MONDAY — 26-Oct-2026
Q. Who
is the first to play for the Red Sox in at least one hundred and forty games in
a season as a designated hitter?
Hint: #1
He was a unanimous MVP just over a year after being traded and became
only the second player after Frank Robinson to be a unanimous ROY & MVP.
Hint: #2
This Hall of Famer played with and was managed by an impressive number
of Hall of Famers.
A. ORLANDO CEPEDA [SABR
Bio]
-
Ans. In 1973, the first year the
AL tried the DH, BOS took full advantage of the Baby Bull. In 142 games at age 35, he hit 20 HR &
had 86 RBI. He never played in the field
again. Unfortunately, with his quick bat
and slow legs, he hit into 24 double plays, leading the league.
-
#1 Unanimous ROY in 1958 with SFG in their first year on the west coast. Ther Giants traded him, to the Cardinals
after the 1965 season & all he did was lead them to the 1967 World Series
championship & claiming a unanimous MVP for himself.
-
#2 Cepeda’s HOF teammates include
Hank Aaron,
Luis Aparicio,
George Brett,
Lou Brock,
Steve Carlton,
Rollie Fingers,
Carlton Fisk,
Bob Gibson,
Catfish Hunter,
Reggie Jackson,
Juan Marichal,
Willie Mays,
Willie McCovey,
Phil Niekro,
Gaylord Perry,
Duke Snider,
Hoyt Wilhelm &
Carl Yastrzemski.
Two of his managers were Red Schoendienst
& Dick Williams.
FCR - Brian
Barris, Oneida, New York
Incorrect guesses: Fred Lynn, David Ortiz., Jim Rice, Don Baylor
TUESDAY — 27-Oct-2026
Q. Which one-time Red Sox pitcher had the most
pitching wins in the 1960s?
Hint:
#1 In his major league debut, he didn’t
surrender a hit until there were two outs in the penultimate inning.
Hint:
#2 He was an All-Star ten times, was the
starter twice and won the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award in his first
start.
A. JUAN MARICHAL [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Marichal
had 191 victories 1960-1969, well ahead of Bob Gibson (164) & Don Drysdale (158). Marichal pitched 11 games for BOS in 1974.
- #1 In
his 1st MLB start on 19-Jul-1960, The Dominican Dandy* had
a no-hitter going until he gave up a single to Phillies pinch-hitter Clay
Dalrymple with 2 outs in the 8th inning. He finished with a 2-0, 9-inning, 12-K
shutout.
- #2 Marichal’s
ASG selections: 1962a, 1962b, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 & 1971. He was the NL starting pitcher in ‘65 & ’67
& ASG MVP in ’65. He did not play in
the games of 1963 & 1969.
*Players native
to the Dominican Republic are an enormous part of today’s game, but Marichal’s
native country was new to many. His
nickname soon followed.
FCR - Bill Rudolph, Collingswood, New Jersey
Incorrect
guesses: Earl Wilson, Luis Tiant,
Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Lonborg, Bill Monbouquette
WEDNESDAY — 28-Oct-2026
Q. What Modern Era pitcher threw eighteen
innings in a double header, starting and completing both games? …thrice in a calendar month?
Hint:
#1 His durability matched his nickname. It didn’t, ironically, create it.
Hint:
#2 He holds the record for most batters hit
in a season in the Modern Era.
A. JOE McGINNITY [SABR Bio]
- Ans. On
Saturday, the 1st day of August 1903, McGinnity was the starter in Game 1 & Game 2. He went the distance in both game and won
both. Precisely one week later, he
duplicated the feat: 08-Aug-1903(1) & 08-Aug-1903(2). Then on the last day of that month, he completed
the trifecta: 31-Aug-1903(1) & 31-Aug-1903(2). [I’m sure that McGinnity was willing, but
McGraw seems like a very difficult manager to work for.]
OF NOTE: In
September 1901, he had pitched both games of 2 doubleheaders in 2 weeks, alas,
only 3 of them complete he was the winning pitcher once out of 4. He also appeared in both games of double
headers in 1899, 1901 (X2), 1904, 1906 & 1908.
- #1 He
was known as “Iron Man McGinnity” because he spent an offseason working for his
father-in-law in an iron foundry.
- #2 In
1900 he hit a career-high 40 batters. The
next closest to that record came the very next season when Chick Fraser hit 32
for the A’s in their first season. A tie
for the next highest total happened in the 2026 season when CHW’s Anthony Kay
hit 26, tying Jack Warhop’s 26 in 1909.
