Hal Chase.............................. NYY.................. 23.0

Gabby Street.......................... WSH................... 6.4

Paddy Livingston................... PHA.................... 3.5

Clyde Milan............................ WSH................. 40.1

Russ Ford.............................. NYY.................. 34.4

Germany Schaefer................. WSH................... 8.9

Jimmy McAleer, Mgr.............. WSH...... 1.2; .453 with CLE, WSH, SLB

 

          And

 

Their hosts/opponents, the Cleveland Naps:

 

Joe Jackson............................. RF.................. 62.2

Jack Graney............................. LF.................. 14.2

Ivy Olson.................................. SS.................... 5.7

Hank Butcher........................... RF................... -0.4

George Stoval.......................... 1B.................. 13.2

Joe Birmingham....................... CF.................... 3.2

Neal Ball................................... 2B.................... 0.9

Terry Turner............................. 3B.................. 37.7

Syd Smith.................................. C..................... 1.8

Ted Easterly.............................. C................... 12.0

Art Griggs................................. PH.................... 4.9

Georg Kahler............................. P..................... 3.7

Freed Blanding.......................... P..................... 8.4

 

 

Available AL Hall of Famers who did not participate that day:

 

Charles Bender...................... PHA.................. 47.8

Harry Hooper......................... BOS................. 53.6

Eddie Plank............................ PHA.................. 91.2

Ed Walsh............................... CHW................ 66.5

 

 

 

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Vince Guerrieri, Eyria, Ohio (on Tuesday, after Cobb)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon        -        HOF pitchers who also managed in the MLB

 

Tues       -        Pitchers with 300+ wins

-   The living members of the first class (1939) of HOF inductees.

-   Hall of Fame players who were there for its opening in 1939

-   Hall of Famers who retired as career leaders in a major statistical category

 

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Click here => THIS WEEK’s quiz, compete with questions, answers and even the incorrect guesses.

 

Scroll back to see previous Horsehide Trivia posts as far back as 2010.  Quizzes before that may also be available upon request.

 

 

Horsehide Trivia encourages independent research.  ⚾️