2025-11-24 Players with 5,000+ career at-bats but fewer than 200 career strikeouts

MONDAY  — 24-Nov-2025

Q.  Which owner built a “monument to the fans”, a ballpark that bore his name?

Hint: #1  He was known for profanely berating umpires during games.

Hint: #2  Her is said to have revolutionized the first base position by ranging far from the bag during play.

A.  CHARLIE COMISKEY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The have  been a few serious changes, but the name Comiskey Park remains.

-  #1  Records of ejections were not as carefully recorded in his day.

-  #2  He is credited with other innovations still in use today: Boxes for base coaches, for example.

FCR -  Jim Conrey, Chesterton, Indiana

Incorrect guesses:  Charlie Ebbets, Connie Mack, Clark Griffith, Cap Anson

 

 

TUESDAY  — 25-Nov-2025

Q.  Which Brooklyn native once played on a team where he and six of his teammates are now in the Hall of Fame?

Hint: #1  His wise counsel on hitting is known by many but practiced by few.

Hint: #2  He once had more than 200 hits in each of eight consecutive seasons, averaging 132 games played per year in that streak.

A.  WILLIE KEELER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Alongside Keeler on the 1894 National League Champion Baltimore Orioles were Hall of Famers John McGraw 1937, Dan Brouthers 1945, Hughie Jennings 1945, Wilbert Robinson 1945, Joe Kelley 1971 & Ned Hanlon 1996.  Keeler was born in Brooklyn in 1872 & was voted into the HOF in 1939.

-  #1  “Hit ‘em where they ain’t”, “they” being opposition fielders.  Story here.

-  #2  Between 1894 & 1901, he had 219, 213, 210, 239, 216, 216, 204 & 202 hits respectively.

FCR -  Chris Pika, Baltimore

Incorrect guesses:  Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra, Al Simmons, Pee Wee Reese, Lou Gehrig

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 26-Nov-2025

Q.  Which Oklahoma native has the record for the highest batting average by a National League rookie since 1901?

Hint: #1  He also holds the major league Modern Era record for runs scored by a rookie.

Hint: #2  He was proud when the BBWAA elected his famous brother into the Hall of Fame with 83.3% of the votes.

A.  LLOYD WANER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Waner hit .355 w/PIT in 1927*.  The team made it to the postseason that year with a lineup that read, in part, “Waner, Waner, Traynor”.  Lloyd Waner was born in Harrah, Oklahoma in 1902.

-  #1  He scored 133 times that year placing him above a very impressive group of rookies & the runs they scored in their 1^st year:  Joe DiMaggio 132, Ted Williams 131.

-  #2  Lloyd’s older brother Paul broke into the majors, also w/PTT, just the year before Lloyd.  The writers put Paul in the HOF in 1952.  Lloyd was inducted as player in 1967, voted in by the Veterans Committee.

*Waner did set the rookie record, but it was broken by the Cardinals’ George Watkins who batted an impressive .373 just 3 years later, in 1930, a year that would have required him to hit .402. to win the league title.  Bill Terry of NYG hit .401, the last NL player over .400.

FCR -  Gary Wolcott, Annandale, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Paul Waner

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  — 26-Nov-2025

Q.  Which Alabama-born Hall of Famer had two brothers and a cousin who played in the majors?

Hint: #1  He was the second player to have more than one thousand consecutive games played, a little behind someone else who would also be a teammate of Lou Gehrig’s.

Hint: #2  He once said of his consecutive games streak, “No one made a big fuss about playing streaks 50-60 years ago.  At that time, my straight games plus a dime would be good for a cup of coffee.”

A.  JOE SEWELL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Sewell, born in Titus, Alabama in 1898, played 14 years in MLB.  His brother, Luke Sewell , a catcher, played a full 20 & was an All-Star in 1937.  Their brother Tommy Sewell balanced things out by having exactly one (1) pinch at-bat for CHC in 1927.  He did not make it to 1^st base, a ”Cub of coffee” if you will.  Cousin Rip Sewell compensated for a battlefield injury by inventing—and succeeded with—what was called the “eephus” pitch.

-  #1  Joe’s streak lasted 1,103 games, began on 13-Sep-1922 (where he pinch-hit for his brother Luke) and lasted until 30-Apr-1930.  From 1931-1933 Sewell played for NYY, a teammate of Lou Gehrig.  The player whose record Gehrig broke, Everett Scott with 1,307 straight games, was also briefly a teammate of the Iron Horse.

-  #2  Another coffee reference?!

FCR -  Phil Williams, Charlotte, North Carolina

Incorrect guesses:  Everett Scott, Billy Williams, Hank Aaron 

 

 

THURSDAY  — 27-Nov-2025

Q.  Which Hall of Famer is said to have popularized letting short fly balls drop in front of him, potentially starting double play?

Hint: #1  After his playing days, he coached baseball at three different distinguished New England educational institutions.

Hint: #2  His mediocre career playing stats cause many to question his inclusion in the Hall.

A.  TOMMY McCARTHY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  One imagines the runners freezing half-way, waiting for McCarthy’s decision.

-  #1  McCarthy served as the head baseball coach at Holy Cross (1899–1900, 1904–1905, & 1916), Dartmouth (1906–1907) & Boston College (1920).

-  #2  Some writers have reasoned that McCarthy was well respected in is day for his inclusion of several aspects of the game we now assume without questioning.  McCarthy does own, however, the lowest WAR of any player in the Hall, 14.6.