FCR - Joe Haardt, Bethany Beach, Delaware
Incorrect
guesses: Wilbur Wood, Walter Johnson, Mike
Fornieles, Austin Adams, Urban Shocker, Double Duty Radcliffe, Sandy Koufax,
Don Drysdale
MIDWEEK
BONUS — 29-Oct-2026
Q. Who has the most career World Series hits
among players who were never New York Yankees?
Hint:
#1 He was born, raised, attended high
school, attended college, played professional baseball and is buried all in an
area smaller than Cooperstown, NY.
Hint:
#2 He hit the first home run by a
visiting player in the first All-Star game.
A. FRANKIE FRISCH [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Frisch’s 58 hits is a mark
topped only by Mickey Mantle’s 59 & Yogi Berra’s 71. Pee Wee Reese is the next qualifier
at 46.
- #1 Frisch
was born Frisch’s patch of earth measures approximately 5-7 sq. miles, all in
New York City. Cooperstown & immediate
environs cover 7.4 sq. miles, I’m told.
- #2 In
1933 in Comiskey Park in Chicago, Frisch took the AL’s General Crowder deep in the 6th
inning & would have been the 1st ASG HR ever had not a guy named
Ruth homered in the 3rd.
FCR - Jess Asbury,
Norman., Oklahoma
Incorrect
guesses: Mel Ott, Charlie Gehringer, Tris
Speaker, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Stan Musial
THURSDAY — 29-Oct-2026
Q. Who is the only National League player to
steal home seven times in a season?
Hint:
#1 In his first full season, he led the
NL in WAR, runs, doubles, triples, batting average, slugging., OPS., OPS+ and
being Hit by Pitch.
Hint:
#2 His Hall of Fame manager said of him,
“ He just might have been the best
ballplayer I ever saw. He had everything
but luck.”
A. PETE REISER [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Among
Reiser’s major league-leading 46 stolen bases in 1946, 7 were
steals of home.
- #1 In
1941 while Ted Williams & Joe DiMaggio were having their way with AL
pitchers, in the NL, it was Reiser who stood out. Take a look.
Click here.
- #2 Reiser
did have luck. It just wasn’t the good
kind. His manager & source of the
quote was Leo Durocher who knew something about superlatives.
FCR - Gabe Kinstlinger, Reisterstown, Maryland
Incorrect
guesses: Honus Wagner, Rod Carew, Jackie
Robinson, Willie Mays
FRIDAY — 30-Oct-2026
Q. Which one-time Marlin has the highest stolen
base percentage among players with at least four hundred career attempts?
Hint:
#1 This batting champ stole fifty bases
for seven consecutive seasons; he stole thirty or more for twelve straight
years.
Hint:
#2 He was the first position player to
win the Arch Ward Memorial Award as All-Star Game Most Valuable Player after the
name of the award was re-introduced.
A. TIM RAINES [HOF Bio]
- Ans. Raines
stole 808 bases in 954 attempts = 84.7%. Raines played 98
games for FLA in his final season.
- #1 Stole
50+ 1981-1987, the first four of those leading the league. The 1st & 4th of
those led the majors. Click here for his record.
- #2 The
Ward Award was re-introduced in 1985.
Raines was the ASG MVP in 1987. Raines followed pitchers LaMarr Hoyt (1985)
and Roger Clemens (1986).
FCR - Matt Clairmont, New Minas, Nova Scotia
Incorrect
guesses: Jose Reyes, Ichiro Suzuki,
Luis Castillo, Juan Pierre
SATURDAY — 31-Oct-2026
Q. Whose hit was the only one surrendered by
Hall of Fame pitcher Addie Joss in Joss's major league debut?
Hint:
#1 He took full advantage of the change in
the pitchers’ distance, hitting better than .340 for the next nine straight seasons.
Hint:
#2 His ability to bunt pitches foul
potential helped prompt the rule change to call a bunted third strike a
strikeout.
A. JESSE BURKETT [SABR Bio]
- Ans. In
a colorful game between the Cleveland Blues & St. Louis Browns on Saturday,
26-Apr-1902, Addie Joss entered the majors with a bang with a one-hitter. Veteran leadoff hitter Burkett was the only
man on the home team to get a hit when he led off the sixth with a single to
right field.
- #1 The
60’6” distance from mound to plate began in 1893. Burkett led the majors in batting two seasons
later with .405 & .410 in 1895 & 1896
respectively. Click here for full record.
- #2 Burkett
deliberately bunted foul, extending his at-bat until he got the delivery that
he felt suited him.
