MONDAY — 22-Jun2026
Q. Who became
the first designated hitter to record a World Series hit?
Hint: #1
In a game in the minors, he took out his frustrations by kicking the outfield
fence which fell on him, pinning him until the grounds crew could lift it off.
Hint: #2
He had four hits in Billy Martin’s managerial debut game.
A. LOU PINIELLA [SABR
Bio]
-
Ans. In the 1976 WS ,game 1, 2nd
inning, Piniella hit a double off Don Gullett 16-Oct-1976
-
#1 According to an excerpt from Sweet
Lou: Lou Piniella, A Life in Baseball by Melissa Isaacson, while playing in
the CLE organization's Pacific Coast League club in 1967, Piniella struck out
in a key situation, threw his helmet & bat in frustration, then ran to left
field & kicked the outfield fence. Unfortunately
for Lou, the fence was portable. It
collapsed on top of him & he had to be rescued by the grounds crew from
beneath the fallen planks.
-
#2 Unfortunately, Piniella did it
for Martin’s team’s opponent. On 08-Apr-1969 in Kansas City, batting leadoff for KCA, he had 3 singles
& a double in KCA’s 4-3 victory.
FCR - Tom
Byrne, Old Greenwich, Connecticut
Incorrect guesses: Reggie Jackson, Carlos May, Rod Carew, Orlando
Cepeda, Jay Johnstone, Ron Blomberg, Paul O‘Neill
TUESDAY — 23-Jun-2026
Q. Who was the first former designated hitter to
manage an American League team in the World Series?
Hint:
#1 Although he was an All-Star, he never
experienced a single inning of postseason play, yet led a team to the World
Series twice as a manager, something no manager of that franchise had ever done
before.
Hint:
#2 His awkward nickname would never have
existed under current major league rules.
- Ans. Hargrove
managed the Cleveland Indians throughout the 1990s including taking them to the
WS in 1995 & 1997.
- #1 Hargrove
played 12 years in MLB, splitting time with TEX, SDP & CLE.
- #2 Hargrove
took deliberate, time-consuming preparation in the batter's box preparing to bat
and earned the moniker “The Human Rain Delay”.
FCR - Michael Ritz, New York City
Incorrect
guesses: Cito Gaston
WEDNESDAY
— 24-Jun-2026
Q. Who is the only Milwaukee Brewer with five consecutive
100-RBI seasons?
Hint:
#1 After a stellar high school career in
California, he went south rather than accept baseball scholarships from either Cal
or Stanford.
Hint:
#2 The Brewers drafted him fifth overall
as a third baseman.
A. RYAN BRAUN [B-R Bio]
- Ans. Braun
had seasons of 100+ RBI in:
2008 (106),
2009 (114),
2010 (103),
2011 (111) &
2012 (112).
Braun is also the only Brewer with five
100 RBI seasons at all, much less in order.
- #1 In
three years of baseball at Granada Hills High School in L.A, he had OBPs of .654, .668 &
.675 while excelling academically as well.
His worst grade was a B, in Advanced Placement Chem.
He attended the University
of Miami,
and although he excelled at baseball for them, his scholarship there was based
on academics.
- #2 Drafted
early on day one in 2005, Braun signed with MIL
as third baseman. He never played for any other major league
team.
FCR - Jim Casey, Savannah
Incorrect
guesses: Greg Vaughn, Sal Bando, Robin
Yount, Paul Molitor, Prince Fielder, Gary Sheffield, Gorman Thomas
THURSDAY
25-Jun-2026
Q. Who was the first National Leaguer to receive
bases-on-balls six times in a major league game in the Modern Era?
Hint:
#1 He hit his four hundredth home run
off a pitcher born in Viet Nam.
Hint:
#2 He was selected unanimously the
National League’s Most Valuable Player, finishing ahead of six other eventual
fellow Hall of Famers, including a teammate.
A. JEFF BAGWELL [SABR
Bio]
- Ans. On
20-Sep-1999, Bagwell walked in 6
of his 8 plate appearances in a 16-inning game as his Astros beat the Florida
Marlins 6-4 in Miami. The last 3 walks
were in extra innings. The last 2 were
intentional. It has been accomplished only 4 X in baseball’s Modern
Era (1900- ).
- #1 Bagwell’s
hit the 399th & 400th of his career 499 HRs on 20-July 2003, both off Danny Graves,
at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
Graves was born in Saigon in 1973.
- #2 Bagwell
swept the 1st-place 1994 NL MVP voting following that labor-stoppage-shortened
season. The Hall of Fame-bound players
in that vote were Greg Maddux, Mike Piazza, Tony Gwynn, Free McGriff,
Larry Walker & Craig Biggio.
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect
guesses: Andre Dawson, Albert Pujols, Barry
Bonds, Mel Ott, Miguel Cabrera, Walt Wilmot, Bryce Harper, Orlando Cepeda, Willie
McCovey
FRIDAY — 26-Jun-2026
Q. Which BLTR first baseman holds the record for
the most consecutive games reaching base to start a career?