FCR -  Bill Deane, Cooperstown

Incorrect guesses:  Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Harry Hooper, Rabbit Maranville

 

 

FRIDAY  — 28-Nov-2025

Q.  Who was the last payer to win the National League hits title for three straight seasons?

Hint: #1  He was the first National League first baseman to win the BBWAA Most Valuable Player award.

Hint: #2  He won in a year he was instrumental in helping his team win their first undisputed World Series title in the Modern Era.

A.  FRANK McCORMICK  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  McCormick led the Senior Circuit in H in 1938 209, 1939 209 & 1940, tied with the Cubs’ Stan Hack with 191.  Luis Arraez has a chance to tie him in 2026.

-  #1  Won the NL MVP in 1940 after finishing 5^th & 4^th in the MVP voting in the previous 2 seasons.  Twelve NL 1^st basemen have won the NL MVP 14 times since then.

NL first Basement MVPs since McCormick:

1941 - Dolph Camilli           w/BRO

1945 - Phil Cavarretta        w/CHC

1967 - Orlando Cepeda      w/STL

1969 - Willie McCovey        w/SFG

1974 - Steve Garvey          w/LAD

1979 - Willie Stargell          w/PIT

1979 - Keith Hernandez      w/STL

1994 - Jeff Bagwell             w/HOU

2995 - Albert Pujols X3       w/STL

2006 - Ryan Howard          w/PHI

2020 - Freddie Freeman     w/ATL

2022 - Paul Goldschmidt    w/STL

-  #2  CIN beat DET 4 games to 3 in the 1940 Fall Classic.  The Reds were also WS champs in 1919, but it was discovered some of their wins in that series were handed to them.

FCR -  Stephen Krevisky, Middletown, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Ginger Beaumont, Rogers Hornsby Tony Perez, Jake Dauber, Steve Garvey, Eddie Stanky, Bill Terry

 

 

SATURDAY  — 29-Nov-2025

Q.  Who is credited with the first home run in professional baseball history?

Hint: #1  He had the first hit in National League history.

Hint: #2  He got his first black ink at age thirty-five.

A.  EZRA SUTTON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 08-May-1871, playing in the newly-formed National Association, Sutton hit the first HR in professional baseball* history for the Cleveland Forest Citys against the Chicago White Stockings.  He hit another HR later in the game, but Cleveland lost 14–12.

-  #1  In the first recorded NL game on 22-Apr-1876, Sutton doubled.  No other NL hit can be found that predates that one.

-  #2  Sutton led the NL in hits in 1884 with 162 in 110 games; in singles with 124 & in runs.  He turned 35 a month before the season ended.

*Horsehide Trivia holds that the NA was the first major league.

FCR -  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Several good guesses, but…

Incorrect guesses:  Ross Barnes, George Hall, Tim Murnane, Joe Borden, Ross Barnes, Jim O’Rourke, Deacon White, George Wright

 

 

SUNDAY  — 30-Nov-2025

Q.  Who led the majors in assists and double plays by a second baseman, playing for a team in its last year of existence?

Hint: #1  He was one of the principal reasons for the re-naming of a major league team, a name that is still used.

Hint: #2  American-born, he was still in professional baseball at age forty-eight, playing for the London Tecumsehs.

A.  LOU BIERBAUER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Playing for the Players League’s Brooklyn Ward's Wonders in 1890, Bierbauer had 468 assists & 77 double plays.  The Players League & all 8 of its teams existed for only one season.

-  #1  We know them as the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Details here.

-  #2  His stint in London (Ontario) is documented in Baseball-Reference’s “B-R Bullpen”.

FCR -  Dan Joslyn, Las Vegas

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Thorpe, Joe Gordon, Nap Lajoie

 

 

WEEEK’S FINALE  — 30-Nov-2025

Q.  Who was first major league player to appear in twenty or more games at all eight non-pitching positions?

Hint: #1  He was so good at defensive chatter that his teammates often called him “Calliope”.

Hint: #2  As manager of the St. Louis Browns, he took his charges to a shooting range each morning, believing it would improve their hand-eye coordination.  He often didn’t understand why others lacked the eagle-eyed acumen he displayed when batting.

A.  GEORGE MILLER  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  He was his team’s catcher, but he eschewed the protective equipment then becoming popular.  As a result, the team used him wherever he might be needed as he recovered and prepared for his next stint behind the plate.

-  #1  “Foghorn” was another, quite descriptive sobriquet based on his vocal skills.

-  #2  There is no evidence that shooting helped.  Miller’s playing and managing careers were diverse and interesting, but his overuse of alcohol was his eventual undoing.  He died of kidney disease at age 44.

FCR -  Scott Morissey, Hamilton, Ontario

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – Players with 5,000+ career at-bats but fewer than 200 career strikeouts.

 

Player                  AB         SO         %        G               H             WAR

Sewell........... 7,132... 114.... .016.... 1,903... 2,226...... 54.9

Keeler........... 8,591... 136.... .016.... 2,123... 2,932...... 54.3

Waner........... 7,772... 173.... .022.... 1,993... 2,459...... 29.9

Comiskey...... 5,796... 132.... .023.... 1,390... 1,529........ 7.7

Miller............ 5,171... 129.... .025.... 1,318... 1,381...... 19.1

Bierbauer...... 5,713... 160.... .028.... 1,385... 1,524...... 13.9

McCormick.. 5,723... 189.... .033.... 1,534... 1,711...... 31.9

Sutton........... 5,360... 182.... .034.... 1,263... 1,574...... 32.9

McCarthy..... 5,120... 185.... .036.... 1,273... 1,493...... 16.2

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Few good guesses.

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Managers of the World Series played between the American Association and the National League 1884-1890

 

Tues    -  Players elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939 who had played in the 19^th century

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