FCR - Willis Kern, Ft. Myers, Florida
Incorrect
guesses: Wee Willie Keeler, Cap Anson, Nap
Lajoie, Ed Delahanty
SUNDAY — 01-Nov-2026
Q. Whose record for most career shutouts by a
St. Louis Cardinal pitcher did Bob Gibson break?
Hint:
#1 He led the league in ERA in two eras.
Hint:
#2 A product, variations of which are
now used by every baseball player, professional or amateur, was developed by
him and bore his name.
-
Ans. Doak’s Cardinal record of 30
career shutouts was set over his 13 years with the team. Gibson’s 31st, on his way to 56,
came on 25-Jul-1968 during the season he
set his personal best in shutouts at 13, the best by any pitcher
since Pete Alexander set the all-time record of 16 back in the Deadball Era.
- #1 Doak
led the NL in ERA in his 1st full year in the league, 1914—the heart
of the Deadball Era. He led again in
1921, 2 years into the Live Ball Era.
- #2 Doak’s
innovation was adding a pocket between thumb and
index finger on baseball gloves. It made
him more money than he earned in his entire baseball career.
FCR - Greg Koch, Falls Church, Virginia
Incorrect
guesses: Grover Cleveland Alexander, Al
Spalding, Dizzy Dean, Dizzy Dean, Cy Young, Harry Brecheen
WEEK’S
FINALE — 01-Nov-2026
Q. Which one-time New York Mets reliever led his
league in saves for three different teams?
Hint:
#1 He signed as a free agent with the
San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals, but never played in the majors for
either one.
Hint:
#2 His only career hit as a batter was a
double in his first major league plate appearance.
Hint:
#3 His entrance song was “Ladies and
Gentlemen” by the group Saliva.
A. JOSE VALVERDE [B-R
Bio]
-
Ans. Valverde saved 47
for ARI in 2007; saved 44 for Houston in 2008; & save 49
for the Tigers in 2011.
- #1 After
getting only 2 saves for NYM in 2014, he was released and became a free agent. In 2015 he was signed then released by SDP & WSN.
- #2 On 20-Sep-2003 in Milwaukee, in the
top of the 9th, Valverde doubled off Brewers’ reliever
Leo Estrella.
- #3 Dramatic
into music—listen here.
FCR - Steve Berman, Wanaque, New Jersey
Incorrect
guesses: Randy Myers, John Franco, Jerry
Kooseman
THEME: Modern Era National Leaguers who finished 1st in
a category in a season, but were behind the AL/MLB leader’s famous record set
the same year
Lge Lead Type # Year AL/MLB Leader Record set WAR
Frisch............ WAR...... 7.1......... 1923......... Babe Ruth.................... 14.1 71.7
Raines........... SB.......... 78......... 1982......... Rickey Henderson........ 130 69.5
Marichal........ PW......... 26......... 1968......... Denny McLain................ 31 62.8
Burkett.......... BA......... .376........ 1901......... Nap Lajoie.................... .426 60.8
McGinnity..... PW......... 35......... 1904......... Jack Chesbro................. 41 59.3
Cepeda.......... HR.......... 46......... 1961......... Roger Maris................... 61 50.2
Reiser............ BA......... .343........ 1941......... Ted Williams................. .406 24.5
Doak.............. ERA...... 1.72........ 1914......... Dutch Leonard.............. 0.96 23.2
Valverde........ SV.......... 44......... 2008......... Francisco Rodriguez...... 62 11.5
*Claude
Hendrix.... ERA 1.69
led the Federal League in 1914
Also qualifying…
Lge Lead Type # Year AL/MLB Leader Record
Rogers Hornsby.. R...... 131.. 1921... Babe Ruth....... 177
Rogers Hornsby.. XBH... 83... 1921... Babe Ruth....... 119
Rogers Hornsby.. R...... 378.. 1921... Babe Ruth....... 457
Juan Pierre......... Hits... 221.. 2004... Ichiro Suzuki... 262
Tom Seaver........ Ks..... 251.. 1973... Nolan Ryan..... 383
Incorrect
theme guesses:
Tues - Former
Red Sox who have had Hall of Fame careers elsewhere
-
Players
with statues at Oracle Park
-
Latinos
who played for the Giants and Bosox
-
Players
with the highest WAR for the Giants
Wed - Giants
in the HOF
-
Pitchers
who had war of 10 or more in one season
Sat - They
are all known mostly by their nicknames
-
Players
born October 1st
Sun - All
involved in some type of baseball innovation
-
All
played at some point either for a NYC-based team or for a franchise that
originated in NYC
-
All
have a Cardinal connection
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