Hint:
#1 He was a childhood friend of Dusty
Baker and was sometimes babysat by Bobby Bonds
Hint:
#2 He was a teammate of Hideo Nomo at the
end of his career, but not in MLB.
A. ALVIN DAVIS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Davis’
career with SEA in 1984 began with 47 straight games reaching first base.
- #1 Davis
grew up in Riverside, California in a family built on discipline & faith. He also had some very athletic neighbors.
- #2 He
and Nomo were teammates on the 1992 Osaka Kintetsu
Buffaloes. Nomo was ROY w/LAD in 1995.
FCR - John Murray, Taylors, South Carolina
Incorrect
guesses: Leron Lee
SATURDAY
— 27-Jun-2026
Q. Who is the only BLTR pitcher in the Modern
Era to pitch a complete-game shutout and hit a home run in his major league
debut?
Hint:
#1 He made the most of his debut: He hit two singles, drove in two runs, struck
out a future Hall of Famer and did it all in baseball's largest market.
Hint:
#2 As a Bear in college, he won not only
the Golden Spikes Award, but also was named by both Baseball America and
Collegiate Baseball to be the National Player of the Year.
A. JASON JENNINGS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. + #1: On 23-Aug-2001, in Shea Stadium,
Queens, New York, in his first major league game, Jennings not only whitewashed
the Mets 10-0, he had singles in the 4th & 7th innings,
struck out Mets catcher Mike Piazza (looking) in the 6th & hit the
first of his two career MLB home runs in the 9th off Mets reliever
Donne Wall. Jennings’ only other career HR
was off Greg Maddux at Wrigley Field on 08-May-2004. It was the only home run Maddux ever
surrendered to a pitcher.
- #2 His Baseball America & Collegiate
Baseball recognition as the National Player of the Year came in 1999. He played for the Baylor Bears in Waco,
Texas.
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect
guesses:
SUNDAY — 28-Jun-2026
Q. Which ginger Sooner hurler received votes for
Rookie of the Year, for the Cy Young Award and for Most Valuable Player one
season but received not a single vote for any MLB award in any of his other
seven seasons in the majors?
Hint:
#1 His first major league start was the fourth
game ever played by his young franchise.
Hint:
#2 Famed General Manager Paul Richards
had pulled him from the outfield to the mound to become a pitcher.
Hint: #3 In 2007, the Tulsa World ranked
Oklahoma's top one hundred baseball players to mark the state's centennial.
This player made the list, but his hardball hero topped it. (You can easily guess who.)
A. CARL
MORTON [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Morton
received 11 votes for ROY (1st), 3.0 votes for MVP (27th),
tied with Bob Robertson) & 2.0 votes for CYA (9th), pitching for
Montreal in 1970.
- #1 He
pitched 9 scoreless innings that day, but the Expo bullpen was a bit more
forgiving, helping the Cubs to a win 1-0
in Chicago.
- #2 Morton
never played even a single game as an outfielder after being switched to
pitcher.
- #3 Morton
was listed at #52 on the Tulsa World List. Mickey Mantle was #1.
FCR - Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland
Incorrect
guesses: Jerry Walker, Mark Fidrych
THEME: Initial Rookie-of-the-Year honorees from several
expansion franchises
Player Team 1st ROY 1st
Yr Δ WAR
Bagwell................ HOU............. 1991...... 1962...... 29...... 79.9
Braun................... SEP/MIL....... 2007...... 1969...... 38...... 47.2
Davis.................... SEA.............. 1984...... 1977........ 7...... 20.0
Hargrove.............. WSA/TEX..... 1974...... 1961...... 13...... 30.4
Jennings............... COL.............. 2002...... 1993........ 9...... 11.2
Morton.................. MON/WSN... 1970...... 1969........ 1...... 18.1
Piniella................. KCR.............. 1969...... 1969........ 0...... 12.5
Corbin Carroll....... ARI............... 2023...... 1998...... 25...... 19.3
Alfredo Griffin....... TOR.............. 1979...... 1977........ 2........ 3.0
Evan Longoria...... TBR.............. 2008...... 1998...... 10...... 58.9
Butch Metzger...... SDP.............. 1976...... 1969........ 7........ 1.2
Tom Seaver..... NYM.. .... 1967...... 1962...... 5 ..... 109.9
Tim Salmon.......... LAA............... 1993...... 1961...... 32...... 40.6
Dontrelle Willis..... FLA/MIA....... 2003...... 1993...... 10...... 19.7
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – (I didn't MEAN to pitch a shutout.)
Incorrect
theme guesses:
Tues - Rookies
of the Year who became managers
Wed - DHs
who went on to managerial careers
Thur - ROY
award winners who led/tied for highest team batting average that year
-
First
ROY for a current franchise
Fri - First
ROY for a team in its first year in the league
Sat - Rookies
of the Year who played fewer than ten seasons
Sun - Rookies
of the Year from Expansion Teams post 1960
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